Coarse Particulate Detritus Dynamics in Small, Montane Streams Southwestern British Columbia

Abstract

The dynamics of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) were studied for 2 yr in three second-order streams in the Coast Range of British Columbia. Estimates of direct litterfall ranged from 201 to 481 g ash-free dry mass∙m−2∙yr−1. The magnitude of deciduous leaf litter input was similar among streams. Input of conifer needles to a stream with an old-growth canopy was higher than in two streams which drained second-growth forests. There was over a 60-fold seasonal change in deciduous leaf standing stock, but woody debris and total CPOM showed less seasonal variation. Decomposition of alder leaf packs in two of the streams showed a large temperature-dependent component and significant differences between streams, with the more retentive stream having lower rates of decomposition. From estimates of input and decay rates, models of leaf loss were made to predict benthic standing stocks of deciduous leaf litter. Comparisons of the model predictions with actual measures indicate that 70–94% of leaf material was unaccounted for and presumably lost from the study reach by export, floodplain deposition, and burial. The seasonal changes in standing stock of CPOM emphasize the variation in food supply potentially available to detritivorous stream organisms.