Pneumatophore height and density in relation to micro-topography in the grey mangrove Avicennia marina

Dahdouh-Guebas, F.; Kairo, J. G.; De Bondt, R.; Koedam, N.

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Pneumatophore height and density in relation to micro-topography in the grey mangrove Avicennia marina

Dahdouh-Guebas, F.; Kairo, J. G.; De Bondt, R.; Koedam, N. (2007). Pneumatophore height and density in relation to micro-topography in the grey mangrove Avicennia marina. Belg. J. Bot. 140(2): 213-221

In: Belgian Journal of Botany. Royal Botanical Society of Belgium: Brussels. ISSN 0778-4031; e-ISSN 1781-8656

Available in	Authors
VLIZ: Open access 243407 [ download pdf ]

Keywords

ISW, Kenya, Gazi
Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal

Author keywords

Avicennia, aerial roots, Kenya, micro-topography

Authors		Top
Dahdouh-Guebas, F., more Kairo, J. G. De Bondt, R. Koedam, N.

Abstract

Mangroves are known to stabilise coastal sediments through their above-ground aerial root complex. The results presented in this paper suggest that the grey mangrove Avicennia marina has the ability to adapt its pneumatophores to micro-topographical irregularities in the otherwise regularly sloping intertidal zone. The difference in height above datum (and thus in hydrological regime) in this study was as little as 15 cm higher as opposed to that for the surrounding mangrove soil. Significantly higher pneumatophore densities and total pneumatophore lengths were observed in the centre of the landward depression, and significantly lower below-ground pneumatophore length in the centre of the seaward depression. The mangrove's adaptations to these localised topographic differences are important in view of changes in intertidal hydrology, the latter being linked to changes in topography. We emphasize the need to consider the effect of topography in the intertidal environment of mangroves more closely in the future on different ecological scales (individual adaptation - regeneration of the entire population) and under different scenarios of change (direct anthropogenic impact - changes in sea level).

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