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Nitrogen dynamics in subtropical fringe and basin mangrove forests inferred from stable isotopes

  • Ecosystem ecology – original research
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An Erratum to this article was published on 04 February 2017

Abstract

Mangroves exhibit low species richness compared to other tropical forests, but great structural and functional diversity. Aiming to contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of mangrove forests, we investigated nitrogen (N) dynamics in two physiographic types of mangroves (fringe and basin forests) in southeastern Brazil. Because fringe forests are under great influence of tidal flushing we hypothesized that these forests would exhibit higher N cycling rates in sediment and higher N losses to the atmosphere compared to basin forests. We quantified net N mineralization and nitrification rates in sediment and natural abundance of N stable isotopes (δ15N) in the sediment–plant–litter system. The fringe forest exhibited higher net N mineralization rates and δ15N in the sediment–plant–litter system, but net nitrification rates were similar to those of the basin forest. The results of the present study suggest that fringe forests exhibit higher N availability and N cycling in sediment compared to basin forests.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa no Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (Processo 2011/09613), and by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) by a fellowship grant for the first author. The authors are thankful to Marília Cunha-Lignon for kindly providing the shapefiles of mangrove forests area. Jim Hesson of AcademicEnglishSolutions.com revised the English.

Author contribution statement

CRGR, GBN, and RSO conceived the idea and field sampling design. All authors conducted fieldwork. CRGR and ALCR conducted laboratory and statistical analysis. All authors wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil

    Carla Roberta Gonçalves Reis & Gabriela Bielefeld Nardoto

  2. Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil

    André Luis Casarin Rochelle & Rafael Silva Oliveira

  3. Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil

    Simone Aparecida Vieira

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  1. Carla Roberta Gonçalves Reis
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  2. Gabriela Bielefeld Nardoto
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  3. André Luis Casarin Rochelle
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  4. Simone Aparecida Vieira
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  5. Rafael Silva Oliveira
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Correspondence to Carla Roberta Gonçalves Reis.

Additional information

Communicated by Russell K. Monson.

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-017-3819-2.

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Reis, C.R.G., Nardoto, G.B., Rochelle, A.L.C. et al. Nitrogen dynamics in subtropical fringe and basin mangrove forests inferred from stable isotopes. Oecologia 183, 841–848 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-016-3789-9

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