Spatial pattern of trees in kerangas forest,Sarawak

The 64 most abundant species (10 cm dbh) in a 400×480 m plot of predominantly kerangas forest in Sarawak were individually investigated for two-dimensional pattern by spectral analysis using the basal areas of trees in 20×20 m contiguous quadrats. All species had individuals in the upper canopy.30 species showed pattern with clumps. The most frequent scales of clump size were between 35 and 55 m across. Patterned species were less abundant in the plot, had a greater proportion of smaller (10–20 cm dbh) trees and had a lower ratio of upper to lower canopy trees than species without pattern.Trend across the plot between dipterocarp and kerangas forest types matched the change in soil from red-yellow podzol (oxisol and ultisol) to medium gleyic and bleached sand podzols (spodosol). However, soil differences and small scale (ca. 50 m) changes in topography did not account for patterns.The scale of pattern matches the size of gaps produced by windthrow. It is suggested that patterned species are light-demanding and grow from seeds in gaps, whereas non-patterned species are shade tolerant, growing within closed forest to sapling size and eventually maturing by filling smaller single tree gaps.D. McC. N. thanks the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst for a scholarship and the British Council for travel funds to work at Hamburg. We are grateful to A. Weiscke for entry of the 1963 field records on the computer, T. W. Schneider for helpful discussions and T. C. Whitmore for commenting on earlier drafts.Nomenclature for three species follows Whitmore (1972, 1973), Ng (1978) and Ashton (1982).     

Methanogenic bacteria in mangrove sediments

The occurrence of methanogenic bacteria in the Kodiakkarai (10° 18 N; 79° 52 E) mangrove sediments, whereAvicennia spp are predominant, was studied. Trimethylamine under N₂:CO₂ (80:20% v/v) was used as the substrate. Most Probable Number (MPN) of methanogenic bacteria was determined for a period of one year from July 1987 to June 1988 with monthly sampling. The methanogenic bacterial populations were found to be at the maximum of 1.1 × 10⁵ MPN gm^–1 of wet sediment during August 1987 and from February to June 1988. The bacterial numbers were found to decrease during October to December 1987 with a minimal value of 3.6 × 10² MPN gm^–1 during December 1987. Environmental factors were correlated with the methanogenic bacterial population.     

Chronicle of a Foreseeable Tragedy: Birds' Nests Management in the Niah Caves (Sarawak)

The number of birds' nests harvested in the Niah cave today is only a fraction of what it used to be. This article focuses on the socioeconomic causes of the decline. It argues that the present situation is not directly linked to the tragedy of the commons, since the ownership of cave and nests is private. The tragic aspect is, rather, linked to an attitude of free riding which was threatening the private system of ownership in the 1980s, and which forced Penan owners to lease their caves to the former free riders (thereby diluting management responsibility), and to harvest nests as soon as possible (before the birds can lay eggs and reproduce). It is therefore the tragedy of a management system whose rules, intended to avoid open access and free riding, lead to unsustainable behavior. Since the birds cannot be privatized, it is also the tragedy of a system in which actors are unable to reach a consensus on how to manage sustainably a de facto common property resource.     

Temporal patterns in a fish assemblage of a semiarid mangrove zone in Madagascar

Gillnet sampling was conducted for a year in a tropical mangrove creek (SW Madagascar), characterized by a limited freshwater influence, a high turbidity and a tidal range up to 3 m. Sixty species of juvenile fishes were caught, 44 species being of commercial interest. Catches were dominated by Gerreidae (27% of total abundance), Teraponidae (16%), Carangidae (13%) and Sparidae (12%). The temporary resident fishes in the mangrove zone represented 50% of the species and 97% of the total abundance, the other species being rare (less than five individuals). The species richness, abundance and biomass per netting were low in the middle of the cool season (July-August). Monthly changes in the fish assemblage were particularly complex, with three species groups displaying a clear seasonal pattern, some species succeeding one another in a rather unstructured way, and three species abundant throughout the year. There was no clear structuring effect of temperature, salinity and turbidity on the fish assemblage. However, tidal, lunar and diel effects on the composition of the fish assemblage were evident. The species overlap between the Sarodrano mangrove fauna and the adjacent coral reef fauna is particularly weak with six species in common and shows that the mangrove plays only a very limited nursery role for coral reef species.     

The ecology of mangrove conservation & management

Despite the recent better understanding and awareness of the role of mangroves, these coastal forest communities continue to be destroyed or degraded (or euphemistically reclaimed) at an alarming rate. The figure of 1% per year given by Ong (1982) for Malaysia can be taken as a conservative estimate of destruction of mangroves in the Asia-Pacific region. Whilst the Japanese-based mangrove wood-chips industry continues in its destructive path through the larger mangrove ecosystems of the region, the focus of mangrove destruction has shifted to the conversion of mangrove areas into aquaculture ponds and the consequences of the unprecedented massive addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by post industrial man.Mangroves are non-homogeneous; characterised by distinct vegetative zones that occupy the interface between land and sea and dynamically interacting with the atmosphere above as well as with the influences of the adjacent land and sea. The conservation of mangroves should thus include not only the various vegetation and tidal inundation zones but also the adjacent marine and terrestrial areas (including the water catchment area).On the current concern with global climate change, it is pointed out that relative sea level change is very much site dependent. For effective planning and management, it is vital to know if a particular site is stable, rising or sinking so efforts should be directed to find suitable methods for determining this. However, should rapid relative sea level rise take place, there is very little likelihood of saving mangroves whose landward margins have been developed by man, a fact to bear in mind when selecting sites for conservation. The Matang mangroves of Malaysia is rare case of successful sustainable management of a tropical rain forest. Although the tools of management are available they are not widely applied. We particularly urge the Japanese mangrove wood-chips industry to look to long term sustainable use rather than short term gains. A suggestion is made to appeal to the new Government of Japan to take the lead in environmental friendliness especially to the rain forests of the Asia-Pacific region.     

Beetle pollination of Shorea parvifolia (section Mutica, Dipterocarpaceae) in a general flowering period in Sarawak, Malaysia

Pollination ecology of an emergent tree species, Shorea (section Mutica) parvifolia (Dipterocarpaceae), was studied using the canopy observation system in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia, during a general flowering period in 1996. Although the species has been reported to be pollinated by thrips in Peninsular Malaysia, our observations of flower visitors and pollination experiments indicated that beetles (Chrysomelidae and Curculionidae, Coleoptera) contributed to pollination of S. parvifolia in Sarawak. Beetles accounted for 74% of the flower visitors collected by net-sweeping, and 30% of the beetles carried pollen, while thrips accounted for 16% of the visitors, and 12% of the thrips carried pollen. The apical parts of the petals and pollen served as a reward for the beetles. Thrips stayed inside the flower almost continuously after arrival, and movements among flowers were rare. Fruit set was significantly increased by introduction of beetles to bagged flowers, but not by introduction of thrips. Hand-pollination experiments and comparison of fruit set in untreated, bagged, and open flowers suggested that S. parvifolia was mainly outbreeding.     

中国红树林与典型区红树林群落重心迁移特征及共性关系

随着社会和经济的发展,红树林重心以及群落内部空间结构可能发生变化与调整.利用重心模型方法可以构建转移距离及方向,探索红树林及群落的重心空间转移特征及分布格局.本研究通过采用近25年多源、多时相遥感数据,利用GIS和遥感技术,提取了中国红树林信息,以及典型保护区漳江口的白骨壤、秋茄、桐花树、卡开芦和短叶茳芏信息.利用重心模型方法,从全局到局部,分析了中国红树林和典型保护区漳江口红树林群落的重心迁移特征与共性关系.结果表明:(1)红树林重心在东北方向上存在明显偏离,这种偏离主要体现在经度上,东西方向上不均衡.红树林重心主要位于入海口,且指向河网密集、经济繁荣的地区.(2)红树林群落重心受东南方向的主导作用,并指向群落高聚集区.红树林群落逐渐向北部和东部蔓延,重心表现出向北集聚的趋势.(3)省级红树林与典型区红树林群落重心迁移共性特征具有一致性、折回性和层次性,主要特征如下:红树林及群落的重心转移方向与海岸潮间带走向基本一致,且两者的轨迹方向指向受到良好波浪掩护的港湾或河口湾内;省级红树林及典型区红树林群落的重心分别在2005年和2011年后发生了不同程度的折回现象;典型区群落重心迁移在一定程度上属于省级红树林重心迁移的放大形势,前者反映了局部的内部结构特征,后者反映了全局的整体特征.研究有助于相关部门提出保护措施和方案,使红树林均衡、稳定、持续生长.     

The nodulation and nitrogenase activity of natural stands of mangrove legumes in a Nigerian swamp

Nodule characteristics and nitrogenase activity of Dalbergia ecastophyllum (L.) Taub, Drepanocarpus (Machearum) lunatus (L.) Mey, Pterocarpus sontelinoides (L.) and the characteristics of nodules of Baphia pubescens (Hook. f) were studied in natural mangrove stands in Nigeria. Nodules were generally spherical but occasionally elongate in Pterocarpus and Baphia; a few were also lobate in Baphia. Nodule sizes, numbers and weights varied widely between vegetations, and between sites of the same vegetation. Total nodule fresh-weight (g·m⁻²) ranged from 0.11 to 9.80, represented by the extreme values for Drepanocarpus. The plants' habitats had pH and salinity respectively in the ranges 4.8–5.49 and 0.1–25‰. Nodule acetylene reduction rates decreased in the order Pterocarpus, Drepanocarpus, Dalbergia with their corresponding aerobic rates (n moles C₂H₄ g⁻¹ freshweight) respectively as follows: 312, 23.39 and 16.07. These rates were higher than in anaerobic incubation by between 4.95 and 100%.     

Diversity of methanogenic archaea in a mangrove sediment and isolation of a new Methanococcoides strain

Mangrove forest sediments produce significant amounts of methane, but the diversity of methanogenic archaea is not well known at present. Therefore, 16S rRNA gene libraries were made using archaea-specific primers and DNA extracted directly from Tanzanian mangrove sediment samples as a template. Analysis of sequence data showed phylotypes closely related to cultivated methylotrophic methanogenic archaea from the marine environment, or distantly related to acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea. In an attempt to isolate relevant methanogenic archaea, we succeeded in obtaining a new mesophilic methylotrophic methanogenic archaeon (strain MM1) capable of utilizing methanol and methylated amines as the only substrates. Under optimum conditions, the cells of strain MM1 exhibited a high specific growth rate (μ) of 0.21±0.03 (i.e. doubling time of 3.2 h) on both methanol and trimethylamine. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain MM1 clustered with five environmental clones, indicating that MM1 is an important methanogenic methylotroph in mangrove sediments. Based on physiological and phylogenetic analyses, strain MM1 is proposed to be included in the species of Methanococcoides methylutens .     

Intratidal fluctuations in stratification within a mangrove estuary

The dependence of salinity stratification on the vertical structure of the longitudinal salinity gradient is investigated by solving the equations of longitudinal momentum and salt conservation. The results are used to interpret measurements made throughout 31 tidal cycles in the Merbok Estuary, Malaysia, as part of an ecological study of a tropical mangrove estuary. The solutions show that a substantial part of the salinity stratification was caused by vertical shear in the currents coupled with advection of the longitudinal salinity gradient. This mechanism led to maximum stratification around low water and minimum stratification around high water. Observed intratidal variations in stratification at neap tides greatly exceeded modelled values when a depth-independent, longitudinal salinity gradient was assumed. Simulations made using a longitudinal salinity gradient of simple depth-dependent, power-law form implied that this difference arose mainly because the near-surface, longitudinal salinity gradient in the field was significantly larger than that near the bed during neap tides and at times of high run-off. The longitudinal, dispersive transport of salt, fresh water and solutes due to vertical shear is shown to be important during periods of stratification at neap tides and during high run-off. The relevance of stratification to mangrove estuaries is discussed.     

红树林湿地生态效益能值分析--以南沙地区十九涌红树林湿地为案例

应用生态经济系统能值分析理论,定量分析广州市南沙地区十九涌红树林沼泽湿地的生态效益以及系统内的物流和能流.结果表明,2002年红树林的能值-货币价值为1.88×104美元,湿地水禽和水产的能值-货币价值分别有22.78×104美元和12.00×104美元,湿地系统能值总投入17.96×1016sej,不可再生能源9.44×1016sej;产出能值总量31.28×1016sej.通过湿地生态系统能值分析图和能值分析表,可以看出南沙十九涌红树林沼泽湿地整体投入/产出的效益非常合理,即投入少(10.49×104美元),产出量大(42.82×104美元),说明红树林湿地具有低投入高产出的特点.     

The importance of crevices to the intertidal snail Littoraria articulata (Philippi) in a tropical mangrove forest

The intertidal gastropod, Littoraria articulata (Philippi), is common on the trunks of mangroves at Coorooman Creek, Central Queensland. Individuals of shell length less than 3 mm were only found in empty tests of the barnacle Hexaminius popeiana (Foster). Larger snails were exposed on the trunk or occasionally in crevices such as knot holes. The relationship between shell length and shell strength differed between barnacle dwelling and larger L. articulata: in both cases it was linear, but the rate of increase of strength with increasing length was significantly greater for barnacle dwelling snails than for exposed ones. In contrast, there was an exponential relationship between shell strength and length for the weaker shelled Littoraria filosa (Sowerby), which occurs higher on the tree and does not inhabit barnacles. The survival of L. articulata was affected by the presence of crevices: significantly fewer disappeared from posts with artificial crivices than from those which lacked them, and some snails testhered to posts appeared to have been eaten by fish. The importance of crevices is discussed in relation to predation pressure, growth and habitat selection by larval L. articulata. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in a simulated mangrove system treated with sewage

Constructed tide tanks were used to examine the accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in various components of a simulated mangrove ecosystem. Young Kandelia candel plants grown in mangrove soils were irrigated with wastewater of various strengths twice a week for a period of one year. The amounts of heavy metals released via tidal water and leaf litter were monitored at regular time intervals. The quantities of heavy metals retained in mangrove soil and various plant parts were also determined. Results show that most heavy metals from wastewater were retained in soils with little being uptake by plants or released into tidal seawater. However, the amounts of metals retained in plants on a per unit dry weight base were higher than those in soils as the biomass production from the young mangrove plants was much smaller when compared to the vast quantity of soils used in this study. A significantly higher heavy metal content was found in roots than in the aerial parts of the mangrove plant,indicating that the roots act as a barrier for metal translocation and protect the sensitive parts of the plant from metal contamination. In both soil and plant, concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb and Ni increased with the strengths of wastewater, although the bioaccumulation factors for these metals decreased when wastewater strengths increased. These results suggest that the mangrove soil component has a large capacity to retain heavy metals, and the role of mangrove plants in retaining metals will depend on plant age and their biomass production. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Circatidal activity rhythm in the mangrove cricket Apteronemobius asahinai

Mangrove forests are influenced by tidal flooding and ebbing for a period of approximately 12.4 hours (tidal cycle). Mangrove crickets (Apteronemobius asahinai) forage on mangrove forest floors only during low tide. Under constant darkness, most crickets showed a clear bimodal daily pattern in their locomotor activity for at least 24 days; the active phases of approximately 10 hours alternated with inactive phases of approximately 2 hours, which coincided with the time of high tide in the field. The free-running period was 12.56+/-0.13 hours (mean+/-s.d. n=11). This endogenous rhythm was not entrained by the subsequent 24 hours light-dark cycle, although it was suppressed in the photophase; the active phase in the scotophase continued from the active phase in the previous constant darkness, with no phase shift. The endogenous rhythm was assumed to be a circatidal rhythm. On the other hand, the activity under constant darkness subsequent to a light-dark cycle was more intense in the active phase continuing from the scotophase than from the photophase of the preceding light-dark cycle; this indicates the presence of circadian components. These results suggest that two clock systems are involved in controlling locomotor activity in mangrove crickets.     

Flux of organic carbon in a riverine mangrove wetland in the Florida Coastal Everglades

Short-term (daily) and seasonal variations in concentration and flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were examined over 15 tidal cycles in a riverine mangrove wetland along Shark River, Florida in 2003. Due to the influence of seasonal rainfall and wind patterns on Shark River’s hydrology, samplings were made to include wet, dry and transitional (Norte) seasons. We used a flume extending from a tidal creek to a basin forest to measure vertical (vegetated soil/water column) and horizontal (mangrove forest/tidal creek) flux of DOC. We found significant (p < 0.05) variations in surface water temperature, salinity, conductivity, pH and mean concentration of DOC with season. Water temperature and salinity followed seasonal patterns of air temperature and rainfall, while mean DOC concentration was highest during the dry season (May), followed by the wet (October) and ‘Norte’ (December) seasons. This pattern of DOC concentration may be due to a combination of litter production and inundation pattern of the wetland. In contrast to daily (between tides) variation in DOC flux between the mangrove forest and tidal creek, daily variations of mean water quality were not significant. However, within-tide variation of DOC flux, dissolved oxygen content and salinity was observed. This indicated that the length of inundation and water source (freshwater vs. saltwater) variation across tidal cycles influenced water quality and DOC flux in the water column. Net DOC export was measured in October and December, suggesting the mangrove forest was a source of DOC to the adjacent tidal creek during these periods. Net annual export of DOC from the fringe mangrove to both the tidal creek and basin mangrove forest was 56 g C m⁻² year⁻¹. The seasonal pattern in our flux results indicates that DOC flux from this mangrove forest may be governed by both freshwater discharge and tidal range.     

Studies on Australian mangrove algae. III. Victorian communities: Structure and recolonization in western port bay

The algal communities associated with Avicennia pneumatophores in Western Port Bay, Victoria, Australia (145°E:38°S) are composed primarily of the red algae Bostrychia, Caloglossa and Catenella. Trends from seaward to landward indicate a decrease in frequency of occurrence, relative cover, and mean absolute biomass for all algal genera but differing trends occur for each genus in terms of relative biomass, and this is reflected in associated pattern analyses. In terms of vertical community structure, all algae occur most frequently in the 5–10 cm segment above mudline, whereas above 20 cm, values for all measured parameters decline. Vertical structure in the seaward and landward regions is compared, but pattern analyses indicate that no biologically distinctive pattern is present. Deliberately denuded pneumatophores quickly become recolonized; greater algal development occurs above 10 cm above the mudline than below 10 cm, and the new community is differently structured.     

Flowering patterns in three neotropical mangrove species: Evidence from a Caribbean island

The present study sought to identify the factors that drive flowering in the main neotropical mangrove species. We evaluated the effects of water regime variables and foliar meristematic activity on the flowering intensity of Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa, and Avicennia germinans in three physiographic types of San Andres Island, Colombia. The results show that pore salinity regulates flowering intensity and periodicity in all three mangrove species. All species flowering showed significant correlations with water balance and air vapor pressure deficit (VPD). In the fringe and interior mangroves, R. mangle flowering was explained linearly by salinity (25%) and monthly change in salinity (47%), respectively. L. racemosa flowering was linked with stronger periods of foliar meristematic activity and occurred during months of relatively high water balance (54-233 mm) and low VPD (1.18-1.29 kPa). The flowering of A. germinans was triggered by water deficit conditions when the monthly pore salinity increased over 30 g L⁻¹ and, with a month delay response, when the water column height (WCH) was below ground. The flowering of A. germinans was also explained by these variables at 65% and 39%, respectively. The flowering patterns of the studied mangrove species indicate that reproduction within the neotropical mangrove community depends on seasonally contrasting water conditions on an annual basis.     

Tidal asymmetry in mangrove creeks

We model the dynamics of a tidal creek — mangrove swamp system. In the creek, a tidal asymmetry prevails. The ebb flow dominance at spring tides helps flush out the coarse sediment from the creek. Results from the numerical model suggest that the ebb dominance is due to friction in the mangrove forest and in turn this is controlled by the density of the vegetation. The tidal asymmetry of the current is negligible for a very small or a very large vegetation density, and is maximum for an intermediate vegetation density typical of that in undisturbed healthy mangroves.     

红树林区微生物资源

随着工业的迅猛发展,工业废料源源不断地向海洋输出,污染日趋严重。人们在大力开发海洋微生物自净能力的同时,也对海岸线的绿色卫士——红树林给予了密切关注,积极展开红树林区微生物资源的开发利用。本文从红树林区微生物库的资源多样性、微生物在物质循环和能量流动中的作用、生理活性物质、代谢产物和污染治理等几个方面进行综述。     

A new pollination system: dung-beetle pollination discovered in Orchidantha inouei (Lowiaceae, Zingiberales) in Sarawak, Malaysia

Lowiaceae, a family of the Zingiberales, comprise 11 species in the single genus Orchidantha. Here we present the first report on the pollination of Lowiaceae and describe a new system of dung-beetle pollination from Sarawak, Borneo. Orchidantha inouei has a zygomorphic flower located just above the ground. Observations revealed that the plant is visited frequently and is pollinated by scarabaeid dung beetles, mainly members of the genus Onthophagus. All four species of Onthophagus collected on O. inouei have also been caught using traps baited with dung or carrion in Borneo. Onthophagus was presumably attracted to the dung-like odor of the flower. Pollination of O. inouei is different from other examples of beetle pollination in that its flower provides neither reward nor protected space. Dung beetles are excellent at following a particular dung scent. Orchidantha is the only genus that includes species lacking floral nectar. It is interesting that this deception pollination using dung beetles was found in Zingiberales, in which all known species have mutual and specialized relationships with their long-distance, but costly, pollinators-bees, birds, and bats.