Litter pool sizes, decomposition, and nitrogen dynamics in Spartina alterniflora-invaded and native coastal marshlands of the Yangtze Estuary.

Past studies have focused primarily on the effects of invasive plants on litter decomposition at soil surfaces. In natural ecosystems, however, considerable amounts of litter may be at aerial and belowground positions. This study was designed to examine the effects of Spartina alterniflora invasion on the pool sizes and decomposition of aerial, surficial, and belowground litter in coastal marshlands, the Yangtze Estuary, which were originally occupied by two native species, Scirpus mariqueter and Phragmites australis.