CONSERVATION OF MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH THE EYES OF A PRODUCTION ECOLOGIST

Abstract

This is a review of the mangrove studies conducted in Southeast Asia as a contribution towards better forest conservation. Mangrove forests in southern Thailand have been altered by human activities. Since the 1980s, scattered zones of primary forest present at that time have been substituted by secondary forests as a result of individual and industrial use of wood for fuel, charcoal, shrimp farming, and tin mining. Unlike upland forests, mangrove forests develop massive root systems that allow them to grow under tidal condition. The tidal effects of saltwater and muddy anaerobic substrates force mangroves to allocate much of the assimilated carbon to their root system, thus creating a unique set of carbon dynamic and composition of the ecosystem. A high net ecosystem production and rich biodiversity are distinct features of mangrove forests due to the peculiar allocation pattern of biomass to the roots. Future utilization of mangrove forests for individual, industrial, and social benefits requires application of new concepts in sustainable management.