Litter Fall and Decompostion in a Mangrove Stand, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh., in Middle Harbour, Sydney

Abstract

Leaf and other litter falling in a mangrove woodland was estimated by litter trapping for 13 months. Mean annual litter fall was 5.8 t ha-1 year-1 (dry matter) of which 79% was leaf material. Largest fortnightly collections of litter were found in the summer months, and little litter fell in winter. Data suggested that mangrove litter is rapidly incorporated into the rest of the estuarine ecosystem: the leaf litter layer in the swamp was estimated on two occasions (about 9 g m-2 in winter and about 62 g m-2 in summer, dry leaf material) and a litter-bag experiment gave a leaf decomposition half- time of about 8 weeks.