• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.3 s.99
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• pp.172-180
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• 2002

Leaf litter breakdown rates of the Phragmites australis, Zizania latifolia and Typha angustifolia were determined at the lower Nakdong River from Nov. 1998 to Sept. 1999. The relationship between leaf litter breakdown of three and abundance of aquatic invertebrates was investigated. Aquatic invertebrates collected in the litterbags were 11 family, 11 species (mean density: $222\;ind./m^2$ , n = 792), and Chironomidae was dominant. Mean density of Chironomidae in the litterbags were different according to the aquatic plant species: Z. latifolia ($180\;ind./m^2$, n = 264) T. angustifolia ($187\;ind./m^2$, n = 264) P. australis ($95\;ind./m^2$, n = 264). The breakdown of Z. latifolia was the shortest, and that of T. angustifolia was shorter than P. australis. Overall, the breakdown rate at floating layer was faster than that of submerged layer in all of three species and differences of the breakdown rate between open bags and closed three species and differences of the breakdown rate between open bags and closed bags were not found.