Table 1 List of sites in order of decreasing tidal influence. Other characteristics, including location, mean salinity and species composition, are also provided.

Table 2 Decay components for the single and two-component models for disks in air.

Table 3 Decay components for the single and two-component models for the 'surface' and 'buried' conditions.

Table 4 Slopes (%N mo^-1) of the significant linear regressions of nitrogen content as a function of time.

Table 5 Slopes (%P mo^-1) of the significant linear regressions of phosphorus content as a function of time.

Figures

Figure 1 Position within Florida of the south-west, estuarine coast of Everglades National Park. Four study sites were established along Shark River, with SA near the river mouth, following in alphabetical order to the furthest upstream site (SD). A fifth site was established behind a coastal shell dune at North Highland Beach (NHB). Open water, salt water marsh and mangrove forest habitats are indicated.

Figure 2 Rates of mass loss from wood disks averaged across all sites.

Figure 3 Distribution of the parameter values of the decay models.

Figure 4 Nitrogen content of decaying wood through time.

Figure 5 Phosphorus content in decaying wood through time.

Figure 6 N : P ratios through time averaged by species (a), site (b) and condition (c).