Dynamics of tannin variations in mangrove leaf litter decomposition and their effects on environmental nitrogen and microbial activity.

Tannins play vital roles in regulating ecological processes in mangrove forests. However, how tannins affect nitrogen (N) cycling and microbial metabolism in mangrove ecosystems remains largely unexplored. In this study, we hypothesized the types and amounts of tannins released into seawater and sediments during leaf litter decomposition differed among mangrove plant species, thus their effects on N and microbial metabolism also varied.

Dynamics of heavy metals during the development and decomposition of leaves of Avicennia marina and Kandelia obovata in a subtropical mangrove swamp.

In mangrove wetlands, leaves make up a high proportion of the plant biomass and can accumulate heavy metals from contaminated sediment. Despite this, it is still unclear how heavy metal concentrations in leaves change as they develop and how metals in senescence leaves are recycled back into the mangrove ecosystems during decomposition. The present study aims to investigate the dynamics of six heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, and Pb) in leaves of two common mangrove plants, Avicennia marina and Kandelia obovata, at different stages of development (young, mature, and senescent) and leaf litter decomposition (from 0 to 20 weeks).

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Asian Horseshoe Crab Eggs Are Highly Intermingled with Anthropogenic Structures in Northern Beibu Gulf, China.

Identification, protection and restoration of spawning habitats are vital for protecting the depleted species. Asian horseshoe crabs are ecologically important macroinvertebrates in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. However, their spawning habitat studies were limited to several reports in tropical regions, possibly due to the lack of modified survey methods, particularly in habitats with a lower density of spawning adults, and/or intermingled with anthropogenic structures.

Microcosm study on cold adaptation and recovery of an exotic mangrove plant, Laguncularia racemosa in China.

Laguncularia racemosa (a white mangrove) is an exotic mangrove species commonly distributed in southern intertidal zones in China since it was introduced for reforestation purposes in 1999. However, the invasiveness of this exotic species and its cold adaptability have rarely been reported. The present work determined the cold resistance level of L.