The mangrove habitat exhibits many unique physical features, one of the most important of which is a salinity gradient. Photosynthetic rates, as measured by leaf stomatal conductance and leaf chlorophyll fluorescence induction, were tested as indicators of salinity stress in seedlings of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, grown under five different salinity levels: 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 parts...

Reforestation is one of the Philippines’ government efforts to restore and rehabilitate degraded mangrove ecosystems. Although there is recovery of the ecosystem in terms of vegetation, the recovery of closely-linked faunal species in terms of community structure is still understudied. This research investigates the community structure of mangrove crabs under two different management schemes: p...

Deforestation impact studies have generally focused on tropical rainforests or temperate coniferous woodlands. However, extensive clear-cutting is currently occurring in a wide-ranging, but far less recognized habitat: the world's mangrove forests. These coastal forests thrive in areas of low wave action and high sediment availability, where mangrove trees develop dense and productive ecosystem...

The bioavailability of nutrients in sediments is one of the most important factors controlling ecological and physiological processes in the mangrove ecosystem (Alongi et al. 2002; Feller et al. 2002; Cheeseman & Lovelock 2004; Krauss et al. 2008). Although mangroves are highly productive, they are generally nutrient-deficient, relying on microbial and plant cycling processes for nutrients (Hol...

Based on a spatial model, the Martinique beaches and coastal wetlands are examined to identify the risks of coastal squeeze. In many cases coastal development prevents coasts from adapting by shifting landward. Also tourism infrastructure augments the vulnerability of beach reduction and mangrove squeeze. More than 70% of all Martinique beaches and 29% of mangrove forests are highly endangered ...

Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) is one of the most harmful invasive plants in China. Google Earth (GE), as a free software, hosts high-resolution imagery for many areas of the world. To explore the use of GE imagery for monitoring S. alterniflora invasion and developing an understanding of the invasion process of S. alterniflora in the Zhangjiang Estuary, the object-oriented method and ...

To accurately estimate leaf area index (LAI) in mangrove areas, the selection of appropriate models and predictor variables is critical. However, there is a major challenge in quantifying and mapping LAI using multi-spectral sensors due to the saturation effects of traditional vegetation indices (VIs) for mangrove forests. WorldView-2 (WV2) imagery has proven to be effective to estimate LAI of ...

Aim The long-term stability of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and salt marshes depends upon the maintenance of soil elevations within the intertidal habitat as sea level changes. We examined the rates and processes of peat formation by mangroves of the Caribbean Region to better understand biological controls on habitat stability. Location Mangrove-dominated islands on the Caribbean coast...

A late-Holocene vegetation record is presented from the southwest coast of New Caledonia. Lac Saint Louis is a freshwater swamp at 3m a.s.l. adjacent to the River Coulee delta. Pollen analysis, charcoal analysis, radiocarbon dating and stratigraphic analyses have been used to reconstruct the vegetation and sedimentary history of the swamp. The sediment record commences at 6000 BP and reflects r...

Mangrove forests, the intertidal wetlands of the tropics and subtropics, are key ecological habitats that link terrestrial and marine environments. Mangrove forests and adjacent mudflats are increasingly impacted by urban/industrial development in the tropical coastal zone, suffering pollution from multiple sources including but not limited to municipal waste, aquaculture, mariculture and shipp...