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Possible Impacts of Predicted Sea-Level Rise on South Pacific Mangroves
Citation
Ellison, JC, Possible Impacts of Predicted Sea-Level Rise on South Pacific Mangroves, Sea-Level changes and their effects, World Scientific Publishing Co Ltd, BJ Noye, MP Grezchnik (ed), Singapore, pp. 49-72. ISBN 981-02-3618-2 (2001) [Research Book Chapter]
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Copyright Statement
© World Scientific Publishing Co., 1999
Official URL: http://www.worldscibooks.com/engineering/3919.html
Abstract
In the Pacific islands the total mangrove area is about 343,735 ha, with
largest areas in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Caledonia. A total
of 34 species of mangroves occur, and 3 hybrids. These are of the Indo-Malayan
assemblage, and decline in diversity from west to east across the Pacific, reaching a
limit at American Samoa. Mangrove resources are traditionally exploited in the Pacific
islands, for construction and fuel wood, medicines, and food supplies.
There are two main environmental settings for mangroves of the Pacific, deltaic and
estuarine mangroves of high islands, and embayment, lagoon and reef flat mangroves of
low islands. Past analogues indicate that the intertidal habitat of mangroves makes them
sensitive to sea-level rise. Pacific island stratigraphic records and paleoecological
reconstruction of mangrove response to Holocene sea-level rise has shown that low
island mangroves could keep up with a sea-level rise of up to 12 cm/100 years. High
island mangroves can keep up with sea-level rates of up to 45 cm/100 years, according
to the supply of fluvial allochthonous sediment input.
A present analogue to sea-level rise impacts on Pacific island mangroves is
provided by Bermuda, where tide gauge records since 1932 show sea-level rise at a rate
of 28 cm/ 100 years. The largest mangrove area at Hungry Bay has problems with
recent retreat of the seaward edge, and mangroves showing stress symptoms.
With ecological change likely in Pacific mangroves with sea-level rise, a regional
monitoring system is needed. This has been the intention of a number of programs, but
none is yet implemented.
Item Details
Item Type: | Research Book Chapter |
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Keywords: | mangroves, sea-level rise, Pacific, Tonga, American Samoa |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Physical geography and environmental geoscience |
Research Field: | Physical geography and environmental geoscience not elsewhere classified |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Coastal and estuarine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Rehabilitation or conservation of coastal or estuarine environments |
UTAS Author: | Ellison, JC (Associate Professor Joanna Ellison) |
ID Code: | 22041 |
Year Published: | 2001 |
Deposited By: | Geography and Environmental Studies |
Deposited On: | 2001-08-01 |
Last Modified: | 2010-06-30 |
Downloads: | 4 View Download Statistics |
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