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Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 41810

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sahadev Sharma

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Guest Editor

Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, Jalan Universiti, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Interests: mangrove ecophysiology; application of remote sensing to study coastal habitats; coastal biogeochemical cycle; forest silviculture and climate change mitigation

Dr. Rupesh K Bhomia

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Guest Editor

Centre for International Forestry Research, Bogor 16115, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Interests: blue carbon; carbon cycling in coastal wetlands; conservation of aquatic ecosystems

Dr. Raghab Ray

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Oceanography, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8564, Japan
Interests: biogeochemistry of shallow coastal ecosystems; carbon–nutrient–metal cycles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mangrove ecosystems are intertidal forests that develop on warm-temperate, subtropical, and tropical coastlines across 123 countries, covering an area of ~150,000 km². Mangroves provide several ecosystem services such as coastal protection from storm surges, sea level rise and erosion, regulating water quality and nutrient recycling, supporting fisheries, and mitigating impacts from climate change by carbon sequestration. Mangrove forests face threats of deforestation and degradation, mainly because of their conversion to aquaculture ponds, agriculture, and urban development. These anthropogenic activities result in loss of mangrove area cover and productivity due to climate change impacts like increasing temperature, erratic rainfall patterns, and sea level rise.

Therefore, proper scientific evaluation and understanding of mangrove ecology and physiology in light of the combined effects of anthropogenic and global climate change stressors is urgently needed. Equally important is to enhance existing knowledge on natural recovery/re-generation processes of mangroves, in addition to the science and practice of mangrove planting for realizing resilient and biologically diverse mangrove ecosystems. Furthermore, the realization of crucial linkages between local communities, governments, and other stakeholders could pave a way for protection and sustainable management of this important ecosystem. Other than important ecosystem services and carbon mitigation, mangroves offer incredible opportunities for climate change adaptations as a source of livelihoods, food security, and protection.

However, there are many challenges and open questions on how mangroves can best be managed sustainably to maintain their carbon mitigation benefits by preserving and growing blue carbon, as the pressures on these coastal ecosystems continue to rise.

Key areas of uncertainty and specific actions needed to address mangrove sustainability have started to gain attention and are being addressed at various regional and national levels, with an emphasis on research agendas to prepare a greenhouse gas offset protocol for coastal ecosystems restoration and management and action plans to guide protocol development. In the context of climate change, Nature-based solutions (NBSs) form a component of all approaches involving mitigation and adaptation strategies. Mangroves are unique since they offer both possibilities (adaptation and mitigation) in terms of interventions from coastal communities to the regional and national governments deciding appropriate polices. This Special Issue invites scientific research which will improve existing knowledge and enhance our understanding of mangrove ecosystems, thereby offering information that could be immediately useful and relevant to a large number of stakeholders.

References:

Hamilton, S.E. and D.A. Friess, Global carbon stocks and potential emissions due to mangrove deforestation from 2000 to 2012. Nature Climate Change, 2018. 8(3): p. 240.
Taillardat, P., D.A. Friess, and M. Lupascu, Mangrove blue carbon strategies for climate change mitigation are most effective at the national scale. Biology letters, 2018. 14(10): p. 20180251.
McLeod E, Chmura GL, Bouillon S, Salm R, Björk M, Duarte CM, Lovelock CE, Schlesinger WH, Silliman BR(2011) A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO₂. Front Ecol Environ 9: 552–560
Nellemann C, Corcoran E, Duarte CM, Valdés L, De Young C, Fonseca L, Grimsditch G (2009) Blue carbon: a rapid response assessment. United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal.
Romañach, S. S., DeAngelis, D. L., Koh, H. L., Li, Y., Teh, S. Y., Raja Barizan, R. S., & Zhai, L. (2018). Conservation and restoration of mangroves: Global status, perspectives, and prognosis. Ocean & Coastal Management, 154, 72-82. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2018.01.009
Borges, R., Ferreira, A. C., & Lacerda, L. D. (2017). Systematic Planning and Ecosystem-Based Management as Strategies to Reconcile Mangrove Conservation with Resource Use. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4(353). doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00353
Suman, D. O. (2019). Chapter 31 - Mangrove Management: Challenges and Guidelines. In G. M. E. Perillo, E. Wolanski, D. R. Cahoon, & C. S. Hopkinson (Eds.), Coastal Wetlands (pp. 1055-1079): Elsevier.
de Lacerda, L. D., Borges, R., & Ferreira, A. C. (2019). Neotropical mangroves: Conservation and sustainable use in a scenario of global climate change. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 29(8), 1347-1364. doi:10.1002/aqc.3119
Jeffrey Chow (2018) Mangrove management for climate change adaptation and sustainable development in coastal zones, Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 37:2, 139-156, DOI: 10.1080/10549811.2017.1339615
Friess, D.A., Yando, E.S., Abuchahla, G.M., Adams, J.B., Cannicci, S., Canty, S.W., Cavanaugh, K.C., Connolly, R.M., Cormier, N., Dahdouh-Guebas, F. and Diele, K., 2020. Mangroves give cause for conservation optimism, for now. Current Biology, 30(4), pp.R153-R154.

Dr. Sahadev Sharma
Dr. Raghab Ray
Dr. Rupesh K Bhomia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

mangrove ecosystems
sustainability
conservation management
climate change mitigation
blue carbon
restoration
degradation and deforestation

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 6027 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Litterfall and Associated Macrozoobenthic of Restored Mangrove Forests in Abandoned Aquaculture Ponds

by Novia Arinda Pradisty, Frida Sidik, Yuntha Bimantara, Ipanna Enggar Susetya and Mohammad Basyuni

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8082; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138082 - 1 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2808

Abstract

Mangrove restoration projects are now widely established, aiming to regain the carbon benefit of the mangrove ecosystem that is essential for climate change mitigation. This study aimed to investigate mangrove litter as the source of carbon in restored mangrove forests in Perancak Estuary, Bali, Indonesia, which previously experienced substantial mangrove loss due to shrimp aquaculture development. We assessed the production and decomposition of mangrove litter and associated macrozoobenthic biodiversity in restored forests with plantation age ≥14 years and intact mangrove forests as the reference. The monthly production of three groups of mangrove litter (leaf, reproductive, and wood) was assessed over 12 months. A leaf litter decomposition experiment was performed to inspect the interspecific and disturbance history variation in organic matter formation among four major mangrove species: Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Avicennia marina, and Sonneratia alba. Our results showed that annual litterfall production from restored and intact mangroves in Perancak Estuary were 13.96 and 10.18 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, which is equivalent to approximately 6282 and 4581 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of annual litterfall carbon sink, respectively. Although restored mangroves had significantly higher plant litterfall production than intact mangroves, no significant difference was detected in leaf litter decomposition and macrozoobenthic biodiversity between these forest types. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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19 pages, 8073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Cover and Land Use Changes between 1986 and 2018, and Preliminary Carbon Footprint Implications for Manoka Island (Littoral Region of Cameroon)

by Claude Tatuebu Tagne, Denis Jean Sonwa, Abdon Awono, Moustapha Njayou Mama, Evariste Fongnzossie, Riddley Ngala Mbiybe, Lydie Flora Essamba à Rim and Rufin Dominique Ntja

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6301; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106301 - 22 May 2022

Viewed by 2569

Abstract

Land and resource use patterns in coastal areas play a key role in the resilience of ecosystems and populations to climate change. Knowing their spatiotemporal dynamics therefore constitutes a strategic tool to help decision-makers. Based on documentary research, geographic information system (GIS), image processing, and field work, this article maps land use on Manoka Island between 1986 and 2018 and identifies the drivers of change and avenues for intervention with a view to strengthening climate change mitigation. The results show a decrease of 4% in forest area on Manoka Island, representing an average of 112 ha of inland forest and 267 ha of mangrove converted between 1986 and 2018. This increases the degraded forest area by 268% (degraded mangrove and degraded inland forest) and exposes some camps to erosion and flooding. Reduction in forest area is mainly linked to the harvesting of fuelwood and the conversion of forests into farmland and residential areas. Settlements have increased in area from 15 ha in 1986 to 90.4 ha in 2018 to the detriment of natural spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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13 pages, 2758 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Successive Cyclones Attacked the World’s Largest Mangrove Forest Located in the Bay of Bengal under Pandemic

by Sahadev Sharma, Rempei Suwa, Raghab Ray and Mohammad Shamim Hasan Mandal

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5130; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095130 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3402 | Correction

Abstract

Despite the global focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, the promise of impact to tropical coastlines and stochasticity of destruction caused by tropical cyclones remains unaltered, forcing human societies to adapt to new unadaptable scenarios. Super Cyclone Amphan’s landfall—the third cyclone of the season within the world’s largest mangrove forest—brought a new uncertainty to this undeveloped region of South Asia. How do vulnerable people deal with multiple disasters that limit necessary humanitarian response while still maintaining the natural environmental integrity of a system harboring critical wildlife populations and protecting people from further disaster? We explored this reality for the Sundarbans region using a remote sensing technique and found that the western part of Sundarbans mangroves was severely damaged by Amphan, suggesting that rapid remote sensing techniques can help direct resources, and recognize the eventuality that response will be a best effort for now. If 2020 is a window, multiple disaster management scenarios may become more common in the future. Yet, society’s obligation for maintaining environmental integrity remains unchanged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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26 pages, 4026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Codevelopment of Mangroves and Infaunal Community Diversity in Response to the Natural Dynamics of Mud Deposition in French Guiana

by Emma Michaud, Adélaïde Aschenbroich, Olivier Gauthier, François Fromard, Josephine Y. Aller, Robert C. Aller, Guillaume Brunier, Edward J. Anthony, Antoine Gardel, Vincent Le Garrec, Aude Leynaert and Gérard Thouzeau

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2829; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052829 - 28 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2199

Abstract

The sustainability of mangrove ecosystems requires a knowledge of their spatiotemporal variability as a function of regional properties. The unique coastal ecosystems of the mangrove belt along the coast of the Guianas in South America are influenced by cycles of a massive accretion of mud supplied by the Amazon River and wave induced erosion. This study characterized, for the first time, how benthic infaunal assemblages, as proxies of mechanisms of mangrove resilience, were structured by the natural growth track of Avicennia germinans dominated mangroves in French Guiana. We sampled 4 mobile mud stations and 27 consolidated mud stations distributed over 9 tidal transects from bare to vegetated mudflats colonized by young mangroves during the dry season. We collected a complete dataset of sediment and vegetation variables together with the benthic meso- (>0.25 mm) and macrofauna (>1 mm). We used a combination of eigenvector based multivariate analyses and variance partitioning on this multiple set of variables to identify which environmental variables likely drive the benthic diversity patterns. Mangrove early development increased the alpha and beta diversities of the infaunal communities for the two size classes. A total of 20–30% and 7–12% of the beta diversity are explained by linear and nonlinear spatial variables, respectively. However, 7% to 9% of the variance partioning could be determined by other biotic/abiotic variables, biological interactions or neutral processes, not described here. This study has highlighted the necessity of taking into account mangrove dynamics at suitable spatial scales for benthic biodiversity evaluation and mangrove management or restoration plans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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15 pages, 3494 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mangrove Above-Ground Biomass and Carbon Stock in the Karimunjawa-Kemujan Islands Estimated from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Imagery

by Anindya Wirasatriya, Rudhi Pribadi, Sigit Bayhu Iryanthony, Lilik Maslukah, Denny Nugroho Sugianto, Muhammad Helmi, Raditya Rizki Ananta, Novi Susetyo Adi, Terry Louise Kepel, Restu N. A. Ati, Mariska A. Kusumaningtyas, Rempei Suwa, Raghab Ray, Takashi Nakamura and Kazuo Nadaoka

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020706 - 9 Jan 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4463

Abstract

Blue carbon ecosystems in the Karimunjawa Islands may play a vital role in absorbing and storing the releasing carbon from the Java Sea. The present study investigated mangrove above-ground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock in the Karimunjawa-Kemujan Islands, the largest mangrove area in the Karimunjawa Islands. Taking the aerial photos from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle combined with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements, we generated Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) with high accuracy. We calculated mangrove canopy height by subtracting DSM from DTM and then converted it into Lorey’s height. The highest mangrove canopy is located along the coastline facing the sea, ranging from 8 m to 15 m. Stunted mangroves 1 m to 8 m in height are detected mainly in the inner areas. AGBs were calculated using an allometric equation destined for the Southeast and East Asia region. Above-ground carbon biomass is half of AGB. The AGB and carbon biomass of mangroves in the Karimunjawa-Kemujan Islands range from 8 Mg/ha to 328 Mg/ha, and from 4 MgC/ha to 164 MgC/ha, respectively. With a total area of 238.98 ha, the potential above-ground carbon stored in the study area is estimated as 16,555.46 Mg. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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20 pages, 1385 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Publication Performance and Trends in Mangrove Forests: A Bibliometric Analysis

by Yuh-Shan Ho and Sharif A. Mukul

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12532; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212532 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3614

Abstract

Mangroves are one the most productive ecosystems on Earth, and they are geographically located in the tropics and sub-tropics. Notwithstanding their critical role in providing a large number of environmental services and benefits as well as livelihood provisions, mangrove forests are being lost globally at an alarming rate. At the same time, they are increasingly recognized as a cost-effective nature-based climate solution for their carbon sequestration and storage capacity. Despite their enormous importance to people’s lives and the ecosystem, no bibliometric study on this topic has been published to our knowledge. Here, we provide a bibliometric analysis of the research on mangroves with research trends, most influential research based on citation count, and the origins (country and institution) of major research. Using the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) database of the Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics), we identified 13,918 documents published between 1990 and 2019. Nevertheless, 12,955 articles met our final criteria and were analyzed in detail. Six publications and their citations per publication (CPP₂₀₁₉) were applied to evaluate the publication performance of countries and institutes. When considering the top ten Web of Science subject categories, articles published on the ecology of mangroves had the highest CPP₂₀₁₉ of 28. Environmental sciences have been the major category since 2013. The USA dominated the total articles and single-author articles. The USA was also the most frequent partner of international collaborative publications. China published the most single-country articles, first-author articles, and corresponding-author articles. However, articles by the USA and Australia had a higher CPP₂₀₁₉. Sun Yat Sen University in China was the most active university. The Australian Institute of Marine Science dominated all kinds of publications with the top CPP₂₀₁₉. Together with the USA, Australia, China, India, Brazil, and Japan ranked both the top six on total publications and total publications in 2019. Our bibliometric study provides useful visualization of the past and current landscape of research on mangroves and emerging fields, to facilitate future research collaboration and knowledge exchange. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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13 pages, 6113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Local Drivers Associated to Temporal Spectral Response of Chlorophyll-a in Mangrove Leaves

by Blanca Castellanos-Basto, Jorge Herrera-Silveira, Érick Bataller and Rodolfo Rioja-Nieto

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4636; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094636 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2014

Abstract

The pigment content in leaves has commonly been used to characterize vegetation condition. However, few studies have assessed temporal changes of local biotic and abiotic factors on leaf pigments. Here, we evaluated the effect of local environmental variables and tree structural characteristics, in the chlorophyll-a leaf concentration (Chl-a) associated with temporal change in two mangrove species. Rhizophora mangle (R. mangle) and Avicennia germinans (A. germinans) trees of a fringe mangrove forest (FMF) and lower basin mangrove forest (BMF) were visited over a period of one year, to obtain radiometric readings at leaf level to estimate Chl-a. Measurements on tree characteristics included diameter at breast height (DBH), basal area (BA), and maximum height (H). Environmental variables included soil interstitial water temperature (T_i), salinity (S_i), and dissolved oxygen (O_i), flood level (fL), ambient temperature (T_amb), and relative humidity (H_rel). Generalized linear models and covariance analysis showed that the variation of Chl-a is mainly influenced by the species, the interaction between species and mangrove forest type, DBH, seasonality and its influence on the species, soil conditions, and fL. Studies to assess spatial and temporal change on mangrove forests using the spectral characteristics of the trees should also consider the temporal variation of leave chlorophyll-a concentration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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Review

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24 pages, 2457 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Global Mangrove Deforestation and Its Interacting Social-Ecological Drivers: A Systematic Review and Synthesis

by Avit K. Bhowmik, Rajchandar Padmanaban, Pedro Cabral and Maria M. Romeiras

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4433; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084433 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8495

Abstract

Globally, mangrove forests are substantially declining, and a globally synthesized database containing the drivers of deforestation and drivers’ interactions is scarce. Here, we synthesized the key social-ecological drivers of global mangrove deforestation by reviewing about two hundred published scientific studies over the last four decades (from 1980 to 2021). Our focus was on both natural and anthropogenic drivers with their gradual and abrupt impacts and on their geographic coverage of effects, and how these drivers interact. We also summarized the patterns of global mangrove coverage decline between 1990 and 2020 and identified the threatened mangrove species. Our consolidated studies reported an 8600 km² decline in the global mangrove coverage between 1990 and 2020, with the highest decline occurring in South and Southeast Asia (3870 km²). We could identify 11 threatened mangrove species, two of which are critically endangered (Sonneratia griffithii and Bruguiera hainseii). Our reviewed studies pointed to aquaculture and agriculture as the predominant driver of global mangrove deforestation though their impacts varied across global regions. Gradual climate variations, i.e., sea-level rise, long-term precipitation, and temperature changes and driven coastline erosion, salinity intrusion and acidity at coasts, constitute the second major group of drivers. Our findings underline a strong interaction across natural and anthropogenic drivers, with the strongest interaction between the driver groups aquaculture and agriculture and industrialization and pollution. Our results suggest prioritizing globally coordinated empirical studies linking drivers and mangrove deforestation and global development of policies for mangrove conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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27 pages, 1094 KiB

Open AccessReview

Can Sustainable Development Save Mangroves?

by Alexander Cesar Ferreira, Rebecca Borges and Luiz Drude de Lacerda

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031263 - 23 Jan 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 8476

Abstract

The Earth is warming, ecosystems are being overexploited, oceans are being polluted, and thousands of species are going extinct—all fueled by the need for a permanent increase in production for more consumerism and development. “Business as usual” continues untouched, while increasing attention has been given to the “sustainable development” concept. Despite their importance as life supporting ecosystems, forests, oceans, and wetlands are being destroyed at an accelerating rate. The conservation and restoration of mangroves, for example, are also vital for the planet to face catastrophic global warming. Based on a non-systematic literature review, we address how true mangrove conservation is incompatible with so-called “sustainable development”. We turn to the urgent changes needed to avoid environmental and societal collapse, promoted by the Western economic development paradigm, and address why the sustainable development approach has failed to stop environmental degradation and protect resources for next generations. Proposed solutions involve the rejection of the capital-oriented, nature-predatory systems, degrowth, a deep transformation of our energy matrix, and a shift in our nutrition to lower levels of the food chain. These are based on a profound sense of responsibility over the planet, respecting all life forms, ecosystem dynamics, and life sustaining properties of the biosphere. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability)

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