Abstract
The effect on decomposition of 4 different levels of nitrogen in aerial tissue ofSpartina alterniflora, collected at the end of its growing season litter, was studied in laboratory percolators for 56 days at 20‡C. The CO2 evolution and the release of organic nitrogen and organic carbon were monitored. From these data, the ash-free dry weight (AFDW), nitrogen (N) content, and carbon∶nitrogen (C/N) ratio were calculated at various times during decomposition. Fungal biomass, bacterial biomass, and the relative autoradiographic activity of bacteria were measured at the end of the study. Decomposition was significantly affected by the nitrogen content of the litter. A 55% increase in plant N increased overall weight loss and k by 50% and 40%, respectively. Furthermore, k (calculated from time course weight loss data) responded linearly to the 4 different levels of nitrogen inSpartina tissue. Fungi appear to dominate the microbial community. At the end of the experiment, fungal biomass was between 2.23 and 3.08% of the AFDW, and was calculated to contain 12 to 22% of the nitrogen in the litter. Bacterial biomass was 1/10 of the fungal biomass, and 12–17% of the bacteria were active. The total microbial biomass was not affected by increased plant nitrogen. In the course of decomposition, the organic nitrogen and carbon were highest in the effluent water in all treatments during the first 8 days. The respiration rate (CO2 evolution) first increased to a maximum at day 18 and then decreased to a constant rate (1–2 mg C/day/g detritus). Respiration was highest in the high N litter. The C/N ratio in all treatments increased from the start to day 8, then decreased to day 20. In low N litter, C/N then increased again as a result of increased total organic nitrogen (TON) loss relative to carbon mineralization. In the high N, this was reversed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baath E, Lohm U, Lundgren B, Rösswall T, Söderström B, Sohlenius B, Wiren A (1978) The effect of nitrogen and carbon supply on the development of soil organism populations and pine seedlings: A microcosm experiment. Oikos 31:153–163
Baath E, Söderström B (1979) Fungal biomass and fungal immobilization of plant nutrients in Swedish coniferous forest soils. Rev Ecol Biol Sol 16:466–489
Baath E, Söderström B (1979) The significance of hyphal diameter in calculation of fungal biovolume. Oikos 33:11–14
Bell EA (1980) The non-protein amino acids of higher plants. Endeavour 4:102–107
Berg B, Söderström B (1979) Fungal biomass and nitrogen in decomposing Scots pine needle litter. Soil Biol Biochem 11:339–341
D'elia CE, Steudler PA, Corwin N (1977) Determination of total nitrogen in aqueous samples using persulfate digestion. Limnol Oceanogr 22:760–764
Ferguson RL, Rublee P (1976) Contribution of bacteria to standing crop of coastal plankton. Limnol Oceanogr 21:141–145
Frankland JC, Lindley DK, Swift MJ (1978) A comparison of two methods for the estimation of biomass in leaf litter. Soil Biol Biochem 10:323–333
Gosselink JG, Kirby CJ (1974) Decomposition of salt marsh grass,Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Limnol Oceanogr 19:825–832
Hobbie JE, Daley RJ, Jasper S (1977) Use of Nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy. Appl Environ Microbiol 33:1225–1228
Horne RA (1969) Marine Chemistry. Wiley-Interscience, New York, p 586
Howarth RW, Fisher SG (1976) Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics during leaf decay in nutrient-enriched stream microecosystems. Fresh Biol 6:221–228
Jones PCT, Mollison JE (1948) A technique for the quantitative estimation of soil microorganisms. J Gen Microbiol 2:54–69
Lee C, Howarth RW, Howes BL (1980) Sterols in decomposingSpartina alterniflora and the use of ergosterol in estimating the contribution of fungi to detrital nitrogen. Limnol Oceanogr 25:290–303
Lee JJ (1980) A conceptual model of marine detrital decomposition and the organisms associated with the process. In: Droop MR, Jannasch HW (eds), Advances in aquatic microbiology 2 pp 257–291
Marinucci AC (1982) Trophic importance ofSpartina alterniflora production and decomposition to the marsh-estuarine ecosystem. Biol Conserv 22:35–58
Marinucci AC (1982) Carbon and nitrogen fluxes during decomposition ofSpartina alterniflora in a flow-through percolator. Biol Bull 162:53–69
Marinucci AC, Bartha R (1982) Biomagnification of Aroclor 1242 in decomposingSpartina litter. Appl Environ Microbial 44:669–677
Marinucci AC, Bartha R (1982) A component model of decomposition ofSpartina alterniflora in a New Jersey salt marsh. Can J Bot 60:1618–1624
Melillo JM, Aber JD, Muratore JF (1982) The influence of substrate quality on leaf litter decay in a northern hardwood forest. Ecology 63:621–626
Menzel DW, Vaccaro RF (1964) The measurement of dissolved organic and particulate carbon in seawater. Limnol Oceanogr 9:138–142
Meyer-Reil L-A (1978) Autoradiography and epifluorescence microscopy combined for the determination of number and spectrum of actively metabolizing bacteria in natural waters. Appl Environ Microbiol 36:506–512
Newell SY (1981) Fungi and bacteria in or on leaves of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) from Chesapeake Bay. Appl Environ Microbiol 41:1219–1224
Newell SY, Hicks RE (1982) Direct-count estimates of fungal and bacterial biovolume in dead leaves of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel). Estuaries 5:246–260
Olsen FCW (1950) Quantitative estimates of filamentous algae. Trans Amer Microsc Soc 69: 272–270
Parnas H (1975) Model for decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms. Soil Biol Biochem 7:161–169
Ross DJ, Tate KR, Cairns A, Pansier EA (1980) Microbial biomass estimations in soils from tussock grasslands by three biochemical procedures. Soil Biol Biochem 12:375–381
Sharp JH (1973) Total organic carbon in seawater. Comparison of measurements using persulfate oxidation and high temperature combustion. Mar Chem 1:211–229
StÄÄf H (1980) Influence of chemical composition, addition of raspberry leaves, and nitrogen supply on decomposition rate and dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus in beech leaf litter. Oikos 35:55–62
Swift MJ, Heal OW, Anderson JM (1979) Decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Studies in ecology Vol 5. University of California Press, Los Angeles, p 372
Valiela I, Teal JM, Sass W (1975) Production and dynamics of salt marsh vegetation and the effects of experimental treatment with sewage sludge: Biomass, production, and species composition. J Appl Ecol 12:973–982
van Veen JA, Paul EA (1979) Conversion of biovolume measurements of soil organisms, grown under various moisture tensions, to biomass and their nutrient content. Appl Environ Microbiol 37:686–692
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marinucci, A.C., Hobbie, J.E. & Helfrich, J.V.K. Effect of litter nitrogen on decomposition and microbial biomass inSpartina alterniflora . Microb Ecol 9, 27–40 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02011578
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02011578