The Role of Physical Processes in Mangrove Environments: manual for the preservation and utilization of mangrove ecosystems

Being a scientific society with a vested interest in the protection and restoration of mangroves and other coastal environments, it is with great pride that The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) provides the foreword to this important new work. In recognising the economic and ecological importance of mangrove forests and ecosystems, we have a responsibility to provide the means to sustainably manage and protect this vital coastal resource for future generations. Edited by three outstanding mangrove experts—Prof. Y. Mazda, Dr. E. Wolanski and Dr. P.V. Ridd—this book targets members of the scientific community who are interested in the preservation and sustainable utilisation of mangrove forests. The book has set itself five principal objectives: 1) To instruct mangrove researchers and engineers in developing countries on the physical processes taking place in the mangrove environment; 2) To encourage students to undertake studies of physical processes in mangrove areas; 3) To make coastal physical researchers recognise the peculiarity of mangrove physics; 4) To show the physical mechanisms that have been solved and need to be solved; and 5) To save research time by providing ready access to scientific articles and papers that appear in diverse media in different countries. As reliable information is fundamental to the long-term health of mangrove ecosystems, ISME believes that this book will provide and contribute to the strengthening of scientific understanding, as well as the development and exchange of essential data and information required for the conservation, restoration and management of mangrove forests. The information developed and provided in the book constitutes a vital new resource for effective decision-making and policy formulation in the sustainable management of all mangrove ecosystems

Hydrodynamics and modelling of water flow in mangrove areas

Mangrove forests cover wide tropical and subtropical intertidal areas, and they are very important for their role in maintaining biodiversity, for sustainable livelihood\ud (e.g., wood and food resources) and for coastal protection (Robertson and Alongi, 1992; Wolanski et al., 2001, 2004; Mazda et al., 2002; Wolanski, 2006a). Human activities since the late 19th century have led to the reduction of mangrove forests around the globe (Spalding et al., 1997). This degradation seriously threatens the sustainability of mangrove ecosystems worldwide, and has also adversely affected human populations (Hong and San, 1993; Mazda et al., 2002; Hong, 2006).\ud \ud Managing mangroves requires understanding the natural mechanisms that form and maintain this environment. This requires using quantitative, process-based, models. In temperate coastal environments, such models have been developed based on a two-step procedure, namely,\ud \ud Step 1; A hydrodynamic model is used to calculate water flows, which transport and disperses chemical/biological materials.\ud \ud Step 2: Based on the hydrodynamic model, an ecosystem model is driven to calculate the flows of biomass and energy in the food web.\u

The Role of Physical Processes in Mangrove Environments:\ud manual for the preservation and utilization of mangrove ecosystems

Being a scientific society with a vested interest in the protection and restoration of mangroves\ud and other coastal environments, it is with great pride that The International Society for Mangrove\ud Ecosystems (ISME) provides the foreword to this important new work. In recognising the\ud economic and ecological importance of mangrove forests and ecosystems, we have a responsibility\ud to provide the means to sustainably manage and protect this vital coastal resource for future\ud generations.\ud Edited by three outstanding mangrove experts—Prof. Y. Mazda, Dr. E. Wolanski and Dr.\ud P.V. Ridd—this book targets members of the scientific community who are interested in the\ud preservation and sustainable utilisation of mangrove forests. The book has set itself five principal\ud objectives:\ud \ud 1) To instruct mangrove researchers and engineers in developing countries on the physical\ud processes taking place in the mangrove environment;\ud \ud 2) To encourage students to undertake studies of physical processes in mangrove areas;\ud \ud 3) To make coastal physical researchers recognise the peculiarity of mangrove physics;\ud \ud 4) To show the physical mechanisms that have been solved and need to be solved; and\ud \ud 5) To save research time by providing ready access to scientific articles and papers that appear\ud in diverse media in different countries.\ud \ud As reliable information is fundamental to the long-term health of mangrove ecosystems,\ud ISME believes that this book will provide and contribute to the strengthening of scientific\ud understanding, as well as the development and exchange of essential data and information\ud required for the conservation, restoration and management of mangrove forests. The information\ud developed and provided in the book constitutes a vital new resource for effective decision-making\ud and policy formulation in the sustainable management of all mangrove ecosystems

Water circulation in mangroves, and its implications for biodiversity

[Extract] There are two dominant types of mangrove swamps, the riverine type that fringes rivers and tidal creeks, and the open water type that is directly exposed by waves (Lugo & Snedaker, 1974). The former type is the most common, with a strip of mangroves typically 50 to 300m wide fringing the tidal creek or river on either side. Such an example is the 5-km-long mangrove-fringed Merbok River estuary in Malaysia (Figure 1). The second type is generally present only in embayments protected by shallow reefs and mud or sand banks that allow wave attack only around high tide. Missionary Bay in Australia (Figure 1b) is a typical example of an extensive mangrove swamp that is protected from the prevailing trade winds but nevertheless is occasionally attacked by waves in the monsoon season. Along coral reefs, mangroves can also be present and are protected from excessive wave attack by waves breaking on the fringing reefs. Along muddy coasts a strip of mangroves, typically a few hundred meters wide, can fringe the open coast, and these are very frequently under wave attack; nevertheless, they survive. Such is the case of the Thuy Hai coast of the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam (Figure 1c)

Water circulation in mangroves, and its implications for biodiversity

[Extract] There are two dominant types of mangrove swamps, the riverine type that fringes rivers and tidal creeks, and the open water type that is directly exposed by waves (Lugo & Snedaker, 1974). The former type is the most common, with a strip of mangroves typically 50 to 300m wide fringing the tidal creek or river on either side. Such an example is the 5-km-long mangrove-fringed Merbok River estuary in Malaysia (Figure 1). The second type is generally present only in embayments protected by shallow reefs and mud or sand banks that allow wave attack only around high tide. Missionary Bay in Australia (Figure 1b) is a typical example of an extensive mangrove swamp that is protected from the prevailing trade winds but nevertheless is occasionally attacked by waves in the monsoon season. Along coral reefs, mangroves can also be present and are protected from excessive wave attack by waves breaking on the fringing reefs. Along muddy coasts a strip of mangroves, typically a few hundred meters wide, can fringe the open coast, and these are very frequently under wave attack; nevertheless, they survive. Such is the case of the Thuy Hai coast of the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam (Figure 1c)