Degradación de hojarasca y aporte de nutrientes del manglar en la Laguna Mecoacán, Golfo de México

Abstract

Leaf litter degradation and nutrient supply in the mangroves of Mecoacán Lagoon, Gulf of Mexico. Mangroves are ecosystems with a high primary productivity that is mainly driven mainly by degradation processes. Energy (nutrients) flows from mangroves toward adjacent zones and the surrounding aquatic environment. The objective of the present study was to estimate the daily degradation coefficient (k) of mangrove leaves in relation to physical-chemical soil factors and in situ nutrient supply (phosphorus and nitrogen) in Mecoacán Lagoon, Gulf of Mexico. Leaf litter degradation bags were placed at six monthly monitoring sites to evaluate degradation and to calculate the corresponding degradation coefficients. A rapid degradation of up to 51 % was observed for Avicennia germinans (L.) Stearn during the first month in association with leaching resulting from flood conditions. The degradation of Rhizophora mangle (L.) (k= 0.0052±0.0002) (F= 12.2 p< 0.05 n= 216) and Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn (k= 0.005±0.0003) (F= 3.7 p= 0.2 n= 108), differed significantly from that of A. germinans (k= 0.009 ± 0.0003) (F= 1.2 p= 0.2 n= 216) did not present significant differences. To reach T50 degradation, R. mangle and L. racemosa required more time (133 and 138 days, respectively) than A. germinans (74 days). Organic matter and soil humidity were significantly correlated with the decay constant of A. germinans (r= 0.65 p< 0.05 and r= 0.55 p< 0.05, respectively). Total nitrogen content was highest in the Pajaral site (2 683 mg.kg) and was also highly correlated with organic matter content (r= 0.9 p= 0.003). Total phosphorus content was highest in the Boca site (2 031 mg.kg) and was also negatively correlated with pH (r= -0.61 p= 0.004). In conclusion, differences in the rate of mangrove leaf degradation depend on the involved species (leaf composition), time of exposure or immersion in water (flooding patterns) and sediment heterogeneity (i.e., texture, pH, humidity content and bulk density). Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(2): 892-907. Epub 2018 June 01.

Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Storage in Mangrove Forests in Southeastern Mexico

“…The higher density of L. racemosa coincides with that found in basin mangroves where, with greater distance inland, the tidal influence decreases, and the density of R. mangle diminishes, while that of L. racemosa and A. germinans increases [32]. The mangrove species were consistent with those recorded in Tabasco by Torres et al [52] and Torres et al [53] and in Veracruz by Carmona-Díaz et al [54] and Moreno-Casasola et al [55], comprising three of the six mangrove species recorded in Mexico. The density of mangroves is a function of growth and developmental stage due to competition for crown space [52].…”

“…The mangrove species were consistent with those recorded in Tabasco by Torres et al [52] and Torres et al [53] and in Veracruz by Carmona-Díaz et al [54] and Moreno-Casasola et al [55], comprising three of the six mangrove species recorded in Mexico. The density of mangroves is a function of growth and developmental stage due to competition for crown space [52]. The highest density associated with L. racemosa is consistent with that reported in Colima, Mexico, by Téllez-García et al [56] and by Torres-Fernández et al [54], who reported it as the species with the highest density.…”

A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Nitrogen Pollution in a Coastal Region with Mangroves of the Southern Gulf of Mexico

“…If the current deforestation rate does not change, all mangroves could be gone by next century [21]. The high primary production in mangroves is generally attributed to leaf degradation processes [22], which recycle nutrients within the ecosystem [23]. Mangroves play a significant role in N dynamics, which indicates that anthropogenic nutrient enrichment may cause extensive impact in the N cycling [24].…”

Do global change variables alter mangrove decomposition? A systematic review

“…However, comparisons of decay rates between wet and dry seasons may provide some insights. Several researchers have found that mangrove leaves decayed faster in the wet season than in the dry season (Aké‐Castillo et al, 2006; Chanda et al, 2016; Torres et al, 2018; Twilley et al, 1997; Van Vinh et al, 2020), whereas Kamal et al (2020) found that litter exhibited higher decay rates in the dry season. When leaves are wetted, there is an initial rapid leaching stage of the most labile OM and water‐soluble compounds (Mfilinge et al, 2002) are broken down due to fungal and bacterial action.…”