Mangrove wetlands distribution status identification, changing trend analyzation and carbon storage assessment of China

This research investigates the ecological importance,changes,and status of mangrove wetlands along China’s coastline.Visual interpretation,geological surveys,and ISO clustering unsupervised classification methods are employed to interpret mangrove distribution from remote sensing images from 2021,utilizing ArcGIS software platform.Furthermore,the carbon storage capacity of mangrove wetlands is quantified using the carbon storage module of InVEST model.Results show that the mangrove wetlands in China covered an area of 278.85 km2 in 2021,predominantly distributed in Hainan,Guangxi,Guangdong,Fujian,Zhejiang,Taiwan,Hong Kong,and Macao.The total carbon storage is assessed at 2.11×10^(6) t,with specific regional data provided.Trends since the 1950s reveal periods of increase,decrease,sharp decrease,and slight-steady increases in mangrove areas in China.An important finding is the predominant replacement of natural coastlines adjacent to mangrove wetlands by artificial ones,highlighting the need for creating suitable spaces for mangrove restoration.This study is poised to guide future mangroverelated investigations and conservation strategies.

Overview on Mangrove Forest Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Functions

This paper provides a comprehensive overview on coastal protection and hazard mitigation by mangroves.Previous stud-ies have made great strides to understand the mechanisms and influencing factors of mangroves’protection function,including wave energy dissipation,storm surge damping,tsunami mitigation,adjustment to sea level rise and wind speed reduction,which are sys-tematically summarized in this study.Moreover,the study analyzes the extensive physical models,based on indoor flume experi-ments and numerical models,that consider the interaction between mangroves and hydrodynamics,to help our understanding of mangrove-hydrodynamic interactions.Additionally,quantitative approaches for valuing coastal protection services provided by man-groves,including index-based and process-resolving approaches,are introduced in detail.Finally,we point out the limitations of previous studies,indicating that efforts are still required for obtaining more long-term field observations during extreme weather events,to create more real mangrove models for physical experiments,and to develop numerical models that consider the flexible properties of mangroves to better predict wave propagation in mangroves having complex morphology and structures.

Spatio-temporal variation of water salinity in mangroves revealed by continuous monitoring and its relationship to floristic diversity

Salinity is among the most critical factors limiting the growth and species distribution of coastal plants.Water salinity in estuarine ecosystems varies temporally and spatially,but the variation patterns across different time scales and salinity fluctuation have rarely been quantified.The effects of salinity on floristic diversity in mangroves are not fully understood due to the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of salinity.In this study,we monitored water salinity at an interval of 10-min over one year in three mangrove catchment areas representing the outer part,middle part,and inner part respectively of Dongzhai Bay,Hainan,China.The number of mangrove community types and dominant mangrove species of the three catchment areas were also investigated.We found that the diurnal variation and dry-season intra-month variation in water salinity were driven by tidal cycles.The seasonal variation in water salinity was mainly driven by rainfall with higher salinity occurring in the dry season and lower salinity occurring in the wet season.Spatially,water salinity was highest at the outer part,intermediate at the middle part,and lowest at the inner part of the bay.The intra-month and annual fluctuations of water salinity were highest at the middle part and lowest at the outer part of the bay.The number of mangrove community types and dominant species were lowest at the outer part,intermediate at the middle part,and highest at the inner part of the bay.These results suggest that the temporal variation of water salinity in mangroves is driven by different factors at different time scales and therefore it is necessary to measure water salinity at different time scales to get a complete picture of the saline environment that mangroves experience.Spatially,lower salinity levels benefit mangrove species richness within a bay landscape,however,further research is needed to distinguish the effects of salinity fluctuation and salinity level in affecting mangrove species richness.

The Toxic Effects of Strong Chlorin Disinfectant on Mangroves and Emission Thresholds

In this study, based on the simulated discharge results of chemical disinfectants, hypocotyl germination concentration gradient pre-test and concentration gradient determination experiment were set up respectively. Laboratory cultivation was conducted to compare and analyze the root germination and germination indexes, three mangrove hypocotyls of Kandelia candel (Linn.) Druce, Ceriopstagal C.B. Rob. and Bruguiera sexangula var. Rhynchopetalas’ efficiency of cumulative root germination, cumulative germination and the cumulative expansion of the second pair of leaves, one-way analysis of variance was used to obtain the tolerance threshold of three mangrove hypocotyls to strong chlorin disinfectant. The study determined that the by-products of strong chlorin disinfectant, the toxic threshold concentrations of Kandelia candel (Linn.) Druce, Ceriopstagal C.B. Rob. and Bruguiera sexangula var. rhynchopetala are close to 0.55 mg/L, 0.55 mg/L and 0.25 mg/L, respectively. This concentration range is lower than the average concentration of 1.183 mg/L of active chlorine emitted from strong chlorine concentrate during pond clearing in high-level shrimp ponds, indicating that transient emissions of strong chlorine concentrate during pond clearing can have a toxic effect on mangrove plants. The strength of tolerance of the embryonic axes of the three mangrove species to effective chlorine contamination was, Ceriopstagal C.B. Rob. stronger than Bruguiera sexangula var. rhynchopetala, and Kandelia candel (Linn.) Druce is the weakest.

Comprehensive Risk Assessment of Sea Level Rise and Tropical Cyclones in Dongzhaigang Mangroves,China

Mangroves play a pivotal role in tropical and subtropical coastal ecosystem,yet they are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,particularly the accelerated global sea level rise(SLR)and stronger tropical cyclones(TCs).However,there is a lack of research addressing future simultaneous combined impacts of the slow-onset of SLR and rapid-onset of TCs on China's mangroves.In order to develop a comprehensive risk assessment method considering the superimposed effects of these two factors and analyze risk for mangroves in Dongzhaigang,Hainan Island,China,we used observational and climate model data to assess the risks to mangroves under low,intermediate,and very high greenhouse gas(GHG)emission scenarios(such as SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,and SSP5-8.5)in 2030,2050,and 2100,and compiled a risk assessment scheme for mangroves in Dongzhaigang,China.The results showed that the combined risks from SLR and TCs will continue to rise;however,SLRs will increase in intensity,and TCs will decrease.The comprehensive risk of the Dongzhaigang mangroves posed by climate change will remain low under SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 scenarios by 2030,but it will increase substantially by 2100.While under SSP5-8.5 scenario,the risks to mangroves in Dongzhaigang are projected to increase considerably by 2050,and approximately 68.8%of mangroves will be at very high risk by 2100.The risk to the Dongzhaigang mangroves is not only influenced by the hazards but also closely linked to their exposure and vulnerability.We therefore propose climate resilience developmental responses for mangroves to address the effects of climate change.This study for the combined impact of TCs and SLR on mangroves in Dongzhaigang,China can enrich the method system of mangrove risk assessment and provide references for scientific management.

National Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Inventories under Different Mangrove Forest Types in Gabon

Gabonese’s estuary is an important coastal mangrove setting and soil plays a key role in mangrove carbon storage in mangrove forests. However, the spatial variation in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage remain unclear. To address this gap, determining the SOC spatial variation in Gabonese’s estuarine is essential for better understanding the global carbon cycle. The present study compared soil organic carbon between northern and southern sites in different mangrove forest, Rhizophora racemosa and Avicennia germinans. The results showed that the mean SOC stocks at 1 m depth were 256.28 ± 127.29 MgC ha−1. Among the different regions, SOC in northern zone was significantly (p p < 0.001). The deeper layers contained higher SOC stocks (254.62 ± 128.09 MgC ha−1) than upper layers (55.42 ± 25.37 MgC ha−1). The study highlights that low deforestation rate have led to less CO2 (705.3 Mg CO2e ha−1 - 922.62 Mg CO2e ha−1) emissions than most sediment carbon-rich mangroves in the world. These results highlight the influence of soil texture and mangrove forest types on the mangrove SOC stocks. The first national comparison of soil organic carbon stocks between mangroves and upland tropical forests indicated SOC stocks were two times more in mangroves soils (51.21 ± 45.00 MgC ha−1) than primary (20.33 ± 12.7 MgC ha−1), savanna and cropland (21.71 ± 15.10 MgC ha−1). We find that mangroves in this study emit lower dioxide-carbon equivalent emissions. This study highlights the importance of national inventories of soil organic carbon and can be used as a baseline on the role of mangroves in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation but the variation in SOC stocks indicates the need for further national data.

Leaf hydraulics coordinated with leaf economics and leaf size in mangrove species along a salinity gradient

Independence among leaf economics,leaf hydraulics and leaf size confers plants great capability in adapting to heterogeneous environments.However,it remains unclear whether the independence of the leaf traits revealed across species still holds within species,especially under stressed conditions.Here,a suite of traits in these dimensions were measured in leaves and roots of a typical mangrove species,Ceriops tagal,which grows in habitats with a similar sunny and hot environment but different soil salinity in southern China.Compared with C.tagal under low soil salinity,C.tagal under high soil salinity had lower photosynthetic capacity,as indicated directly by a lower leaf nitrogen concentration and higher water use efficiency,and indirectly by a higher investment in defense function and thinner palisade tissue;had lower water transport capacity,as evidenced by thinner leaf minor veins and thinner root vessels;and also had much smaller single leaf area.Leaf economics,hydraulics and leaf size of the mangrove species appear to be coordinated as one trait dimension,which likely stemmed from covariation of soil water and nutrient availability along the salinity gradient.The intraspecific leaf trait relationship under a stressful environment is insightful for our understanding of plant adaption to the multifarious environments.

Microplastic pollution and enrichment of distinct microbiota in sediment of mangrove in Zhujiang River estuary,China

The microbial communities colonized on microplastics(MPs)have attracted widespread attention.However,few studies focused on the MPs impacts on mangrove ecosystems,particularly on bacterial communities.We investigated the MPs pollution in mangrove of Zhujiang(Pearl)River estuary(ZRE).To study the potential risk posed by MPs to the mangrove ecosystems,the differences in bacterial communities,functions,and complexity between MPs and sediment samples were reported for the first time.Microplastics(2991±1586 items/kg dry weight(dw))in sediment were mainly fibers and polyethylene,mostly transparent,and in size less than 0.5 mm.Bacterial communities and functions significantly differed from MPs in mangrove sediment.Compared with sediment,MPs significantly enriched members of Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,and Actinobacteria,as well as the bacteria associated with plastic-degrading and human diseases on their surface,suggesting that microbial communities on MPs may promote MPs degradation and the spread of diseases,posing potential risk to mangrove ecosystems and human health.Although bacteria on MPs exhibited a lower diversity,the co-occurrence network analysis indicated that network of bacteria colonized on MPs was bigger and more complex than those of mangrove sediment,illustrating that MPs can act as a distinct habitat in this special ecosystem.This study provides a new perspective for increasing our understanding of microplastic pollution in mangrove ecosystems.

Prediction of the joint impacts of sea level rise and land development on distribution patterns of mangrove communities

Mangrove distribution along shorelines shows distinct zonation patterns;thus,different communities may face various influences from sea level rise(SLR)and land use.However,long-term change predictions are usually based only on the total extent of mangroves.Few studies have revealed how SLR and land development such as agriculture,aquaculture,and urbanization jointly affect different intertidal mangrove communities.This study proposed a novel framework combining SLAMM(Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model)and the CLUE-S(Conversion of Land Use and its Effect at Small regional extent)model to assess the potential impacts on upper and lower intertidal mangrove communities.Maoweihai in Guangxi,China,was selected as the study area and the potential impacts from the squeeze effect and mangrove expansion potential were evaluated.We established three scenarios combining SLR and land use patterns to predict mangrove coverage projections by 2070.The results showed that,under a single SLR driver,the upper intertidal mangroves would be more adaptive to rapid SLR than the lower intertidal mangroves.However,under the combined influence of the two drivers,the upper intertidal mangroves would experience larger squeeze effects than the lower intertidal mangroves,with up to 80.5%of suitable habitat lost.Moreover,the expansion potential of upper intertidal mangroves would be considerably more limited than that of lower intertidal mangroves.The length of the expandable habitat patch boundary of upper intertidal mangroves only reached 1.4–1.8 km,while that of the lower intertidal mangroves reached up to99.2–111.2 km.Further,we found that aquaculture ponds and cropland are the top two land development types that could occupy suitable habitat and restrict the mangrove expansion potential.Our results highlight that timely improvement of land use policies to create available landward accommodation space for mangrove migration is essential to maintain the coverage and diversity of mangrove communities under SLR.The proposed method can be a helpful tool for adaptive mangrove conservation and management under climate change.

Comparative and Prospective Evaluation of the Carbon Potential of the Mangrove of the Sine-Saloum Delta (Senegal) from 2016 to 2021

With the rupture of the Sangomar spit and climate change, ecosystem functions such as carbon absorption and storage by the Saloum Delta Biosphere Reserve are threatened. Initiatives are carried out as a response to the degradation of the mangrove ecosystem, such as the PRECEMA project. To measure its impact, an assessment of the carbon potential of the mangrove was conducted in 2016 on permanent plots. The present study is part of the monitoring of carbon potential. It aims to contribute to the updating of information on the evaluation of carbon storage potential. The method “afforestation and reforestation of degraded mangrove habitats on a large scale CDM or AR-AM0014 version 04.0” was applied. The mangrove vegetation assessed is dominated by Rhizophora racemosa with 69.9% of the total. With a relatively bushy habit (height = 1.91 m), the height distribution shows a right skewness (Skewness = 2.17;Kurtosis = 4.07) with a tail containing more observations than a normal distribution. The distribution is observed for diameters is skewed with Skewness = 1.5 but Kurtosis = 2.3. Thus the stand is young with an average diameter of 3.90 cm and 79.6% of the trees have a diameter 5 cm. The annual increase in carbon potential of the mangrove has decreased by 80% in 5 years (2016 assessment - 2021 assessment). For a 15-year period, the total carbon stock projected by the model increases globally from 201.396 TeqCO2 in 2011 to 277,318 TeqCO2 in 2026. The projections showed an overall annual stock decrease of 14,164 TeqCO2 (94%). For 2021, the total projected stock (270.289 TeqCO2) is slightly higher than the assessed stock (251.059 TeqCO2), a difference of 7%. Also, the projected annual carbon stock for 2021 (2844 TeqCO2) is higher than the assessed stock (1353 TeqCO2), a gap of 52%.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and geo-environmental factors influencing mangrove gross primary productivity during 2000–2020 in Gaoqiao Mangrove Reserve, China

Background:Mangrove forests are a significant contributor to the global carbon cycle,and the accurate estimation of their gross primary productivity(GPP)is essential for understanding the carbon budget within blue carbon ecosystems.Little attention has been given to the investigation of spatiotemporal patterns and ecological variations within mangrove ecosystems,as well as the quantitative analysis of the influence of geo-environmental factors on time-series estimations of mangrove GPP.Methods:This study explored the spatiotemporal dynamics of mangrove GPP from 2000 to 2020 in Gaoqiao Mangrove Reserve,China.A leaf area index(LAI)-based light-use efficiency(LUE)model was combined with Landsat data on Google Earth Engine(GEE)to reveal the variations in mangrove GPP using the Mann-Kendall(MK)test and Theil-Sen median trend.Moreover,the spatiotemporal patterns and ecological variations in mangrove ecosystems across regions were explored using four landscape indicators.Furthermore,the effects of six geo-environmental factors(species distribution,offshore distance,elevation,slope,planar curvature and profile curvature)on GPP were investigated using Geodetector and multi-scale geo-weighted regression(MGWR).Results:The results showed that the mangrove forest in the study area experienced an area loss from 766.26 ha in 2000 to 718.29 ha in 2020,mainly due to the conversion to farming,terrestrial forest and aquaculture zones.Landscape patterns indicated high levels of vegetation aggregation near water bodies and aquaculture zones,and low levels of aggregation but high species diversity and distribution density near building zone.The mean value of mangrove GPP continuously increased from 6.35 g C⋅m^(-2)⋅d^(-1) in 2000 to 8.33 g C⋅m^(-2)⋅d^(-1) in 2020,with 23.21%of areas showing a highly and significantly increasing trend(trend value>0.50).The Geodetector and MGWR analyses showed that species distribution,offshore distance and elevation contributed most to the GPP variations.Conclusions:These results provide guidelines for selecting GPP products,and the combination of Geodetector and MGWR based on multiple geo-environmental factors could quantitatively capture the mode,direction,pathway and intensity of the influencing factors on mangrove GPP variation.The findings provide a foundation for understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of mangrove GPP at the landscape or regional scale.

The fate of carbon resulting from pore water exchange in a mangrove and Spartina alterniflora ecozone

Mangrove and salt-marsh wetlands are important coastal carbon sinks.In order to quantify carbon export via pore water exchange and to evaluate subsequent fate of the exported carbon,we carried out continuous observations in a mangrove-Spartina alterniflora ecozone in the Zhangjiang River Estuary,China.The carbon fluxes via pore water exchange were estimated using^(222)Rn and^(228)Ra as tracers to be(2.15±0.63)mol/(m^(2)∙d)for dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC)and(-0.008±0.07)mol/(m^(2)∙d)for dissolved organic carbon(DOC)in the wet season and(3.02±0.65)mol/(m^(2)∙d)for DIC and(-0.15±0.007)mol/(m^(2)∙d)for DOC in the dry season in the mangrove-dominated creek(M-creek),while(2.52±0.82)mol/(m^(2)∙d)for DIC and(0.02±0.09)mol/(m^(2)∙d)for DOC in the dry season in the S.alterniflora-dominated creek(SA-creek).The negative value means that pore water was a sink of DOC in the creek.The total carbon via pore water exchange in the tidal creeks in the mangroves accounted for 41%-55%of the net carbon fixed by mangrove vegetation and was 3-4 times as much as the soil carbon accretion in the mangroves.The exported carbon in the form of DIC contributed all of the carbon outwelling from the M-creek and 79%of the carbon outwelling from the SA-creek,implying effective fixation of carbon by the wetland ecosystem.Moreover,it resulted in 54%in the dry season,75%in the wet season of the carbon dioxide released from the M-creek to the atmosphere,and 84%of the release from the SA-creek.Therefore,quantification of pore water exchange and related soil carbon loss is essential to trace the fate of carbon fixed in intertidal wetlands.

Experimental study on the mitigation effect of mangroves during tsunami wave propagation

Mangroves are crucial for protecting coastal areas against extreme disasters such as tsunamis and storm surges.An experimental study was conducted to determine how mangroves can mitigate the tsunami wave propagation.The test was performed in a flume, where mangrove models were installed on a slope, and dam-burst waves were used to simulate tsunami waves. To study how mangrove forests reduce the impact of tsunamis, this paper measured the heights of the incoming waves under different initial conditions(tsunami wave intensity and initial water depth) and plant factors(arrangement and distribution density) and described the reduction process. The results show that, after passing through the mangrove, the tsunami bore height will decrease within a certain range as the initial water depth increases. However, there is no correlation between the increase of inundation level and the drop of water level. The bore height attenuation is more significant at higher density of mangroves,but after tsunami passing through the mangroves, the relative bore height will decrease. When the distribution density of mangroves is constant, the wave attenuation at different locations(before, on and after the slope)shows different relationships with the initial water depth and wave height for different models. The transmission coefficient(K_(i)) shows a parabolic correlation with its density. The proportion of the energy loss caused by the mangrove resistance to the total energy(E_(b)) is defined as C_(m2). The variation trend of C_(m2) corresponds to the tsunami wave energy attenuation rate(C_(a)) and K_(i).

Dramatical hydro-sedimentary changes induced by bamboo fences over mangrove tidal flat of the largest delta in Beibu Gulf, southwestern China

Mangrove forest is one of the most important ecological and environmental resources by effectively promoting tidal flat deposition and preventing the coastal region from typhoon.However,there have been mass loss of mangrove forests due to anthropogenic activities.It is an urgent need to explore an effective way for mangrove restoration.Here,three rows of bamboo fences with hydro-sedimentary observation set over Aegiceras corniculatum mangrove tidal flat of the Nanliu Delta,the largest delta of Beibu Gulf,China,were conducted to analyze the hydro-sedimentary variations induced by bamboo fences.Results identified that the mean horizontal velocity Um per burst(20 min)decreased by as much as 71%and 40%in comparison with those without bamboo fences in March and November,respectively,when the tidal current entering the bamboo area during flood.The maximum of mean horizontal flow velocity Um-max at bamboo area was 50%–75%of that without bamboo fences during ebb tide.The suspended sediment concentration of bamboo area suggested a maximum reduction of 57%relative to bare flat during flood,and was 80%lower than bare flat at ebb peak.Moreover,the turbulent kinetic dissipationεat flood tide was significantly higher than that at ebb tide,while the bamboo fences greatly increased the turbulent kinetic dissipationεby 2 to 5 times relative to bare flat,resulting in an increase of the bed elevation by inhibiting the sediment incipient motion and intercepting suspended sediment.The siltation rate at the bamboo area was 140%and 29.3%higher than that at the bare flat and the region covered with A.corniculatum,respectively.These results highlight that bamboo fences can effectively attenuate tidal current and thus promote siltation over mangrove flat,which contribute great benefit to mangrove survival.

Dramatic changes in the horizontal structure of mangrove forests in the largest delta of the northern Beibu Gulf, China

The horizontal structure of mangrove forests is an important characteristic that reflects a significant signal for coupling between mangroves and external drivers.While the loss and gain of mangroves has received much attention,little information about how the horizontal structure of mangrove forests develops from the seedling stage to maturity has been presented.Here,remote sensing images taken over approximately 15 years,UVA images,nutrient elements,sediments,and Aegiceras corniculatum vegetation parameters of the ecological quadrats along the Nanliu Delta,the largest delta of the northern Beibu Gulf in China,are analyzed to reveal changes in the horizontal structure of mangroves and their associated driving factors.The results show that both discrete structures and agglomerated structures can often be found in A.corniculatum seedlings and saplings.However,the combination of seedlings growing into maturity and new seedlings filling in available gaps causes the discrete structure of A.corniculatum to gradually vanish and the agglomerate structure to become stable.The aggregated structure of seedlings,compared to the discrete structure,can enhance the elevation beneath mangroves by trapping significantly more sediments,providing available spaces and conditions for seedlings to continue growing.Furthermore,by catching fine sediments with enriched nutrients,the survival rate of A.corniculatum seedlings in the agglomerated structure can be much higher than that in the discrete structure.Our results highlight the significance of the agglomeration of A.corniculatum,which can be beneficial to coastal mangrove restoration and management.

Effects of Ecological Restoration of Mangrove Wetlands Using Native Mangrove Species to Replace Spartina alterniflora: A Case Study in Southern China

Within the expanse of China’s coastline, the invasive alien cordgrass species Spartina alterniflora has caused profound nationwide damage and has emerged as a critical factor contributing to the degradation of mangrove wetlands, especially in the study area in Beihai, Guangxi. However, current treatments for S. alterniflora remain less effective and limited research focuses on the preliminary changes after artificial plantation. A comprehensive approach combining physical interventions with biological control measures has been employed to eradicate smooth cordgrass and facilitate the restoration of native mangrove wetlands. The study involved the periodic monitoring of the growth conditions of mangroves and the biodiversity of avian and benthic organisms, conducted at three to four-month intervals following the artificial plantation with one-year-old seedlings and propagules of native mangrove species Rhizophora stylosa. Results indicated that through the allometric equation, the above-ground biomass of planted seedlings had a ~20 g increase in average but the growth conditions were not significant over an eight-month period. High percentage of important avian species underlined the potential of the study site to serve as a worthwhile habitat and notable seasonal variations were observed in the biodiversity of bird species. Biodiversity indices of bird and benthos species also followed a similar fluctuation and reached a peak in April 2023. This research underscores the initial lack of distinct improvements during the early stages of the ecological restoration project, thorough maintenance, long-term monitoring, holistic considerations on a larger scale would be imperative for ongoing projects in the future.

Mangrove forests as a nature-based solution for coastal flood protection:Biophysical and ecological considerations

Nature-based coastal protection is increasingly recognised as a potentially sustainable and cost-effective solution to reduce coastal flood risk.It uses coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests to create resilient designs for coastal flood protection.However,to use mangroves effectively as a nature-based measure for flood risk reduction,we must understand the biophysical processes that govern risk reduction capacity through mangrove ecosystem size and structure.In this perspective,we evaluate the current state of knowledge on local physical drivers and ecological processes that determine mangrove functioning as part of a nature-based flood defence.We show that the forest properties that comprise coastal flood protection are well-known,but models cannot yet pinpoint how spatial heterogeneity of the forest structure affects the capacity for wave or surge attenuation.Overall,there is relatively good understanding of the ecological processes that drive forest structure and size,but there is a lack of knowledge on how daily bed-level dynamics link to long-term biogeomorphic forest dynamics,and on the role of combined stressors influencing forest retreat.Integrating simulation models of forest structure under changing physical(e.g.due to sea-level change)and ecological drivers with hydrodynamic attenuation models will allow for better projections of long-term natural coastal protection.

A new species and a new record of free-living marine nematode of genus Diplolaimelloides(Monhysteridae)from Futian mangrove reservation in Shenzhen,China

A new species and a new record of free-living marine nematode of genus Diplolaimelloides’(Monhysteridae)inhabiting the sediment of mangrove reservation in Shenzhen,China are described and illustrated.Diplolaimelloides contortus sp.nov.is characterized by the combination of the following characters:ocelli present;four pairs of post-cloacal papillae arranged in(2+2)pattern,two midway on bursa and two near posterior extremities;spicules complicated in shape,twisted and curved at middle portion;gubernaculum wedge-shaped,with distal dorsal ridge well cuticularized,proximal dorsal ridge obscure sleeve-like,proximal end wrap the spicule;vulva located at 52.1%-53.6%of body length;male tail slender,10.0-11.4 times of anal body diameter,and female tail long filiform,13.1-13.6 times of anal body diameter.Diplolaimelloides delyi Andras sy,1958 is first recorded from China and redescribed in detail,it differs from the original description by Andrassy in 1958 for having larger body size of male,shorter tail,and posterior situation of vulva.However,it is much conform to the redescription to specimens from East Pakistan by Timm in 1966,except for shorter tail in female and absent pre-anal seta.Specimens are deposited in the Institute of Oceanology,Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Potential effects of sea level rise on the soil-atmosphere green-house gas emissions in Kandelia obovata mangrove forests

Mangrove forests are under the stress of sea level rise(SLR)which would affect mangrove soil biogeochemistry.Mangrove soils are important sources of soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions,including carbon dioxide(CO_(2)),methane(CH_(4))and nitrous oxide(N_(2)O).Understanding how SLR influences GHG emissions is critical for evaluating mangrove blue carbon capability.In this study,potential effects of SLR on the GHG emissions were quantified through static closed chamber technique among three sites under different intertidal elevations,representing tidal flooding situation of SLR values of 0 cm,40 cm and 80 cm,respectively.Compared with Site SLR 0 cm,annual CO_(2) and N_(2)O fluxes decreased by approximately 75.0%and 27.3%due to higher soil water content,lower salinity and soil nutrient environments at Site SLR 80 cm.However,CH_(4) fluxes increased by approximately 13.7%at Site SLR 40 cm and 8.8%at Site SLR 80 cm because of lower salinity,higher soil water content and soil pH.CO_(2)-equivalent fluxes were 396.61 g/(m^(2)·a),1423.29 g/(m^(2)·a)and 1420.21 g/(m^(2)·a)at Sites SLR 80 cm,SLR 40 cm and SLR 0 cm,respectively.From Site SLR 0 cm to Site SLR 80 cm,contribution rate of N_(2)O and CH_(4) increased by approximately 7.42%and 3.02%,while contribution rate of CO_(2) decreased by approximately 10.44%.The results indicated that warming potential of trace CH_(4) and N_(2)O was non-negligible with SLR.Potential effects of SLR on the mangrove blue carbon capability should warrant attention due to changes of all three greenhouse gas fluxes with SLR.

Barriers to Community Participation in Governance Standards Setting for Sustainable Mangrove Management in Lamu County

Mangrove management requires an all-inclusive community engagement for sustainability in protection and conservation of mangroves. Previously, community participation was not considered pivotal but the rapid degradation of mangroves has necessitated their participation. Despite much legislation enacted, there are still challenges hindering community participation in Lamu County and this paper seeks to highlight barriers perceived by the various stakeholders in mangrove management. The study used a mixed methods approach to answer both qualitative and quantitative research questions and a correlational research design to explore all variables. The study shows that only 60% of the respondents agreed that there is lack of enforcement in mangrove conservation through community participation. However, less than 50% agreed on the challenges of lack of good management in mangroves (46%), lack of implementation mechanisms on mangrove conservation (47%) and lack of consultation in decision-making processes for mangrove conservation (36%). This demonstrates that lack of enforcement is the greatest challenge to the implementation of standards for mangrove conservation.