Summary
In this paper the leaf-marking method as used for the study of the development and initial decomposition of floating leaves is described and the reliability of the various measurements is tested and/or discussed. Some general results obtained withNymphoides peltata (Gmel.) O. Kuntze in tanks and in the field are presented and crltically discussed. Autolysis followed by microbial decay was in all cases the most important factor by which leaves disintegrated. In the field plots animals were responsible for the disappearance of 22% of the total leaf area produced during a growth season. This is, however, the combined effect of consumption and damage succeeded by microbial decay. Real grazing can be estimated to be no more than 10% of the production of floating leaves. Fungi can have an important role in initial decomposition, especially after the flowering period, as is demonstrated forSeptoria villarsiae Desm. All damage types show temporal and, in the case of animals, also spatial distribution patterns.
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Van Der Velde, G., Van Der Heijden, L.A., Van Grunsven, P.A.J. et al. Initial decomposition ofNymphoides peltata (Gmel.) O. Kuntze (Menyanthaceae), as studied by the leaf-marking method. Hydrobiological Bulletin 16, 51–60 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02255412
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02255412