Schories, Dirk, Barletta Bergan, Audrey, Barletta, Mario, Krumme, Uwe, Mehlig, Ulf and Rademaker, Verena (2003) The keystone role of leaf-removing crabs in mangrove forests of North Brazil. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 11 (4). pp. 243-255. DOI https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025011431984.

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Principle factors which influence mangroveleaf litter turnover, in particular therole of leaf-removing crabs, were evaluatedin a riverine mangrove site nearBragança (Pará, North Brazil). Ourspecial interest was focussed on the roleof the leaf-removing crab Ucidescordatus. Leaf litter fluxes between themangrove forest and the adjacent estuarywere investigated by estimating the biomassand fate of leaf litter material and propagules. Vegetation is dominated by Rhizophora mangle, with Avicenniagerminans trees, both up to 25 m high,found intermittently. During 1997, Rhizophora trees produced around 1.40 gDW m-2 d-1 of leave fall and0.75 g DW m-2 d-1 of propagules.Leaf decomposition rates on the ground wereabout 0.06 g DW m-2 d-1,irrespective of species, habitat or siteexposure. This amount accounts for <3%of total leaf fall. Average leaf litterbiomass present on the ground was 0.01 gDW m-2 d-1. When the mangroveforest was flooded (on average 10 days permonth) the quantity of leaf litterand propagules washed out with the springtide was 10 and 17 times greater thanduring neap tide. Nevertheless, tidalexport and decomposition together made upless than 39 percent of annual leaf litterfall. The bulk of the remaining amount isapparently removed by Ucides. Eachcrab consumed about 1.30 g DW of leaflitter material and propagules per day.Since the average density of these crabswas 1.38 crabs m-2, it is proposedthat Ucides is a keystone species inBragantinian mangroves.

Document Type:	Article
Programme Area:	UNSPECIFIED
Research affiliation:	Ecology Ecology > Fisheries Biology Ecology > Algae and Seagrass Ecology
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	No
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025011431984
ISSN:	09234861
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2020 11:14
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2024 13:30
URI:	http://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/3680

Actions (login required)

View Item