TY - JOUR
T1 - Controls on herbaceous litter decomposition in the estuarine ecotones of the florida everglades
AU - Rubio, Gustavo
AU - Childers, Daniel L.
N1 - Funding Information:
We gratefully acknowledge the field and lab assistance provided by many people, especially those in the Wetland Ecosystem Ecology Lab and Seagrass Ecosystem Ecology Lab at Florida International University. We would also like to thank Tom Philippi and Greg Noe, which provided invaluable assistance with statistical analysis. This research was supported by a grant from the South Florida Management District and by the National Science Foundation through the FCE LTER Program (DEB-9910514).
PY - 2006/4
Y1 - 2006/4
N2 - The effects of nutrient availability and litter quality on litter decomposition were measured in two oligotrophic phosphorus (P)-limited Florida Everglades estuaries, United States. The two estuaries differ in that one (Shark River estuary) is directly connected to the Gulf of Mexico and receives marine P, while the other (Taylor Slough estuary) does not receive marine P because Florida Bay separates it from the Gulf of Mexico. Decomposition of three macrophytes, Cladium jamaicense, Eleocharis spp., and Juncus roemerianus, was studied using a litter bag technique over 18 mo. Litter was exposed to three treatments: soil surface + macroinvertebrates (= macro), soil surface without macroinvertebrates (= wet), and above the soil and water (= aerial). The third treatment replicated the decomposition of standing dead leaves. Decomposition rates showed that litter exposed to the wet and macro treatments decomposed significantly faster than the aerial treatment, where atmospheric deposition was the only source of nutrients. Macroinvertebrates had no influence on litter decomposition rates. C. jamaicense decomposed faster at sites with higher P, and Eleocharis spp. decomposed significantly faster at sites with higher nitrogen (N). Initial tissue C:N and C:P molar ratios revealed that the nutrient quality of litter of both Eleocharis spp. and J. roemerianus was higher than C. jamaicense, but only Eleocharis spp. decomposed faster than C. jamaicense. C. jamaicense litter tended to immobilize P, while Eleocharis spp. litter showed net remineralization of N and P. A comparison with other estuarine and wetland systems revealed the dependence of litter decomposition on nutrient availability and litter quality. The results from this experiment suggest that Everglades restoration may have an important effect on key ecosystem processes in the estuarine ecotone of this landscape.
AB - The effects of nutrient availability and litter quality on litter decomposition were measured in two oligotrophic phosphorus (P)-limited Florida Everglades estuaries, United States. The two estuaries differ in that one (Shark River estuary) is directly connected to the Gulf of Mexico and receives marine P, while the other (Taylor Slough estuary) does not receive marine P because Florida Bay separates it from the Gulf of Mexico. Decomposition of three macrophytes, Cladium jamaicense, Eleocharis spp., and Juncus roemerianus, was studied using a litter bag technique over 18 mo. Litter was exposed to three treatments: soil surface + macroinvertebrates (= macro), soil surface without macroinvertebrates (= wet), and above the soil and water (= aerial). The third treatment replicated the decomposition of standing dead leaves. Decomposition rates showed that litter exposed to the wet and macro treatments decomposed significantly faster than the aerial treatment, where atmospheric deposition was the only source of nutrients. Macroinvertebrates had no influence on litter decomposition rates. C. jamaicense decomposed faster at sites with higher P, and Eleocharis spp. decomposed significantly faster at sites with higher nitrogen (N). Initial tissue C:N and C:P molar ratios revealed that the nutrient quality of litter of both Eleocharis spp. and J. roemerianus was higher than C. jamaicense, but only Eleocharis spp. decomposed faster than C. jamaicense. C. jamaicense litter tended to immobilize P, while Eleocharis spp. litter showed net remineralization of N and P. A comparison with other estuarine and wetland systems revealed the dependence of litter decomposition on nutrient availability and litter quality. The results from this experiment suggest that Everglades restoration may have an important effect on key ecosystem processes in the estuarine ecotone of this landscape.
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U2 - 10.1007/BF02781994
DO - 10.1007/BF02781994
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33745905029
SN - 1559-2723
VL - 29
SP - 257
EP - 268
JO - Estuaries and Coasts
JF - Estuaries and Coasts
IS - 2
ER -