Structural Properties of Two Types of Mangrove Stands on the Northwestern Coast of Sri Lanka
background
This article compares the structural diversity of six mangrove stands of both estuarine and island-fringing types in Puttalam lagoon and Dutch Bay in northwestern Sri Lanka.
Research Goals & Methods
Using belt transects, the authors measured floristic composition, tree height and leaf-area index and calculated density, basal area and mean stand diameter. Standing above-ground biomass was also measured and compared to dbh using destructive sampling methods.
Conclusions & Takeaways
Estuarine mangals had a greater structural complexity (complexity indices 8.1 l-22.7) than the mainland and island fringing mangals (complexity indices 1.38-6.78). The authors attribute this to differences in tidal flushing and nutrient and salinity regimes between the study sites. They also note that the low complexity index-values may have resulted from the low number of species present, masking their relative ecological importance. As such, they suggest that the complexity index may not adequately indicate the structural complexity and functional capacity of a mangal comprised of a few species.
Reference:
Structural properties of two types of mangrove stands on the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Hydrobiologia. 1992;247:17–27. doi:10.1007/bf00008201.
.Affiliation:
- National Aquatic Resources Agency, Crow Island, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka