Tropical Mangrove Ecosystems: Bioscience January 1994

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Tropical Mangrove Ecosystems
Article in BioScience · January 1994

DOI: 10.2307/1312261
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Alistar Ian Robertson Daniel M. Alongi

University of Western Australia Tropical Coastal & Mangrove Consultants
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Coastal and Estuarine Studies
Managing Editors'
Malcolm J. Bowman Richard T. Barber
ChristopherN.K. Mooers John A. Raven
Coastal
and Estuarine Studies
41
A.I. Robertsonand D.M. Alongi (Eds.)
Tropical Mangrove
Ecosystems
American Geophysical Union

Washington,DC
Managing Editors
Malcolm J. Bowman
Marine Sciences Research Center, State Universityof New York
Stony Brook,N.Y. 11794, USA
Richard T. Barber
Duke Marine Laboratory
Beaufort, N.C. 28516, USA
ChristopherN.K. Mooers
Ocean ProcessAnalysisLaboratory
Institutefor the Studyof the Earth,Oceans and Space
Universityof New Hampshire
Durham, N.H. 03824-3525, USA
John A. Raven
Dept. of BiologicalSciences,DundeeUniversity
Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland
Editors
Alistar I. Robertson Daniel M. Alongi
Australian Institute of Marine Science Australian Institute of Marine Science
PMB No 3 PMB No 3
Townsville MC Townsville MC
Queensland 4810 Queensland 4810
AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData
Tropicalmangroveecosystems/ A.I. Robertsonand D.M. Alongi(eds.).

p. cm.- (Coastaland estuarineseries; 41)
Includesbibliographical
references.
ISBN 0-87590-255-3
1. Mangroveswampecology. I. Robertson,A. I. (AlistarI.)
II. Alongi,D. M. (DanielM.) III. Series.
QH541.5.M27T76 1992
574.5'26325•dc20 92-44357
CIP
ISSN 0733-9569
ISBN 0-87590-255-3
Copyright
1992by theAmerican
Geophysical
Union,2000 FloridaAvenue,NW,Washington,
DC 20009, U.S.A.
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Preface
Mangroveforestsare a dominantfeatureof tropicalcoasts. Like their terrestrialcounterparts

theseforestsare underthreatworldwidethrougha variety of destructivehumanpractices.As
is also the case with tropical terrestrial forests, managementdecisionsabout mangrove
ecosystemsare currentlybeing made often without adequatefundamentalknowledgeof the
processescontrollingnaturalecosystemfunction.
Since the mid 1970's,the AustralianInstituteof Marine Science(ALMS) has had in place
a researchprogram investigatingthe structureand dynamicsof mangrove ecosystemsin
tropical Australia. Early results of this researchwere summarizedin 1982 in the book
entitled Mangrove ecosystems in Australia.' structure,function and management,edited by
B.F. Clough. We felt that the time was ripe for a review of work during the decade1981-
1991, and soapproachedall pastandpresentAIMS mangroveresearchworkersto contribute
to this volume. With the exceptionof Steve Blaber and Colin Woodroffe, all authorshave
worked at AIMS as staff members,or visiting scientists.We thoughtit appropriatethat since
John Bunt instigated much of the early work on mangrove ecosystemsin northeastern
Australia, he should introduce this volume.
While we are sure that this volume will serve as a useful sourcebook for managersof
mangrovewetlands,most chaptersidentify the often substantialgapsin our knowledgeof
thesesystems.Given the rate of lossof mangroveforestsworldwide,the challengefor future
workerson tropicalmangrovesystemswill be to fill theseimportantgapsin our knowledge,
while at the same time publicizing their researchresults and making them available to
managers(seeChapter 11, this volume).
All major chapterswere reviewedby one externaland one AIMS scientist. We thank
Marylin Ball, BetsyJackes,Chad Pattiaratchi,RichardPearson,GordonThayer,BruceThom,
Ivan Valiela and Bill Wiebe for review of chapters. All word processingwas performedby
FrancesConn,SteveClarke,RhondaLyons,SueSmithandKim Wicks. Marty Edenproduced
all of the final figuresandChristineCansfield-Smith
producedthecamerareadytext anddid the
copy editing. We also acknowledge the scientific support sectionsat AIMS for their
professional assistance with muchof theresearch
reviewedin thisvolume.
Alistar Robertsonand Daniel Alongi

Townsville, June 1992.
Contents
Preface
List of Contributors ix
1 Introduction
J.S. Bunt
Mangrove sedimentsand geomorphology

C. Woodroffe
Mangrove hydrodynamics
E. Wolanski, Y. Mazda and P. Ridd 43
Mangrove floristics and biogeography

N.C. Duke 63
5 Forest structure
T.J. Smith III 101
Benthic communities
D.M. Alongi andA. Sasekumar 137
Plankton, epibenthosand fish communities

A.I. Robertson and S.J.M. B laber 173
Primary productivity and growth of mangrove forests

B.F. Clough 225
Nitrogen and phosphoruscycles

D.M. Alongi, K.G. Boto and A.I. Robertson 251
10 Food chains and carbon fluxes

A.I. Robertson,D.M. Alongi and K.G. Boto 293
11 Concluding remarks' research and mangrove conservation

A.I. Robertson 327
List of Contributors
Dr D.M. Alongi Dr B.F. Clough

PMB No 3 PMB No 3
Queensland4810 Queensland4810
AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA
Dr S.J.M. B laber Dr N.C. Duke

CSIRO Marine Laboratories SmithsonianTropicalResearchInstitute
PO Box 120 Box 2072
Cleveland Balboa
Queensland4163 REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

AUSTRALIA
Prof. Y. Mazda
Dr K.G. Boto Schoolof Marine Scienceand Technology
Australian Institute of Marine Science Tokai University
PMB No 3 Orido
Townsville MC Shimizu
Queensland4810 Shizuoka
AUSTRALIA JAPAN 424
Dr J.S. Bunt Dr P. Ridd

4/6 McDonald Street Departmentof Physics
Potts Point JamesCookUniversityof North Queensland
N.S.W. 2011 Townsville
AUSTRALIA Queensland4811
AUSTRALIA
ix
x List of Contributors
Dr A.I. Robertson Dr E Wolanski

PMB No 3 PMB No 3
Queensland4810 Queensland4810
AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA
Dr A. Sasekumar Dr C. Woodroffe
Departmentof Zoology Departmentof Geography
University of Malaya University of Wollongong
Kuala Lumpur PO Box 1144
MALAYSIA Wollongong
N.S.W. 2500
AUSTRALIA
Dr T.J. Smith III
RookeryBay National EstuarineResearch
Reserve
Florida Departmentof Natural Resources

10 Shell Island Road
Naples
Florida 33962
U.S.A.
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

Tropical Mangrove Ecosystems

Article in BioScience · January 1994

Alistar Ian Robertson Daniel M. Alongi

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Carbon cycles in floodplain forests of a dryland river View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

A.I. Robertsonand D.M. Alongi (Eds.)

American Geophysical Union

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData

Tropicalmangroveecosystems/ A.I. Robertsonand D.M. Alongi(eds.).

Printed in the United States of America.

Mangroveforestsare a dominantfeatureof tropicalcoasts. Like their terrestrialcounterparts

Alistar Robertsonand Daniel Alongi

Mangrove sedimentsand geomorphology

Mangrove floristics and biogeography

Plankton, epibenthosand fish communities

Primary productivity and growth of mangrove forests

Nitrogen and phosphoruscycles

10 Food chains and carbon fluxes

11 Concluding remarks' research and mangrove conservation

Dr D.M. Alongi Dr B.F. Clough

Dr S.J.M. B laber Dr N.C. Duke

Queensland4163 REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Dr J.S. Bunt Dr P. Ridd

Dr A.I. Robertson Dr E Wolanski

Florida Departmentof Natural Resources

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