Plant litter decomposition Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu http://www.bchs.uh.edu/~steve/ spennings Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

gcelter@uga.edu http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/ Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu http://www.bchs.uh.edu/~steve/ spennings Principal investigator Dr. Martin Zimmer Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg

FB Organismische Biologie AG Ökologie & Diversität der Tiere Hellbrunner Str. 34 Salzburg A-5020 Austria

martin.zimmer@sbg.ac.at http://www.zimmer.marzi-pan.eu mzimmer Co-investigator Dr. Kazimierz Wieski University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

trudnoswietnie@gmail.com kwieski Research technician Tracy L. Buck University of Georgia Marine Institute

University of Georgia Marine Institute Sapelo Island Georgia 31327 USA

sugarpig@uga.edu tbuck Research technician Dr. Thomas Carefoot University of British Columbia

Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada

carefoot@zoology.ubc.ca tcarefoot Field helper Yurv Zablotski Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Zoologisches Institut Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Kiel D-24118 Germany

yzablotski Field helper Annika Beiersdorf Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Zoologisches Institut Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Kiel D-24098 Germany

abeiersdorf Field helper Christine Ewers Christian-Albrechts University

Christian-Albrechts University Germany

cewers Field helper Franziska Seer Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Zoologisches Institut Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Keil D-24098 Germany

fseer Field helper Gregor Putze Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Zoologisches Instit Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Keil D-24098 Germany

gputze Field helper Lena Huebner Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Zoologisches Institut Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Kiel D-24098 Germany

lhuebner Field helper Malte Mews Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Zoologisches Institut Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Kiel D-24098 Germany

mmews Field helper 2013

Martin Zimmer (Univ of Kiel) and his students have worked with S. Pennings (UH) to understand processing of salt marsh plant litter by detritivores and interactions among detritivores. Questions addressed include: 1) how do omnivores choose among different diets, 2) how do detritivores differ in processing different types of plant litter, 3) how do omnivores interact with detritivores to affect litter processing, and 4) how does abiotic habitat affect the rate of litter processing? These questions have been addressed using a combination of laboratory and field experiments.

Question 2: How do the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition, and disturbance vary across the estuarine landscape, and how do they relate to environmental gradients? (more information)

LTER NSF Georgia GCE detritivore litter omnivore salt marsh Overall geographic extent of the research project -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 2000-01-01

National Science Foundation grant numbers OCE-9982133 and OCE-0620959

estuary marsh complex Central Georgia Coast - Central Georgia coastal region from the South Newport River (northern extent) to the Satilla River (southern extent), and from the outer banks of the barrier islands (eastern extent) to approximately 35km inland (western extent) -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 Zimmer, M., Pennings, S.C., Buck, T.L. and Carefoot, T.H. 2004. Salt Marsh Litter and Detritivores: A Closer Look at Redundancy. Estuaries. 27(5):753–769. Buck, T.L., Breed, G.A., Pennings, S.C., Chase, M.E., Zimmer, M. and Carefoot, T.H. 2003. Diet choice in an omnivorous salt marsh crab: different food types, claw allometry, and habitat complexity. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 292:103-116. Zimmer, M., Pennings, S.C., Buck, T.L. and Carefoot, T.H. 2002. Species-specific patterns of litter processing by terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) in high intertidal salt marshes and coastal forests. Functional Ecology. 16:596-607.