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Investigation of Salix alba and Populus tremula leaf litter decomposition in the area of Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton Wetland
159-162Views:179Plant litter decomposition in inland waters contributes significantly to nutrient load, particularly in still waters, such as shallow lakes and wetlands. The decomposition rates of Salix alba and Populus tremula leaf litter was examined in Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton Wetland, using litter bag technique. Leaf litter was incubated in small (ᴓ=3 mm) and large (ᴓ=900 μm) mesh size bags for the assessment of the relative contribution of macroinvertebrates to leaf litter decomposition. Dry mass, exponential decay coefficient and chemical parameters of water (pH, conductivity, NH4 +, NO3 -, SO4 2-, PO4 3-, Cl-) were determined. Leaf mass loss showed negative exponential pattern during the 168 days of the decomposition period. Leaf litter mass loss generally did not differ between the small and large mesh sizes, suggesting that macroinvertebrates generally have a negligible role in leaf decomposition in the winter period.
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Examination of nutrient leaching dynamics of Solidago virgaurea in Hévíz Lake and Hévíz canal
207-211Views:132The different nitrogen and phosphorus elements are prime constituents of the ecosystem and can exert a major effect on aquatic species and the overall ecological cycle. During our investigation we examined the nutrient leaching dynamics in decomposing leaf litter (stem and leaf blades) of Solidago virgaurea. We chose four different sampling sites during the winter period with different water temperatures in the Hévíz Lake and Hévíz canal. The bottles containing the plant material and water were incubated at natural temperatures and the fluid was removed at particular times. Water parameters such as pH level, conductivity, nutrients (ammonium and phosphates) were measured. In the case of Solidago leaf, we obtained higher values for all parameters compared to the stem ones.
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Examination of the decomposition of willow (Salix sp.), poplar (Populus sp.), reed (Phragmites australis) and mixed leaf litter with litterbag technique
111-115Views:151Leaf litter decomposition is one of the main ecological material cycle processes in waterfront areas. In this microcosm experiment, the rate of decomposition of the most frequently occurring dominant waterside plants were examined in the summer months of 2022 in a class “A” evaporation pan, using litterbag technique. The study provides information about the decomposition dynamics of willow (Salix sp.), poplar (Populus sp.), reed (Phragmites australis) and different leaf litter mixture combinations. Dry mass, exponential decay coefficient and the chemical parameters of the water (pH, conductivity, NH4+, PO43-, SO42-) were determined during the 84 days long experimental period. The weight loss curves showed negative exponential pattern in every case. On average, the different samples lost ~ 57% of their initial dry mass during the experimental period. The largest mass loss was measured in case of poplar (67.2%), while reed leaves had the smallest mass loss (47.25%). Based on the results, it cannot be proven, that mixed leaf litter accelerates the rate of decomposition.
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Investigation of the decomposition and leaching dynamics of Salix, Populus and mixed leaves in the area of Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton Wetland
119-124Views:207In lakes and wetlands, leaf litter input from the coastal vegetation represents a major nutrient load and plays a basic structural and functional role in several ecosystems. In Hungary, at the banks of lakes and wetlands, Salix and Populus trees are the most common species. In an experiment in Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton Wetland between 16 November 2017 to and 3 June 2018, the decomposition rates and leaching dynamics of Salix, Populus and mixed leaves (50% Salix and 50% Populus) were investigated. Total nitrogen and phosphorus content of biomass samples were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment for the leaching dynamics experiment. We found that litter mass losses (Salix, Populus and mixed leaves) were not significantly different between the two mesh size litterbags and between Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton Wetland. Different amounts of the total nitrogen and phosphorus leaching from Salix, Populus and mixed leaves were detected. The total nitrogen contents of the plant samples were around 8-18% at the end of the investigated period. Slightly higher values were measured compared to phosphorous (27-29%).