TY - JOUR
T1 - Plant species- and stage-specific differences in microbial decay of mangrove leaf litter
T2 - the older the better?
AU - Pradisty, Novia Arinda
AU - Amir, A. Aldrie
AU - Zimmer, Martin
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia and the Perak Forestry Department for issuing the research permit and the staffs of the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve for their assistance during fieldwork. We acknowledge Dr. Rozaimi Jamaluddin (FST UKM) for laboratory access in Malaysia and Christina Staschok (ZMT) for conducting HPLC analysis. The study was supported by UKM Research Grant (GUP-2018-120). NAP was funded by Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Academy (DAAD).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - Leaf litter and its breakdown products represent an important input of organic matter and nutrients to mangrove sediments and adjacent coastal ecosystems. It is commonly assumed that old-grown stands with mature trees contribute more to the permanent sediment organic matter pool than younger stands. However, neither are interspecific differences in leaf decay rates taken into account in this assumption nor is our understanding of the underlying mechanisms or drivers of differences in leaf chemistry sufficient. This study examines the influence of different plant species and ontogenetic stage on the microbial decay of mangrove leaf litter. A litterbag experiment was conducted in the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Malaysia, to monitor leaf litter mass loss, and changes in leaf litter chemistry and microbial enzyme activity. Four mangrove species of different morphologies were selected, namely the trees Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera parviflora, the fern Acrostichum aureum and the shrub Acanthus ilicifolius. Decay rates of mangrove leaf litter decreased from A. ilicifolius to R. apiculata to B. parviflora to A. aureum. Leaf litter mass, total phenolic content, protein precipitation capacity and phenol oxidase activity were found to decline rapidly during the early stage of decay. Leaf litter from immature plants differed from that of mature plants in total phenolic content, phenolic signature, protein precipitating capacity and protease activity. For R. apiculata, but not of the other species, leaf litter from immature plants decayed faster than the litter of mature plants. The findings of this study advance our understanding of the organic matter dynamics in mangrove stands of different compositions and ages and will, thus, prove useful in mangrove forest management.
AB - Leaf litter and its breakdown products represent an important input of organic matter and nutrients to mangrove sediments and adjacent coastal ecosystems. It is commonly assumed that old-grown stands with mature trees contribute more to the permanent sediment organic matter pool than younger stands. However, neither are interspecific differences in leaf decay rates taken into account in this assumption nor is our understanding of the underlying mechanisms or drivers of differences in leaf chemistry sufficient. This study examines the influence of different plant species and ontogenetic stage on the microbial decay of mangrove leaf litter. A litterbag experiment was conducted in the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Malaysia, to monitor leaf litter mass loss, and changes in leaf litter chemistry and microbial enzyme activity. Four mangrove species of different morphologies were selected, namely the trees Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera parviflora, the fern Acrostichum aureum and the shrub Acanthus ilicifolius. Decay rates of mangrove leaf litter decreased from A. ilicifolius to R. apiculata to B. parviflora to A. aureum. Leaf litter mass, total phenolic content, protein precipitation capacity and phenol oxidase activity were found to decline rapidly during the early stage of decay. Leaf litter from immature plants differed from that of mature plants in total phenolic content, phenolic signature, protein precipitating capacity and protease activity. For R. apiculata, but not of the other species, leaf litter from immature plants decayed faster than the litter of mature plants. The findings of this study advance our understanding of the organic matter dynamics in mangrove stands of different compositions and ages and will, thus, prove useful in mangrove forest management.
KW - Extracellular enzyme activity
KW - Leaf chemistry
KW - Leaf litter
KW - Mangrove management
KW - Microbial decay
KW - ITC-CV
U2 - 10.1007/s00442-021-04865-3
DO - 10.1007/s00442-021-04865-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 33559746
AN - SCOPUS:85100849375
SN - 0029-8549
VL - 195
SP - 843
EP - 858
JO - Oecologia
JF - Oecologia
IS - 4
ER -