Leaf litter production and decomposition in a Riverine Mangrove forest in India

Leaf litter constitutes a major fraction in total litter production in mangrove forests. Its contribution to NPP of mangrove forests and carbon sequestration is less studied. These aspects were investigated for Kunhimangalam mangrove forest in Kerala, India. We quantified the leaf litter production and estimated the decomposition rates of leaf litter from Aegiceras corniculatum , Avicennia officinalis , Excoecaria agallocha and Rhizophora mucronata . These four species together constituted 92.49% of abundance in Kunhimangalam. The average annual leaf litter production was 8.83 ± 0.95 t ha −1 yr −1 , 78% of the total litter produced. Leaf litter production was negatively correlated with soil pH (R 2 = 0.531) and rainfall (R 2 = 0.561). Temperature, salinity and humidity did not show any remarkable influence. The rate of decomposition varied significantly among these species (F = 2497.79, p