Phosphorus-leaching from litterfall in wetland catchments of the Swan Coastal Plain, southwestern Australia

Abstract

Many wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain in southwestern Australia have catchments with significant areas of native vegetation. The dynamics of P release from their litter and its significance as a P source for wetlands have not been previously investigated. Litterfall of common plant species were collected before the local rainy season, and examined for P leaching properties under inundated conditions. Inundation of `intact' litter materials for 24 hours leached 30±7.5% (95% confidence level) of this Tot-P in litter, measured by anion exchange membrane extraction. This increased to 46.9% of `apparent' P release at 115 days. The released P was incorporated into microbial biomass during leaching so modifying leachate concentrations. Using liquid chloroform `fumigation' it was estimated that 36.2 ± 15.6% (95% confidence level) of Tot-P leached during the 115-day inundation was in the microbial biomass pool, not directly measured by AEM extraction. P leaching during initial and prolonged inundation correlated with litter Ca, Mg and total base concentration, but the initial Tot-P concentration of litter was the best predictor for P leaching, in both short-term and prolonged inundation (R2 = 0.80 and 0.93, p < 0.0001). The high P leaching rate during 24 hours suggested that P from litter during `first storm' events could produce a significant P flux from local catchments and contribute nutrients to downstream wetlands.