Nutrient enrichment effects on mangrove sediments from differing tree height zones in Bocas del Toro, Panama
Nutrient enrichment effects on mangrove sediments from differing tree height zones in Bocas del Toro, Panama
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Date
2008-01-28
Authors
Borgatti, Aimee Rachel
Advisor
O'Neil, Judith M
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Abstract
Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) forests have distinct tree-height zones, with tall trees fringing the ocean and shorter trees in interior stands. A long-term nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization experiment in Almirante Bay, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama has shown that tree-height zonation is primarily related to nutrient limitation. This experiment was used to test the effects of in-situ nutrient additions and tree zonation on mangrove sediments. The sediments underlying the experimental R. mangle trees were sampled and N<sub>2</sub> fixation, <sup>15</sup>N, chlorophyll a, percent N and P, and percent organic biomass were quantified. Both N and P additions significantly affected almost every parameter measured in both zones within this experiment. These results are likely to have implications for management since N and P inputs are predicted to increase throughout the tropics and subtropics worldwide.