Litterfall production, decomposition and nutrient accumulation in Sundarbans mangrove forests, Bangladesh

Abstract

Litterfall production and litter decomposition are the principal factors for controlling the functions of mangroves to store and cycle carbon and nutrients within the ecosystem. We analyzed the litterfall production, its seasonality, patterns and changes of mass loss, carbon, and nitrogen content of litterfall decomposition in different locations as well as different position of decomposition bags in Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF). Total annual litterfall production was 1005.9 ± 7.0 g m−2 yr−1 and leaves being the principal contributor of all the studied location throughout the study period. During the decomposition experiment, the litterfall lost 20% of its original mass in the first 60 days, and this loss continued to 50% of its original weight by the end of the experiment (196 days). There was not significant difference in the mass loss at different positions or sites during the experiment period. Monthly mean total carbon and nitrogen mass in litterfall accounted for 344.6 ± 28.7 kg ha−1 and 8.7 ± 0.7 kg ha−1, respectively. The pattern for nitrogen content showed increasing trend throughout the experiment period. Mangrove communities growing along the oligohaline zone showed higher nutrient concentration than other mangrove areas indicating their ecological significance and also efficiently retain C and N.