2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
6/05/2017 | 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | LEAF LITTER PROCESSING IS PRIMED BY POND SEDIMENTS | 306A
LEAF LITTER PROCESSING IS PRIMED BY POND SEDIMENTS
Leaf litter decomposition is a major pathway of material and energy processing in aquatic systems. The factors that control the breakdown of leaf litter in lentic systems remains incompletely described. In small man-made ponds leaf decomposition is mainly driven by microbial activity, thus may be sensitive local physical and chemical conditions. Our experiment evaluated the degree to which leaf litter processing is primed by contact with pond sediments. In 250 ml glass jars, we incubated 10, 1 cm leaf discs (Liriodendron tulipifera) with pond sediments that had been sieved to remove coarse particulate matter (> 1 mm), while simultaneously we incubated 10 additional leaf discs on a shelf 4 cm above the sediments. This design meant that the discs were exposed to similar conditions with the exception of those created locally by the contact with the sediment surface. After 4 months we found the leaves in contact with the sediments were less tough and had lost more mass than those incubated in the water column. Although the mechanism is unknown, our results indicate that pond sediments can accelerate leaf decomposition.
- C07 Lentic Ecology
- C28 Land-Water Interfaces
- C31 Organic Matter Processing
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Presenters/Authors
Jonathan Milisci
(), Longwood University, jonathan.milisci@live.longwood.edu;
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Jessica Hoak
(), Virginia Tech, jessica.hoak@live.longwood.edu;
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