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

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

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-1yr-1 and 15.2 t ha-1yr-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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)747-753
Number of pages7
JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin
Volume85
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Aug 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Kandelia obovata
  • Litter production
  • Mangrove
  • Sonneratia apetala
  • Wetlands

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