Which plants to use in French vertical flow constructed wetland under tropical climate? | Quelles plantes dans les filtres plantés de végétaux en milieu tropical ?

[Departement_IRSTEA]Ecotechnologies [TR1_IRSTEA]TED

International audience

English. Plants are essential in Constructed Wetland (CW) functioning. When implementing systems in tropical area, Phragmites autralis cannot be always selected because of its invasive characteristics. In Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland (VFCW) fed with raw wastewater, the main role of plant is their mechanical action that avoids clogging of the deposit organic matter. If alternative species have already been used in some tropical climate studies, it is generally not for such systems and without trying to do a real screening of numerous alternatives species. This paper presents a methodology to select species among a hundred studied, as well as promising plants that have been tested in batch and in full scale. Species from Zingiberales order showed strong adaptation to the main stresses generated by VFCW. They have long vegetative cycle that may require weed growth control after plantation but low harvesting frequency. Root system with long rhizomes like Heliconia psittacorum should have priority to ensure homogeneous growth and avoid clumps. To limit phytosanitary risk with Musaceæ (Banana tree) Canna indica or Canna glauca must be preferred. Species from the Cyperus genus demonstrate good adaptation too and might be interesting, especially when a high stems density is required (planted sludge drying bed).