This project tests the sensitivity of a new litter bag technique in a comparative study of belowground root dynamics in mid- Atlantic and southern Spartina alterniflora salt marshes. The method provides precise and simultaneous measurements of root production and decomposition over short growth periods (1-2 years); the procedure may be useful in long-term studies (3 or more years) of root dynamics and marsh accretion and decomposition. This research will be conducted in marshes at the Virginia Coastal Reserve and North Inlet LTER sites. Data obtained using the simultaneous root production and decomposition technique will be compared with other production/decomposition methods already being used at these two sites.
