DOI: 10.54207/bsmps1000-2005-3b0q5r ISSN:

Degradation rate of leaf litter of Bruguiera parviflora of Mangrove Forest of Kuala Selangor, Malaysia

Mahmood Hossain, Saberi Othman
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Two exposure methods, leaf litter on string and leaf litter in bag, were used for leaf litter loss due to feeding plus mechanical breakdown and microbial degradation during dry and wet months respectively. Leaves in bags exhibited 48% and 60% of dry weight loss at 120 and 30 days during dry and wet months respectively. Comparatively a higher degradation rate occurred in the initial period of dry and wet months followed by lower rates thereafter. Comparatively a lower rate of leaf litter loss due to feeding plus mechanical breakdown was observed during the initial 5 days of dry and wet months. Relatively higher percentage of leaf litter loss (52.61% to 69.33%) was attributed to feeding plus mechanical breakdown by crabs while the microbial degradation ranged from 30.67% to 47.39%. The rate of microbial degradation found to be affected by dry and wet months but not the litter loss due to feeding plus mechanical breakdown by crabs.

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