2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

5/20/2019 | 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM | LEAF TYPE AFFECTS ASSIMILATION OF C AND N BY MACROINVERTEBRATES | 250 DE

LEAF TYPE AFFECTS ASSIMILATION OF C AND N BY MACROINVERTEBRATES

Leaf litter decomposes predictably with leaf litter traits and the environment. These factors also affect the pathways of element flow. To understand how leaf type affects this pathway, we use a new method for calculating C and N assimilation to macroinvertebrates during decomposition. Using litter from 12 tree species enriched with 13C and 15N, we quantified carbon and nitrogen assimilation from leaves to invertebrate taxa. We incubated twelve leaf species in coarse mesh bags in Oak Creek (AZ). By measuring mass loss, changes in the %C and %N of leaf litter packs, and changes in stable isotope values we estimated C and N loss during decomposition. We also quantified the pathway of C and N transfer to the macroscopic food web by calculating the amount of C and N assimilated by different invertebrate species. We find that element assimilation is a more sensitive metric for detecting differences across leaf types than leaf-associated invertebrate assemblages. Community assemblages did not differ overall by leaf type, while stable isotope values show differential macroinvertebrate assimilation rates across leaf species.

Isotope
Organic Matter
Food Webs

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Presenters/Authors

Meghan Schrik (), Northern Arizona University, ms3398@nau.edu;