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Decomposition of Fire Exposed Eucalyptus Leaves in a Portuguese Lowland Stream
Author(s) -
Gama Mafalda,
Gonçalves Ana Lúcia,
Ferreira Verónica,
Graça Manuel A. S.,
Canhoto Cristina
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200610916
Subject(s) - eucalyptus , plant litter , botany , biology , hyphomycetes , litter , myrtaceae , horticulture , biomass (ecology) , respiration , invertebrate , ecosystem , abundance (ecology) , ecology
We compared fire exposed with normal abscised eucalyptus leaves incubated in a stream running through eucalyptus plantations in central Portugal, in terms of breakdown rates, microbial activity, diversity and macroinvertebrate abundance. Although leaves exposed to fire had lower nutritional value, mass loss was similar for both leaf types ( k = 0.0089–0.0095 d –1 for fire and k = 0.0084–0.00103 d –1 for normal leaves). Fungal biomass was similar among treatments, whereas sporulation and microbial respiration were lower in fire exposed leaves. Both leaf types had similar aquatic hyphomycetes communities. Physical fragmentation was important in fire exposed leaves breakdown. Invertebrates colonized leaves in low numbers in both treatments. Alteration of leaf litter quality determined by fires in streams does not seem to determine changes in ecosystem functioning in a short term. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)