International Publisher ● Multi-Disciplinary Excellence

Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences Vol. 2(3) pp.059-064, June  2011.

Available online http://www.globalresearchjournals.org/journal/?a=journal&id=jabs  

Copyright ©2011 Global Research Journals.

Case Study.

TROPICAL MANGROVE LEAF LITTER MICROBES AROUND PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA

David N. Ogbonna

Department of Applied & Environment Biology,

Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, PMB 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

E-mail: dnogbonna@yahoo.com

Accepted 15th  May 2011.

Abstract

Mangrove leaf litter samples were collected at two locations in Port Harcourt, namely Elechi creek and Tourist beach ecosystems to investigate associated microorganisms using appropriate laboratory media and other analytical procedures. Samples cut from each leaf were surface plated on Nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and Petroleum agar for bacteria while Potato dextrose agar, gari meal agar and estuarine gari meal agar were the microbiological media used for fungi. The major bacteria identified were both gram negative and gram positive microbes namely Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium, Staphylo-coccus, Micrococcus, and Bacillus species while the fungi include Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Halophytophthora, Mucor, Nigrospora, Penicillium and Rhizopus species. The abundance of these microbes is due to the turnover of nutrients from the decomposition of the leaf litters.

Keywords:Mangroves,Microbes,Decomposition,Leaflitter,Nutrients.