Fatty Acids in Decomposing Mangrove Leaves: Microbial Activity, Decay and Nutritional Quality. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 265, 97-105
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Date
2003
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Abstract
Changes in lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition in decomposing mangrove
leaves of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk and Kandelia candel (L.) were investigated in a subtropical
mangrove forest on Okinawa Island, Japan (26.5°N, 128°E) by field experiments for 18 wk (July
to November 2000), using yellow senescent leaves, and compared with FAs in the green leaves and
mangrove sediments. We tested the hypothesis that changes in FA composition during decomposition
can indicate the state of leaf decay and periods of high and low microbial activity, and that bacteria
may rapidly degrade polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). During decay, FA composition in the yellow
leaves changed in 2 wk from predominantly saturated FAs to monounsaturated FAs, and to the
more branched FAs typical of bacteria, and lipid and N increased due to microbial colonization. However,
the microbial decomposition of leaves did not alter the concentrations of long-chain fatty acids
(LCFAs), suggesting that these vascular plant-markers remain unchanged in mangrove detritus and
surface sediments for more than 4 mo. Furthermore, bacteria did not degrade PUFAs as we had
hypothesized, indicating that during decomposition of mangrove leaves, bacteria tend to conserve
PUFAs (as they do nitrogen), thus enriching the detritus with nutrients. Comparison of ω3 and ω6
PUFAs between the 2 species showed that nutritional quality varies greatly with the state of the leaf
material, increasing through time in B. gymnorrhiza and decreasing through time in K. candel.
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Keywords
Fatty acid, Mangrove decomposition, Biomarkers, Microbial activity, Nutritional quality, Detritus nitrogen, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Kandelia candel
Citation
Mfilinge, P.L., Meziane, T., Bachok, Z. and Tsuchiya, M., 2003. Fatty acids in decomposing mangrove leaves: microbial activity, decay and nutritional quality. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 265, pp.97-105.