It is not unusual to find epiphytic bromeliads in mangroves, but most studies on mangrove vegetation do not record their presence. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity and distribution of epiphytic bromeliads in a subtropical mangrove. The richness, abundance and life form (atmospheric and tank) of bromeliads were recorded and compared among host tree species and waterline proximity. The ...

We predict the decadal change in position of three American Samoa mangroves from analysis of a time series of remotely sensed imagery, a geographic information system, tide gauge data, and projections for change in sea-level relative to the mangrove surface. Accurate predictions of changes to coastal ecosystem boundaries, including in response to projected relative sea-level rise, enable advanc...

INTRODUCTION AND SETTING The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is comprised of a number of islands in the northern Caribbean, including the island of Puerto Rico and offshore islands such as Culebra, Vieques, Monito, and Desecheo (Figure 3.1). The following information adds to the comprehensive overview of Puertorrican reefs provided in the previous edition of this report (García-Sais et al., 2005). ...

EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS of the ecological relationships of soil microfungi with soil types, pH, moisture, horizon, temperature, and macrovegetation have been published (Parkinson and Waid, 1960; Alexander, 1961; and Burges and Raw, 1967). It is a well-established principle that soil fungi are influenced by specific soil environments. Mangroves occupy a littoral habitat, characterized almost in...

The goal of this paper is to assess the principles and policy consideration for biodiversity conservation in the Cross River estuary using secondary data. This is informed by the need to document the status of the resources of the estuary as a basis for regulating the future exploitation and for the protection of the mangrove ecosystem in order to enhance sustainability.

Introduction: Mangrove forests are highly productive ecosystems distributed along the tropical coast line. Nutrient biogeochemistry of mangroves are primarly driven by both allochthonous and autochthonous sources. Characterization of organic matter in coastal ecosystems enables to understand the biogeochemical transformation of organic matter and its influence on ecosystem productivity in respo...

Of the numerous ecosystem services mangroves provide, carbon storage is gaining particular attention for its potential role in climate change mitigation strategies. Madagascar contains 2% of the world’s mangroves, over 20% of which is estimated to have been deforested through charcoal production, timber extraction and agricultural development. This study presents a carbon stock assessment of th...

The northernmost and most arid mangrove ecosystem of West Africa is found in Mauritania, in the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA). The existing global and regional maps of Mauritania’s mangroves have little detail, and available estimates of the mangrove area differ among studies. We assessed the use of automated Remote Sensing classification techniques to calculate the extent and map the d...

Fatty acids have been successfully used to trace the transfer of organic matter in coastal and estuarine food webs. To delineate these web connections, fatty acid profiles were analyzed in species of microbes (Azotobacter vinelandii, and Lactobacillus xylosus), prawns (Metapenaeus monoceros and Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and finfish (Mugil cephalus), that are associated with decomposing leaves ...

Landscape-level shifts in plant species distribution and abundance can fundamentally change the ecology of an ecosystem. Such shifts are occurring within mangrove-marsh ecotones, where over the last few decades, relatively mild winters have led to mangrove expansion into areas previously occupied by salt marsh plants. On the Texas (USA) coast of the western Gulf of Mexico, most cases of mangrov...