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The majority of research on leaf litter additions to aquatic systems has focused on its impact on microbial and metazoan production, however the process of leaf litter decomposition also alters the chemical and physical environment of aquatic systems \cite{Gessner_1999}. Leaf leachates reduce light penetration \cite{CITE} and alter pH \cite{CITE}. Furthermore leachates provide bioavailable organic nutrients \cite{McConnell_1968,Duan_2014} and have been shown to increase total phosphorus \cite{Feh_2015b}, and total nitrogen \cite{Feh_2015} concentration in overlying water. Mineralization of leaf organic matter by microbial or animal consumers, results in the release of inorganic nutrients and CO\textsubscript{2} \cite{CITE} from the leaf mass. Typically, however, the stoichometric imbalance between microbial consumers and detritus means that leaves are sites of net immobilization of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus \cite{CITE}. The mineralization of organic carbon in the leaves creates a demand for oxygen \cite{CITE} that can lower dissolved oxygen concentrations in water overlying decomposing leaf litter \cite{Hodkinson_1975,Rubbo_2008,Mehring_2014,Feh_2015b}.  Although leaf litter represents an important subsidy in both lentic and lotic systems \cite{Webster_1986}, the physical differences between these systems will likely alter the specific effects of leaf litter on ecosystem function. The redistribution of sediments and other materials due to the flowing water in lotic systems tends to be more variable and extensive than in lentic systems \cite{Wetzel_2001}, homogenizing the chemical and physical gradients produced by leaf litter decomposition over greater spatial extent. Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, on the other hand at biogeochemical hot spots that have an impact on material processing disproportionate to their surface area in the watershed. The alterations to the lentic often possess substantial  physical and chemical environment associated with leaf decomposition have gradients over relatively small spatial extents. The thermal stratification preset in many lentic systems results in  the potential to affect creation of distinct chemical and physical habitats within a lake or pond, further  the biogeochemical role lack  of lentic the strong advective currents found in lotic  systems on means that lake processes, particularly in  the landscape. sediments, are influenced by material diffusion rates (\ref{CITE}).  Lentic systems are sites of organic matter production, mineralization, and storage \cite{Tranvik_2009} and all of these processes are sensitive to the physical and chemical environment in the lake. Alteration of the physical and chemical environment of lakes as a result of leaf decomposition has the potential to affect the biogeochemical role of lentic systems on the landscape.  Within lentic systems, there are important differences between natural and man--made systems, particularly for the smallest lakes and ponds. The abundance of small (< 0.1 km\textsuperscript{2}) lakes is greater than 2 orders of magnitude greater than even lakes with a surface area of 1 km\textsuperscript{2} \cite{2010} \cite{Downing_2010}  and the cumulative surface area small lakes is essentially equal to that of largest lakes in the world.  In order to understand the impact that leaf litter subsides may have on lentic systems, and man-made lentic systems in particular, we need basic information on the size of the leaf litter subsidy to man-made ponds.