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Changes in carbon, nitrogen, adenosine triphosphate, and chlorophyll a in decomposing Thalassia testudinum leaves
Author(s) -
Knauer George A.,
Ayers Allyson V.
Publication year - 1977
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.1977.22.3.0408
Subject(s) - thalassia testudinum , zoology , nitrogen , chemistry , decomposition , linear relationship , chlorophyll a , botany , horticulture , biology , seagrass , ecology , mathematics , organic chemistry , ecosystem , statistics
Fresh Thalassia leaf discs were allowed to decompose for 52 days in a continuous flow system. On a per disc basis, C decreased by 57% over the course of decomposition. N changed only slightly during the first 31 days but dropped to <50% of initial values during the final stages. Changes in ATP content of leaf discs were not linear with time; a rapid initial decrease was followed by a slower loss. C and ATP were significantly correlated in a linear manner throughout the experiment. Total C : N ratios decreased slightly over the first 31 days (avg = 17.0) but tended to increase during days 36–52. In contrast, living C (from ATP) : N ratios tended to decrease throughout the experiment, averaging 4.1 during days 36–52.