Long-term differences in annual litter production between alien (Sonneratia apetala) and native (Kandelia obovata) mangrove species in Futian, Shenzhen, China

Lina Liu; Fenglan Li; Qiong Yang; Nora F Y Tam; Wenbo Liao; Qijie Zan

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.04.047

Long-term differences in annual litter production between alien (Sonneratia apetala) and native (Kandelia obovata) mangrove species in Futian, Shenzhen, China

Mar Pollut Bull. 2014 Aug 30;85(2):747-53. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.04.047. Epub 2014 May 16.

Authors

Lina Liu¹, Fenglan Li², Qiong Yang³, Nora F Y Tam⁴, Wenbo Liao⁵, Qijie Zan⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen 518000, China.
² College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Futian-CityU Mangrove Research and Development Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
³ Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen 518000, China; Futian-CityU Mangrove Research and Development Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
⁴ Futian-CityU Mangrove Research and Development Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. Electronic address: lsslwb@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
⁶ Futian-CityU Mangrove Research and Development Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Shenzhen Wild Animal Rescue Center, Xinzhou Road, Shenzhen 518040, China. Electronic address: zqjmangrove@126.com.

PMID: 24841715
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.04.047

Abstract

Annual litter production in alien (Sonneratia apetala) and native (Kandelia obovata) mangrove forests in Shenzhen, China were compared from 1999 to 2010. S. apetala had significantly higher litter production than K. obovata, with mean annual total litter of 18.1 t ha(-1) yr(-1) and 15.2 t ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. The higher litter production in S. apetala forest indicates higher productivity and consequently more nutrient supply to the estuarine ecosystems but may be more invasive due to positive plant-soil feedbacks and nutrient availability to this alien species. Two peaks were recorded in S. apetala (May and October), while only one peak was observed in K. obovata, in early spring (March and April). Leaf and reproductive materials were the main contributors to litter production (>80%) in both forests. These results suggest that the ecological function of S. apetala and its invasive potential can be better understood based on a long-term litter fall analysis.

Keywords: Kandelia obovata; Litter production; Mangrove; Sonneratia apetala; Wetlands.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Climate
Ecology
Forests
Humidity
Introduced Species*
Lythraceae / physiology*
Plant Leaves / physiology*
Rhizophoraceae / physiology*
Seasons
Soil

Substances

Soil