Ic. Campbell et L. Fuchshuber, POLYPHENOLS, CONDENSED TANNINS, AND PROCESSING RATES OF TROPICAL AND TEMPERATE LEAVES IN AN AUSTRALIAN STREAM, Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 14(1), 1995, pp. 174-182
We measured total polyphenol concentrations, condensed tannin levels,
and processing rates in a temperate Australian stream for the leaves o
f 12 species of eucalypts, and six other species, of which six eucalyp
t species and two other species were tropical. Processing rates, polyp
henol concentrations, and condensed tannin levels were not significant
ly different between the tropical and temperate species. There was a s
ignificant regression between tannin level and processing rate in degr
ee days for the 12 eucalypt species; but no significant relationships
between total polyphenol concentrations and processing rates, or tanni
n level and processing rate if the non-eucalypt species were included
in the regression model. We suggest that the influence of tannin level
on processing may only be apparent when the ''noise'' caused by varia
tion in other aspects of leaf chemistry and between-site variability i
n overall processing rates is reduced.