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Leaf litter decomposition in western Iberian forested wetlands: lentic versus lotic response

Ana Sampaio,P. M. Rodríguez‐González,S. Varandas,R. Cortes,M. T. Ferreira

Published 2008 in Limnetica

ABSTRACT

Leaf litter decomposition in western Iberian forested wetlands: lentic versus lotic response Leaf litter breakdown is frequently used to measure both structural and functional integrity in aquatic ecosystems. Forested wetlands are interface systems that received little attention, especially in the Iberian Peninsula. The present study compares the decomposition of alder and willow in two biotopes (lentic and lotic) located in two different sites (Caxarias and Alpiarca). Litterbags were used to compare decomposition among the different treatments. Throughout decay, dry weight loss, nitrogen and phosphorus content, microbial community physiological profiles, microbial and macro-invertebrate colonization were measured at days 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. Decomposition rates ranged from intermediate to rapid for alder (0.006 day −1 to 0.0338 day −1 ) and slow to rapid for willow (0.0024 day −1 to 0.0272 day −1 ), depending on site and biotopes type. The com- bined effects biotope × time was significant for heterotrophs (P < 0.05), molds (P < 0.05) and yeasts (P < 0.001). The analysis of average well colour development (AWCD), richness (R) and Shannon-Wiener index (H � ) based on the oxidation of carbon and nitrogen sources by the microbial community, showed differences between the two biotopes, lotic and lentic, and sites. These differences were also shown by the principal component analysis (PCA). Moreover, the macroinvertebrate commu- nities clearly distinguished between lentic and lotic systems. The invertebrates belonging to Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera were absent from lentic habitats.

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