PANTROPICAL TRENDS IN MANGROVE ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS AND ANNUAL LITTERFALL

A major paradigm in biosphere ecology is that organic production, carb on turnover and, perhaps, species diversity are highest at tropical la titudes, and decrease toward higher latitudes. To examine these trends in the pantropical, mangrove forest vegetation type, we collated and analysed data on above-ground biomass and annual litterfall for these communities. Regressions of biomass and litterfall data show significa nt relationships with height of the vegetation and latitude. It is sug gested that height and latitude are causally related to biomass, while the relationship with litterfall reflects the specific growing condit ions at the respective study sites. Comparison of mangrove and upland forest litterfall data shows similar trends with latitude but indicate s that mangrove litterfall is higher than upland forest litterfall. Th e regression equations allow the litterfall/biomass ratio to be simula ted, and this suggests that the patterns of organic matter partitionin g differ according to latitude.