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Phosphorus-leaching from litterfall in wetland catchments of the Swan Coastal Plain, southwestern Australia

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Abstract

Many wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain in southwestern Australia have catchments with significant areas of native vegetation. The dynamics of P release from their litter and its significance as a P source for wetlands have not been previously investigated. Litterfall of common plant species were collected before the local rainy season, and examined for P leaching properties under inundated conditions. Inundation of `intact' litter materials for 24 hours leached 30±7.5% (95% confidence level) of this Tot-P in litter, measured by anion exchange membrane extraction. This increased to 46.9% of `apparent' P release at 115 days. The released P was incorporated into microbial biomass during leaching so modifying leachate concentrations. Using liquid chloroform `fumigation' it was estimated that 36.2 ± 15.6% (95% confidence level) of Tot-P leached during the 115-day inundation was in the microbial biomass pool, not directly measured by AEM extraction. P leaching during initial and prolonged inundation correlated with litter Ca, Mg and total base concentration, but the initial Tot-P concentration of litter was the best predictor for P leaching, in both short-term and prolonged inundation (R 2 = 0.80 and 0.93, p < 0.0001). The high P leaching rate during 24 hours suggested that P from litter during `first storm' events could produce a significant P flux from local catchments and contribute nutrients to downstream wetlands.

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  1. School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia

    S. Qiu, A.J. McComb & R.W. Bell

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  1. S. Qiu
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  2. A.J. McComb
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  3. R.W. Bell
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Qiu, S., McComb, A. & Bell, R. Phosphorus-leaching from litterfall in wetland catchments of the Swan Coastal Plain, southwestern Australia. Hydrobiologia 472, 95–105 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016369101072

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