HR: 1330h
AN: NB33I-20    [Abstracts]
TI: Annual Production of Decomposer Fungi Associated With Standing-Dead Litter of Typha angustifolia
AU: * Ohsowski, B M
EM: bohsowski@emich.edu
AF: Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 316 Mark Jefferson, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 United States
AU: Collins, M D
EM:
AF: Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 316 Mark Jefferson, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 United States
AU: Tarry, D
EM:
AF: Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 316 Mark Jefferson, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 United States
AU: Francoeur, S N
EM: steve.francoeur@emich.edu
AF: Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 316 Mark Jefferson, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 United States
AU: Neely, R K
EM: bob.neely@emich.edu
AF: Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 316 Mark Jefferson, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 United States
AU: Kuehn, K A
EM: kkuehn@emich.edu
AF: Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 316 Mark Jefferson, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 United States
AB: Microbial decomposition of standing-dead plant litter is an important process in wetlands dominated by emergent macrophytes. We determined the annual fungal biomass (ergosterol) and production (¹⁴C-acetate incorporation) associated with decaying standing litter (leaves and shoots) of the emergent macrophyte Typha angustifolia in small lake littoral wetland in southeastern Michigan. Mean annual detrital mass of standing-dead leaf and shoot litter was 656±238 g/m² (range 284-873) and 1184±280 g/m² (range 522-1525), respectively, during study period. Mean annual fungal biomass associated with decaying standing litter was 46 and 15 g/m² for leaves and shoots, respectively. Annual fungal biomass production associated with leaves and shoots was 168 and 78 g/m², respectively, with maximum production /m² occurring during the summer season. These production estimates account for diel periodicity in water availability and the consequent periodicity in microbial activities that are characteristic of the standing litter environment. A partial organic matter budget constructed for this littoral wetland indicates that 9.4% of the annual aboveground production of T. angustifolia went into the production of fungal biomass. These results provide additional evidence indicating considerable carbon flow from emergent plant matter to fungal decomposers while in the standing-decay phase.
DE: 1615 Biogeochemical processes (4805)
DE: 4239 Limnology
DE: 4840 Microbiology
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly