New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Spatial variation in litter production by the mangrove Avicennia
marina var. australasica in Rangaunu Harbour, Northland, New
Zealand
JONATHAN D. MAY
936 Jalan Kota Batu
Bandar Seri Begawan
BD2117
Brunei Darussalam
email: mays@brunet.bn
Abstract Litter fall was measured at two intertidal levels
within two stands of the mangrove
Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh
.
var.
australasica (Walp.)
Moldenke in Rangaunu Harbour, New
Zealand (34deg. 57[[minute]]S, 173deg. 15[[minute]]E). The seasonal pattern of
litter fall was typical of
A. marina at high latitudes. Flowering
occurred in March-April and fruit fell 9 months later during December-January.
Leaf fall was highest from November to February and was positively correlated
with temperature and negatively correlated with sediment water availability
(total rainfall minus total evaporation). Total annual litter fall ranged from
1.8 t ha
-1 yr
-1 to 6.2 t ha
-1 yr
-1
and was proportional to mean tree height at each site. Leaves constituted
on average 73% of the total litter fall and were the only litter component to
show significantly lower magnitude at both elevated sites. The largest litter
collections were made during the summer months coincident with peak falls of
leaves and fruit. The possible contribution of mangrove litter to estuarine
food chains in northern New Zealand estuaries is discussed.
Keywords mangrove swamps; productivity; organic matter;
detritus; Avicennia marina var. australasica; New Zealand
M96057
Received 6 August 1996; accepted 24 November 1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1149K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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