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Aboveground decomposition dynamics in riparian depression and slope wetlands of central Pennsylvania

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Abstract

We examined two types of groundwater-fed wetlands (riparian depressions and slopes) classified using the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) system. These wetland types had previously been shown to differ hydrologically. Our first objective was to determine if HGM was a useful structuring variable when examining aboveground decomposition dynamics (rate of mass loss and rate of nitrogen loss). Our second objective was to determine what soil variables were related to any differences in aboveground decomposition dynamics we might find regardless of HGM subclass. We used the litterbag field bioassay technique, and employed a standard litter type (Phalaris arundinacea) across all wetlands. Our results indicated that HGM would not readily serve as an adequate structuring variable for aboveground decomposition in riparian depressions and slope wetlands of central Pennsylvania. Discriminant analysis and classification and regression tree (CART) modeling found soil cation exchange capacity, soil pH, soil organic matter, and soil % nitrogen to be potentially important soil variables related to mass loss, and soil % nitrogen and soil pH to be potentially important variables related to nitrogen loss rate.

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Abbreviations

HGM:

Hydrogeomorphic

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Acknowledgments

We thank S. Goslee, R. Koide, and D.H. Wardrop for thoughtful suggestions, questions, and comments on this project. A special thanks to Nick Reeder and Earl Hough for countless hours of field help. This research was supported in part by an EPA STAR grant No. R-82949701-0 and a 2004 Society of Wetland Scientists student research grant.

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  1. Zaneta Hough

    Present address: LimnoTech, 1705 DeSales St. NW Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Zaneta Hough & Charles Andrew Cole

  2. Department of Landscape Architecture, Penn State University, 301a Forest Resources Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Charles Andrew Cole

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  1. Zaneta Hough
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  2. Charles Andrew Cole
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Correspondence to Charles Andrew Cole.

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Hough, Z., Cole, C.A. Aboveground decomposition dynamics in riparian depression and slope wetlands of central Pennsylvania. Aquat Ecol 43, 335–349 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-008-9198-3

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