An experiment was conducted at the Vellar estuary to investigate the impact of mangrove leaves on meiofaunal density for a period of 32 days. It was observed that immediately after the next day of the experiment, meiofaunal abundance was observed more in areas with Avicennia marina leaves than the control, while in areas with Rhizophora apiculata leaves, the density was always less than the control. Increase in the meiofaunal density was observed at sites with A. marina leaves, compared to R. apiculata leaves due to a difference in leaf degradation wih respect to time. Maximum density occurred in relation to the type of leaf buried with a time lag. Thus, it appears that leaf type affects the abundance and composition of the meiofauna depending on the associated microfauna which may be their food; or biochemical changes which may interfere with their physiological functioning; or leachates ,which may themselves act as toxins. The differences in the texture and quality of the mangrove plant determine the composition and abundance of the meiofaunal populations.

Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems of the world, an important ecological asset, and economic resource of the coastal marine environment. They rely on a flux of energy from the terrestrial to the aquatic component. Mangrove ecosystems produce a large amount of litter in the form of fallen leaves, branches, and other debris. Decomposition of the litter contributes to the production of dissolved organic matter and recycling of nutrients both in the mangal and adjacent habitats. Mangrove litter is decomposed into detrital food by microorganisms and invertebrates, and is eventually consumed by the adjacent marine and estuarine fauna.

The biochemical changes during decomposition of leaf litter and litter production have received considerable attention (Heald, 1971; Lugo and Snedaker, 1975; Untawale et al., 1977; Cundell et al., 1979; Goulter and Allaway, 1979; Woodroffe, 1982; Steinke et al., 1983; Boonruang, 1984; Aksornkoae and Khemnark, 1984; Kathiresan and Veera Ravi, 1990; Steinke et al., 1990; Basak et al., 1996; Wafar et al., 1997; and Rajendran and Kathiresan, 2000). Hydrolyzable tannins leached from mangrove roots and leaf litter are an important factor regulating intertidal meiobenthic communities in tropical mangrove forest along the northeastern Australian coast (Alongi, 1987). Gee and Somerfield (1997) suggest that sediment granulometry, salinity, tidal inundation, and mangrove diversity (species of tree or their leaves) have little effect on the diversity and community structure of the meiofauna present in the leaf litter.

Impact of Mangrove Leaves on Meiofaunal Density: An Experimental Approach,litter, mangrove, leaves, density, meiofaunal, adjacent, ecosystems, diversity, important, apiculata, biochemical, changes, marine, composition, production, component, conducted, contributes, Cundell, debris, degradation, depending, detrital, ecological, affects, energy, environment, eventually, estuary, granulometry, functioning, forest, fallen