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Decomposition of salt marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora Loisel. 1
Author(s) -
Gosselink James G.,
Kirby Conrad J.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1974.19.5.0825
Subject(s) - spartina alterniflora , salt marsh , biomass (ecology) , substrate (aquarium) , dry weight , chemistry , nitrogen , spartina , particulates , halophyte , decomposition , seawater , zoology , botany , agronomy , marsh , biology , salinity , ecology , wetland , organic chemistry
Spartina alterniflora stems and leaves were ground, dried, separated into four size fractions from 67‐ to 213‐ µ average diameter, and incubated in the dark at 30°C in inoculated artificial seawater: particulate nitrogen, oxidizable carbon, dry weight, and metabolic rate were followed for 30 days. Conversion efficiency of substrate to microbial biomass ranged from 28% to over 60%, decreasing as substrate particle size increased.