Dynamics of Litter Production and Decomposition: A Case Study from A Tropical Coastal Lagoon, Malaysia
Main Article Content
Abstract
Litter production and decomposition are the controlling factors in carbon dynamics and energy fluxes within mangrove ecosystems. The rate of decomposition is regulated by biotic and abiotic factors in many mangrove ecosystems worldwide. The limited information on litter production in a tropical lagoon and faunal effect in decomposition process makes it challenging to understand the impact on ecosystem functioning. Thus, study was examined: (i) Monthly rate of litter production and (ii) the decay pattern of leaf litters of two mangrove species, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Rhizophora mucronata at different positions i.e., forest floor, hanging position, and burial position, using 0.50 mm mesh litter bags. To estimate the litter production one seasonal year was observed and 120 days research trial was carried out to examine the decay pattern of leaf litters in a tropical lagoon mangrove ecosystem. The total annual litter fall production was recorded ~1325 g/m2, and leaves were the major contributor (59%) to litter production throughout the year. In litter decomposition, both the decay rate and the percentage of wet losses were high (50%) during the first ~30 days of the study. Due to the different physicochemical characteristics of the leaf (i.e., toughness, lignin content, C:N ratio, and other phenolic) of two mangrove species a significant changes (F = 4.55, p < 0.05) were found in the decay pattern. There was also a significant difference (F = 14.19, p < 0.001) in the decay constant at different positions during the experimental period, and the pattern of loss was highest on the forest floor, followed by hanging and burial positions for both species. Findings suggest that employing various positions in decomposition experiments can enhance the overall understanding of ecological impacts on ecosystem functioning and dynamics in tropical mangrove ecosystems.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Aké-Castillo J A, Vazquez G and Lopez-Portillo J. (2006). Litterfall and decomposition of Rhizophora mangle L. in a coastal lagoon in the southern Gulf Mexico. Hydrobiologia 559: 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-0959-x
Angsupanich S and Aksornkoae S. (1994). Mangrove litter production in Phangnga Bay, southern Thailand. Tropics 4(1): 35–40. https://doi.org/10.3759/tropics.4.35
Ashton C E, Hogarth P J and Ormond R. (1999). Breakdown of mangrove leaf litter in a managed mangrove forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Hydrobiologia 413: 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003842910811
Austin A T and Vivanco L. (2006). Plant litter decomposition in a semi-arid ecosystem
controlled by photodegradation. Nature 442: 555–558. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05038
Barroso-Matos T, Bernini E and Rezende CE. (2012). Decomposition of mangrove leaves in the estuary of Paraı´ba do Sul River, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 40: 398–407. https://doi.org/10.3856/vol40-issue2-fulltext-14
Billah M M, Bhuiyan M K A, Amran M I U A, Cabral A C and Garcia M R D. (2022). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in mangrove ecosystems: global synthesis and future research directions.Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology 21(3): 747–770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-022-09625-0
Bockheim J G, Jepsen E A and Heisey DM. (1991). Nutrient dynamics in decomposing leaf litter of four tree species on a sandy soil in northwestern Wisconsin. Canadian Journal for Forest Research 21(6): 803–812. https://doi.org/10.1139/x91-113
Bokhorst S and Wardle D A. (2013). Microclimate within litter bags of different mesh size: Implications for the arthropod effect on litter decomposition. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 58: 147–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.12.001
Bradford M A, Tordoff G M, Eggers T, Jones T H and Newington J E. (2002). Microbiota, fauna, and mesh size interactions in litter decomposition. Oikos 99(2): 317–323. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3547913
Brown S and Lugo A E. (1982). The storage and production of organic matter in tropical forests and their role in the global carbon cycle. Biotropica 14: 161–187. https://doi.org/10.2307/2388024
Chambers L G, Guevara R, Boyer J N, Troxler T G and Davis S E. (2016). Effects of salinity and inundation on microbial community structure and function in a mangrove peat soil. Wetlands 36: 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0745-8
Chandrashekara U M. (1997). Litter decomposition as an ecosystem service. Master’s thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Clough B F, Tan D T, Phuong D X and Buu D C. (2000). Canopy leaf area index and litter fall in stands of the mangrove Rhizophora apiculata of different age in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Aquatic Botany 66(4): 311–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(99)00081-9
Davis S E, Coronado-Molina C, Childers D L and Day J W. (2003). Temporally dependent C, N, and P dynamics associated with the decay of Rhizophora mangle L. leaf litter in oligotrophic mangrove wetlands of the Southern Everglades. Aquatic Botany 75: 199–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(02)00176-6
Day J W, Coronado-Molina C, Vera-Herrera F R, Twilley R, Rivera-Monroy V H, Alvarez-Guillen H, Day R and Conner W. (1996). A 7-year record of aboveground net primary production in a Southeastern Mexican mangrove forest. Aquatic Botany 55(1): 39–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3770(96)01063-7
De Angelis K M, Silver W L, Thompson A W, and Firestone M K. (2010). Microbial communities acclimate to recurring changes in soil redox potential status. Environmental Microbiology 12: 3137–3149. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02286.x
De Oliveira A B, Rizzo A E and Couto E D C G. (2013). Assessing decomposition rates of Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa leaves in a tropical mangrove. Estuaries and Coasts 36(6): 1354–1362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-013-9627-y
Dick T M and Osunkoya O O. (2000). Influence of tidal restriction floodgates on decomposition of mangrove litter. Aquatic Botany 68(3): 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(00)00119-4
Duke N C, Bunt J S and Williams W T. (1981). Mangrove litterfall in northeastern Australia. I. Annual totals by component in selected species. Australian Journal of Botany 29(5): 547–553. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT9810547
Farooqui Z, Shafique S, Khan K L, Ali A, Iqbal P and Siddiqui P J A. (2012). Assessment of litter production in semi-arid mangroves forests near active Indus river mouth (Hajambro creek) and Karachi Backwaters, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany 44(5): 1763–1768.
Fiard M, Cuny P, Sylvi L, Hubas C, Jézéquel R, Lamy D, Walcker R, El Houssainy A, Heimbürger-Boavida L-A, Robinet T, Bihannic I, Gilbert F, Michaud E, Dirberg G and Militon C. (2022). Mangrove microbiota along the urban-to-rural gradient of the Cayenne estuary (French Guiana, South America): Drivers and potential bioindicators. Science of The Total Environment 807: 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150667
Fourqurean J W and Schrlau J E. (2003). Changes in nutrient content and stable isotope ratios of C and N during decomposition of sea grasses and mangrove leaves along a nutrient availability gradient in Florida Bay, USA. Chemistry and Ecology 19(5): 373–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/02757540310001609370
Gladstone-Gallagher R V, Lundquist C J and Pilditch C A. (2014). Mangrove (Avicennia marina Subsp. australasica) litter production and decomposition in a temperate estuary. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 48(1): 24–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2013.827124
Heald E J and Odum W E. (1970). The contribution of mangrove swamps to Florida fisheries. Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 22: 130–135. http://hdl.handle.net/1834/28165
Hoque M M, Abu Hena M K, Idris M H, Ahmed O H, Saifullah A S M and Billah M M. (2015a). Status of some fishery resources in a tropical mangrove estuary of Sarawak, Malaysia. Marine Biology Research 11(8): 834–846. https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2015.1016970
Hoque M M, Abu Hena M K, Idris M H, Ahmed O H, Hoque A T M R and Billah M M. (2015b). Litterfall production in a tropical mangrove of Sarawak, Malaysia. Zoology and Ecology 25(2): 157–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/21658005.2015.1016758
Hoque M M. (2015). Litterfall, Nutrients, and Fishery Production in Kuala Sibuti Mangrove, Malaysia. PhD diss., Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Hossain M and Hoque A K F. (2008). Litter production and decomposition in mangroves: A review. Indian Journal of Forestry 31: 227–238. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2008-8TS8TD
Hossain M and Othman S. (2005). Degradation rate of leaf litter of Bruguiera parviflora of mangrove forest of Kuala Selangor, Malaysia. Indian Journal of Forestry 29(2): 144–149
Imgraben S and Dittmann S. (2008). Leaf litter dynamics and litter consumption in two temperate South Australian mangrove forests. Journal of Sea Research 59(1–2): 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2007.06.004
Islam M A, Idris M H, Bhuiyan M K A, Ali M H, Abdullah M T and Kamal A H M. (2022). Floristic diversity, structure, and carbon stock of mangroves in a tropical lagoon ecosystem at Setiu, Malaysia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 23(7): 3685–3696. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d230746
Islam M A, Billah M M, Idris M H, Bhuiyan M K A and Kamal A H M. (2024). Mangroves of Malaysia: A comprehensive review on ecosystem functions, services, restorations, and potential threats of climate change. Hydrobiologia 851(8): 1841–1871. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05431-z
Kamal A H M, Hoque M M, Idris M H, Billah M M, Karim N U and Bhuiyan M K A. (2020). Nutrient properties of tidal-borne alluvial sediments from a tropical mangrove ecosystem. Regional Studies in Marine Science 36: 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101299
Kamruzzaman M, Basak K, Paul S K, Ahmed S and Osawa A. (2019). Litterfall production, decomposition and nutrient accumulation in Sundarbans mangrove forests, Bangladesh. Forest Science and Technology 15(1): 4–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/21580103.2018.1557566
Kristensen E, Bouillon S, Dittmar T and Marchand C. (2008). Organic carbon dynamics in mangrove ecosystems: A review. Aquatic Botany 89(2): 201–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2007.12.005
Leach G J and Burgin S. (1985). Litter production and seasonality of mangroves in Papua New Guinea. Aquatic Botany 23(3): 215–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3770(85)90067-1
Lecerf A and Chauvet E. (2008). Intraspecific variability in leaf traits strongly affects alder leaf decomposition in a stream. Basic and Applied Ecology 9(5): 598–605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2007.11.003
Lee S Y. (1999). Tropical mangrove ecology: physical and biotic factors influencing ecosystem structure and function. Australian Journal of Ecology 24(4): 355–366. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1442-9993.1999.00984.x
Liu Y, Wei X, Guo X, Niu D, Zhang J, Gong X and Jiang Y. (2012). The long-term effects of reforestation on soil microbial biomass carbon in sub-tropic severe red soil degradation areas. Forest Ecology and Management 285: 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.08.019
Loría-Naranjo M, Sibaja-Cordero J A and Cortés J. (2019). Mangrove leaf litter decomposition in a seasonal tropical environment. Journal of Coastal Research 35(1): 122–129. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOA STRES-D-17-00095.1
Lu C Y and Lin P. (1990). Studies on litter fall and decomposition of Bruguiera sexangula community in Hainan Island, China. Acta Phytoecologica et Geobotanica Sinica 14(1): 69–74.
Mall L P, Singh V P and Garge A. (1991). Study of biomass, litterfall, litter decomposition and soil respiration in mono-generic mangrove and mixed mangrove forests of Andaman Islands. Tropical Ecology 32(1): 144–152.
Mfilinge P L, Atta N and Tsuchiya M. (2002). Nutrient dynamics and leaf litter decomposition in a subtropical mangrove forest at Oura Bay, Okinawa, Japan. Trees 16: 172–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-001-0156-0
Middleton B A and Mckee K L. (2001). Degradation of mangrove tissues and implications for peat formation in Belizean island forests. Journal of Ecology 89: 818–828. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0022-0477.2001.00602.x
Nagarajan B, Pandiarajan C, Krishnamoorthy M and Sophia P. (2008). Reproductive fitness and success in mangroves: Implication on conservation. Paper presented at Proceedings of Taal 2007: the 12th World Lake Conference. Jaipur, India, pp. 29–33.
Nordhaus I, Salewski T and Jennerjahn T C. (2017). Interspecific variations in mangrove leaf litter decomposition are related to labile nitrogenous compounds. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 192: 137–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.04.029
Oliveira A, Rizzo A and Couto E. (2013). Assessing decomposition rates of Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa leaves in a tropical mangrove. Estuaries and Coasts 36: 1354–1362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-013-9627-y
Oliveira A B, Rizzo A E and Couto E C G. (2012). Benthic macrofauna associated with decomposition of leaves in a mangrove forest in Ilhe´us, State of Bahia, Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 92(7): 1479–1487. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315411001482
Olson J S. (2007). Energy storage and the balance of producers and decomposers in ecological systems. Ecology 44(2): 322–331. https://doi.org/10.2307/1932179
Ong J E, Gong W K and Wong C H. (1980). Ecological survey of the Sungai Merbok estuarine mangrove. Malaysia: Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Phillips R P. (1985). Longshore transport of sediment during August and September on the Terengganu Coast. Pertanika 8(2): 273–279.
Purnobasuki H and Hermawan A. (2022). Litterfall and decomposition of mangrove species Avicennia marina in Surabaya East Coast, Indonesia. Pakistan Journal of Botany 54(4): 1399–1403. https://doi.org/10.30848/PJB2022-4(45)
Robertson A I and Daniel P A. (1989). The influence of crabs in litter processing in high intertidal mangrove forests in tropical Australia. Oecologia 78: 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377155
Robertson A I. (1988). Decomposition of mangrove leaf litter in tropical Australia. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 116(3): 235–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(88)90029-9
Robertson A I, Alongi D M and Boto K G. (1992). Food chains and carbon fluxes. In Robertson A I and D M Alongi (eds.). Tropical mangrove ecosystems. Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union, 293–326. https://doi.org/10.1029/CE041p0293
Salim J M, Faridah M and Rohani S. (2015). Setiu: More than a wetland. In Setiu Wetlands: Species, ecosystem and livelihoods. Terengganu: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 87–100.
Sasekumar A and Loi J J. (1983). Litter production in three mangrove forest zones in the Malay Peninsula. Aquatic Botany 17(3–4): 283–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3770(83)90063-3
Sharma S, Hoque A T M R, Analuddin K and Hagihara A. (2012). Litterfall dynamics in an overcrowded mangrove Kandelia obovata (S.L.) Yong stand over five years. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 98: 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2011.11.012
Sidik B J. (1989). Studies on leaf litter decomposition of mangroves, Rhizophora apiculate BL. PhD diss., Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Silva C A R, Oliveira S R, Rego R D P and Mozeto A A. (2007). Dynamics of phosphorus and nitrogen through litter fall and decomposition in a tropical mangrove forest. Marine Environmental Research 64(4): 524–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2007.04.007
Smith V C and Bradford M A. (2003). Litter quality impacts on grassland litter decomposition are differently dependent on soil fauna across time. Applied Soil Ecology 24(2): 197–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-1393(03)00094-5
Steinke T D, Holland A J and Singh Y. (1993). Leaching losses during decomposition of mangrove leaf litter. South African Journal Botany 59(1): 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-6299(16)30770-0
Steinke T D and Ward C J. (1987). Degradation of mangrove leaf litter in the St Lucia Estuary as influenced by season and exposure. South African Journal Botany 53(5): 323–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-6299(16)31392-8
Suratman S, Hussein A N A R, Latif M T and Weston K. (2014). Reassessment of physico-chemical water quality in Setiu Wetland, Malaysia. Sains Malaysiana 43(8): 1127–1131.
Tam N F Y, Won Y S, Lan C Y and Wang L N. (1998). Litter production and decomposition in a subtropical mangrove swamp receiving wastewater. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 226(1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-0981(97)00233-5
Triadiati S, Tjitrosemito E, Guhardja E, Sudarsono H, Qayim I and Leuschner C. (2011). Litterfall production and leaf-litter decomposition at natural forest and cacao agroforestry in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences 4(8): 221–234. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2011.221.234
Valiela I, Teal J M, Allen S D, Etten, R V, Goehringer D and Volkmann S. (1985). Decomposition in salt marsh ecosystems: the phases and major factors affecting disappearance of above-ground organic matter. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 89(1): 29–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(85)90080-2
Williams W T, Bunt J S and Duke N C. (1981). Mangrove litterfall in north- eastern Australia. II. Periodicity. Australian Journal of Botany 29(5): 555–563. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT9810555
Ye Y, Chen Y P and Chen G C. (2013). Litter production and litter elemental composition in two rehabilitated Kandelia obovata mangrove forests in Jiulongjiang estuary, China. Marine Environmental Research 83: 63–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.10.011
Zainol Z, Akhir M F, Johari A and Ali A. (2021). Water quality data in a shallow and narrow Setiu Lagoon. Data in Brief 35: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.106866
Zimmer M. (2019). Detritus. In B D Fath (ed.), Encyclopedia of ecology, 2nd ed. Elsevier, pp. 292–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.10918-2