Abstract
Dongting Lake, located in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze, is regarded as a lake during the water swelling period and a continent in the ebbing period. The construction of the Three-Gorge Dam has influenced the water level of Dongting Lake and the growth of wetland macrophytes in the area. In this study, the growth of main species of wetland macrophytes, such as Carex and Phragmites at Dongting Lake, was observed, and the hydraulic gradient, one of the main factors dominating the abundance and distribution of wetland macrophytes, was also studied at six stations in Dongting Lake area and the effect of the Three-Gorge Dam construction on the growth of wetland macrophytes was observed.