Decomposition of salt marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora Loisel.1

Spartina alterniflora stems and leaves were ground, dried, separated into four size fractions from 67‐ to 213‐µ average diameter, and incubated in the dark at 30°C in inoculated artificial seawater: particulate nitrogen, oxidizable carbon, dry weight, and metabolic rate were followed for 30 days. Conversion efficiency of substrate to microbial biomass ranged from 28% to over 60%, decreasing as substrate particle size increased.