On the Potential Contribution of Microfungi to the Decomposition of Reed Leaf Detritus in a Coastal Lagoon: A Laboratory and Field Experiment
✍ Scribed by Giorgio Mancinelli; Fabio Vignes; Franca Sangiorgio; Annunziata Mastrolia; Alberto Basset
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2009
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 533 KB
- Volume
- 94
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1434-2944
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
The potential contribution of microfungi to reed decomposition in a coastal habitat (Le Cesine Lagoon, Italy) was investigated under laboratory and field conditions. Leaf pack mass and surface loss, ergosterol content and O~2~ uptake were used to construct carbon budgets and an empirical ergosterol‐to‐O~2~ uptake relationship based on literature data was used to estimate the contribution of microfungi. Under laboratory conditions, reed carbon loss was entirely due to leaching and microbial respiration. In contrast, C losses observed in the field were accounted for by microbial respiration and macroinvertebrate shredding almost equally. Microfungi were estimated to account for 98% and 69% of microbially‐respired carbon under laboratory and field conditions, respectively. Our results provide a preliminary, quantitative assessment of microfungal contribution to reed decomposition in brackish habitats. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)