Decomposition of evergreen leaves in a stream and coast along Tsukumo Bay, Noto Peninsula, Japan

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  • 能登半島九十九湾流域における常緑広葉樹生葉の分解過程
  • ノト ハントウ キュウジュウキュウ ワンリュウイキ ニ オケル ジョウ リョク コウヨウジュ ナマハ ノ ブンカイ カテイ

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In order to clarify the influence of evergreen broad-leaved trees on coastal ecosystem, a field experiment using a litter bag was conducted in Tsukumo Bay, Noto Peninsula. We clarified the elution of chemical components from fresh leaves in water, the effects on litter decomposition by bacteria, and the use of litter by aquatic macro-invertebrates. A small stream that flow into Tsukumo Bay, and slope facing directly the same bay were selected as the experimental points. The research materials were fresh leaves of Tabu（ Machilus thunbergii ） and Tsubaki（ Camellia japonica ）, which are typical evergreen broad-leaved trees growing in this area. As a field experiment, a leaf litter decomposition experiment was conducted using litter bags with different mesh sizes（ coarse and fine）. As a result, the degradation rate of the coarse mesh was significantly larger than that of the fine mesh（ p <0.01）.An average of 50 amphipods colonized inside the coarse mesh, and these played an important role as shredders in the stream. On the other hand, the difference between the coarse mesh and the fine mesh was slight in the sea, and there were no large shredders. Number of colonized bacteria in the sea is larger than that in stream, suggesting that bacteria contributed significantly to the decomposition of fallen leaves in the sea. Based on these results, it would be favorable for the litter to flow into the coastal waters after the litter was sufficiently decomposed in the stream.

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