The ecosystems of Kaohsiung are rich and diverse. Examples of ecosystems include the tropical rainforest ecology, marine ecology of the coastal forests, and the estuary type ecology of mangrove forests. The Jhong-Dou ...The ecosystems of Kaohsiung are rich and diverse. Examples of ecosystems include the tropical rainforest ecology, marine ecology of the coastal forests, and the estuary type ecology of mangrove forests. The Jhong-Dou Wetland Park is situated in the Jhong-Dou Redevelopment Zone, 2.5km from the Lover River Estuary. This area is defined by brackish aquatic environments--a mixture of fresh and salt water, and fulfills the criteria for mangrove restoration. It is expected that the current restoration project will recreate an epitome of the once-diverse, co-existing mangrove species of Kaohsiung＇s past, and improves upon the functions of environmental education. The initial mangrove species planned for restoration are the existing Kandelia obovata, Rhizophora stylosa, Avicennia marina and the Lumnitzera racemosa populations of the Kaohsiung area. These plants will be placed in experimental habitats that correspond to the unique micro-climates required for the growth of each species, and the mangrove-associated plants will also be restored concurrently in the terrestrial environments behind the mangrove forests. The process of restoration will be monitored by academia, as well as providing reference for subsequent mangrove environment restoration efforts. The main purpose of this research in these four mangrove species of this wetland park is to understand their adaptation to the rehabilitating environment, and be able to feedback these information to the design and maintenance team of the park. The research method is to observe and record their growing status, also execute a survey on the nearby mangrove habitation. The observation has started on December 1 st of 2010, and still has been continued carry on since then. From the research result, it shows that the A vicennia marina （Forsk.） Vierh. and Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. are the two species that had been well adapted to this wetland park. It was recommended to the Kaohsiung City Government that the restoration of the extinct Ceriops tagal and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza can be achieved through foreign species exchanges （the species must be identified before introduction）, and that plans for monitoring the flora and fauna in the park should be drafted to record the ecological alterations of the Jhong-Dou Wetlands. This will pronounce the ecological importance of Kaohsiung on a global, geographical scale. Lastly, the Government should draw up plans of mangrove forest maintenance in order to sustain the ecological and landscape recreational functions of the Jhong-Dou Wetland Park.展开更多
Studies of competition in mangroves are mostly limited to seedlings and artificial settings like forestry projects.We conducted the first experimental study of intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natu...Studies of competition in mangroves are mostly limited to seedlings and artificial settings like forestry projects.We conducted the first experimental study of intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natural mangrove forest to examine how important competition is in determining tree size compared with abiotic conditions.We conducted a study near Port Aransas,TX,USA,which is near the geographical limit of mangroves and dominated by monospecific stands of‘scrub’form black mangroves,Avicennia germinans.We thinned 10 plots to create a gradient of mangrove cover,and quantified the effects of mangrove cover on the growth of tagged mangroves from 2013 to 2019,and the mangrove canopy height in 2019.The relative growth rate of tagged mangroves declined as mangrove cover increased,and plants in the plot with 100%mangrove cover did not grow,indicating that they had attained their maximum size.In plots with reduced mangrove cover,plant height increased sharply,with plants in the plot with 11%mangrove cover growing~52%taller over 6 years.Canopy height was~30%taller in the plot fringe than in the interior,and canopy height in both fringe and interior declined as mangrove cover increased.Measures of leaf chlorophyll concentration and light interception suggested that plants were primarily limited by nitrogen.Our results showed that scrub mangroves compete strongly despite being limited by abiotic conditions,and that the importance of competition was greater in magnitude than that of abiotic differences between the fringe and interior.展开更多
文摘The ecosystems of Kaohsiung are rich and diverse. Examples of ecosystems include the tropical rainforest ecology, marine ecology of the coastal forests, and the estuary type ecology of mangrove forests. The Jhong-Dou Wetland Park is situated in the Jhong-Dou Redevelopment Zone, 2.5km from the Lover River Estuary. This area is defined by brackish aquatic environments--a mixture of fresh and salt water, and fulfills the criteria for mangrove restoration. It is expected that the current restoration project will recreate an epitome of the once-diverse, co-existing mangrove species of Kaohsiung＇s past, and improves upon the functions of environmental education. The initial mangrove species planned for restoration are the existing Kandelia obovata, Rhizophora stylosa, Avicennia marina and the Lumnitzera racemosa populations of the Kaohsiung area. These plants will be placed in experimental habitats that correspond to the unique micro-climates required for the growth of each species, and the mangrove-associated plants will also be restored concurrently in the terrestrial environments behind the mangrove forests. The process of restoration will be monitored by academia, as well as providing reference for subsequent mangrove environment restoration efforts. The main purpose of this research in these four mangrove species of this wetland park is to understand their adaptation to the rehabilitating environment, and be able to feedback these information to the design and maintenance team of the park. The research method is to observe and record their growing status, also execute a survey on the nearby mangrove habitation. The observation has started on December 1 st of 2010, and still has been continued carry on since then. From the research result, it shows that the A vicennia marina （Forsk.） Vierh. and Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. are the two species that had been well adapted to this wetland park. It was recommended to the Kaohsiung City Government that the restoration of the extinct Ceriops tagal and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza can be achieved through foreign species exchanges （the species must be identified before introduction）, and that plans for monitoring the flora and fauna in the park should be drafted to record the ecological alterations of the Jhong-Dou Wetlands. This will pronounce the ecological importance of Kaohsiung on a global, geographical scale. Lastly, the Government should draw up plans of mangrove forest maintenance in order to sustain the ecological and landscape recreational functions of the Jhong-Dou Wetland Park.
基金supported by Institutional Grants(NA10OAR4170099,NA14OAR4170102,NA18OAR4170088)from the Texas Sea Grant College Program from the National Sea Grant Office,National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,U.S.Department of Commerce.
文摘Studies of competition in mangroves are mostly limited to seedlings and artificial settings like forestry projects.We conducted the first experimental study of intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natural mangrove forest to examine how important competition is in determining tree size compared with abiotic conditions.We conducted a study near Port Aransas,TX,USA,which is near the geographical limit of mangroves and dominated by monospecific stands of‘scrub’form black mangroves,Avicennia germinans.We thinned 10 plots to create a gradient of mangrove cover,and quantified the effects of mangrove cover on the growth of tagged mangroves from 2013 to 2019,and the mangrove canopy height in 2019.The relative growth rate of tagged mangroves declined as mangrove cover increased,and plants in the plot with 100%mangrove cover did not grow,indicating that they had attained their maximum size.In plots with reduced mangrove cover,plant height increased sharply,with plants in the plot with 11%mangrove cover growing~52%taller over 6 years.Canopy height was~30%taller in the plot fringe than in the interior,and canopy height in both fringe and interior declined as mangrove cover increased.Measures of leaf chlorophyll concentration and light interception suggested that plants were primarily limited by nitrogen.Our results showed that scrub mangroves compete strongly despite being limited by abiotic conditions,and that the importance of competition was greater in magnitude than that of abiotic differences between the fringe and interior.
