We tested the hypothesis that decomposition in flood-inundated patches of riparian tree leaf litter results in higher plant-available nitrogen in underlying, nutrient-poor alluvium. We used leafpacks (n=56) containing cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii) leaf litter to mimic natural accumulations of leaves in an experiment conducted on the Yampa River floodplain in semi-arid northwestern Colorado, USA. One-half of the leafpacks were set on the sandy alluvial surface, and one-half were buried 5 cm below the surface. The presence of NO3? and NH4+ presumed to result from a leafpack?s submergence during the predictable spring flood pulse was assessed using an ion-exchange resin bag (IER) placed beneath each leafpack and at control [...]
