Ecological Interactions Between Mangrove Leaf Litter and Detritus-Feeding Coastal Organisms

Mangrove ecosystem is essential in preserving coastal ecological equilibrium by means of nutrient recycling, organic matter decomposition, and creation of habitats. The leaf litter of mangroves is one of the important sources of organic carbon and nutrients required for detritus feeders such as crabs, amphipods, molluscs, polychaetes, and microorganisms. Nevertheless, the quality of leaf litter, rates of decomposition, environmental conditions, and preferences of diet affect the effectiveness of the ecological interaction. The necessity of the present research emerges due to the increase of coastal disturbances and insufficient knowledge about the influence of characteristics of mangrove leaf litter on food web of the detritus. The uniqueness of the present research project is connected with the creation of the ecological model that links leaf litter production, its decomposition, microbial modification, and
feeding behavior of detritivores. The methodological approach suggested is based on comparative ecological assessment of litter production, decomposition experiments, taxonomic classification of organisms, their feeding behavior, and physicochemical properties of water and sediments. This review attempts to explore the impact of litter quality and environmental variability on the detritivores' feeding process as well as the movement of organic material among different mangrove sites. It is believed that the suggested framework will help better understand the role of detritivores in nutrient cycling, sedimentation, and food-web dynamics within the mangrove ecosystems.