Carbon isotope ratio of leaf litter correlates with litter production in a mangrove ecosystem in South China

Abstract As an important ecological process, litter production is generally recognized as being directly relevant to net primary productivity and carbon storage of mangrove ecosystems. In the present study, we made continuous, monthly assessment of litter production from 2010 to 2016 for five mangrove sites in Shenzhen Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve. Results showed that all mangrove locations displayed distinct seasonality in litter production, and that the alien species produced significantly more litters than the native species. Carbon isotope analysis revealed an interesting, strongly negative relationship between litter production and δ13C of leaf litter (δ13CLL) among the five studied sites. Although it has long been known that δ13C of plant leaves correlates with water use efficiency and some components of plant productivity, the observed δ13CLL-litter production linkage is novel, justifying future exploration of δ13CLL as an potential indicator of litter production and net primary productivity in mangrove ecosystems.