Leaf litter dynamics and litter consumption in two temperate South Australian mangrove forests

The dynamics and consumption of mangrove litter were investigated in two temperate Avicennia marina dominated forests in South Australia in order to compare production and fate of leaf litter with records from tropical and temperate mangroves. Litterfall was measured using traps over four months in the summer of 2004/2005. Average amount of litter was 2.1 and 3.2 g dwt m− 2 d− 1, respectively, at the two study sites. Leaves accounted for most of the litterfall, followed by propagules and wood. Litterfall varied over time, and depending on the site and inundation time. The standing stock of leaf litter on the forest floor amounted to 15.5 g m− 2 dwt in March 2005. Decomposition determined by litter bags suggested that leaves lost ∼ 50% of their weight in the first two weeks of exposure, with little further weight loss over longer exposure times. Leaf consumption was investigated with a series of laboratory experiments, using the grapsid crab Helograpsus haswellianus, two snail species (Salinator fragilis and Austrocochlea concamerata) and the polychaete Neanthes vaalii as potential consumers. There was no consumption of new leaves, and the only significant consumption of aged leaves was found for female H. haswellianus. H. haswellianus consumed 0.1 g dwt d− 1 of senescent leaves in the experiment, equivalent to 0.18 g m− 2 d− 1 in the field (average crab density 1.8 ind m− 2), or 9.4% of the average daily leaf litterfall. Experiments with propagules revealed no significant consumption by the crabs. High decomposition and low consumption rates of crabs account for the high accumulation and possible export of leaf litter from these mangroves. Leaf litter availability is not a limiting factor for invertebrate consumers in these temperate mangrove forests, and the low consumption rates imply a major difference in the fate of leaf litter between tropical and temperate mangrove systems.