Looking beyond leaves: variation in nutrient leaching potential of seasonal litterfall among different species within an urban forest.

ABSTRACT: Urban litterfall that is deposited on impervious surface leaches nutrients into stormwater, contributing to downstream eutrophication. Previous studies have focused on the leaching potential of deciduous leaf litter, while other smaller-volume litterfall types-such as blossoms and fruit-may leach significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. These additional litterfall types represent an unaccounted-for source of nutrients to urban stormwater. We explored variation in leaching potential of dissolved nutrients and organic carbon across litter types and species by collecting litterfall (blossoms, fruit, leaves) from ten common urban tree species. After 24 h of leaching, we measured total phosphorus (TP), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contributi

SUBMITTER: Hill SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8872876 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature