Production, decomposition, and nitrogen dynamics of Myrica gale litter

Myrica gale litter deposition and decomposition were studied in a central Massachusetts peatland to determine the amount of N made available to the ecosystem by these processes. Leaf litter added 114-140g biomass m⁻² annually and contained 2.12-2.59g Nm⁻² returning about 70% as much N to the ecosystem as was fixed annually by Myrica gale. During the first five years of decomposition, the leaf litter lost only 40% of its initial biomass and released only 10% of its initial N content. About 60% of its original N mass was still present when the litter reached the permanently waterlogged zone, and thus was effectively lost to the vegetation. The low decomposition rate was due primarily to the chemical content of the litter because similarly low rates were observed in an upland forest where the native litter decayed rapidly. The initial lignin content (40%) of M. gale litter may be largely responsible for its slow decomposition in spite of its relatively high (1.69%) initial N content. M. gale litter decayed substantially more slowly and had a much higher initial lignin content than the litter of other woody N₂-fixing plants which have been examined.