What we learned from studies on the effects of sea-level rise on mangrove ecosystems

Did early geomorphological predictions come true?

Abstract

Early studies to predict the effects of sea-level rise on mangrove ecosystems were often conducted using geomorphological method which estimated mangrove peat accumulation rate against past sea-level rise. These studies clarified that mangrove forests supported by mangrove peat were submerged under sea-level rise exceeding 5 mm/year. However, our subsequent studies clarified that mangrove peat accumulation is progressing in the Rhizophora communities, but surface erosion is already progressing in the other communities. To predict the effects of sea-level rise, it is necessary to evaluate short-term sediment budget and fine root dynamics at the community level, not long-term mangrove peat accumulation processes.