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Particulate Matter in Mangrove Forests and Seagrass Beds as a Nitrogen Source in Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
Author(s) -
Gillis Lucy G.,
Bouma Tjeerd J.,
Cathalot Cecile,
Ziegler Alan D.,
Herman Peter M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/btp.12220
Subject(s) - seagrass , mangrove , environmental science , nutrient , ecosystem , blue carbon , tropics , particulates , mangrove ecosystem , ecology , biology
We show in laboratory and field investigations that in the short‐term seagrasses obtain most of their required nitrogen from the degradation of seagrass leaves, rather than degradation of leaves exported from adjacent mangroves. Mangrove forests at our Thailand site retain the majority of their nutrients, and therefore potentially buffer seagrasses from nutrients.