Abstract
In the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, a brackish lagoon system on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, human-induced changes in the hydrological system caused hypersalinisation of the soils. As a result, 30 000 ha of originally 51 000 ha of the mangrove forests growing in the lagoon’s flood plain died. Presently, efforts are being made to reestablish the original hydrological system. Reforestation of the bare areas is planned with the three dominating mangrove species Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle. The objective of the project presented here is to identify the regeneration patterns in the study area. Experiments under controlled conditions and measurements at bare and forested sites carried out from 1994 to 1996 showed that regeneration is possible. However, as the bare areas are large and presently very few or no propagules arrive naturally, regeneration will be slow. Therefore, reforestation is recommended to accelerate the process. In the forests, the seedling growth is mainly controlled by changes in salinity and the mortality by seasonal flooding, while in the bare areas, regeneration is aggravated by extremely high salinities, high soil temperatures and dessication of the top soil layers. The establishment of the small A. germinans and L. racemosa propagules is especially difficult, because they cannot establish themselves in flooded soils and in direct sunlight they dry out rapidly. The seedlings of both species are also very sensitive to changes in water level, wind, waves, temperatures exceeding 45 °C and dry soils. In A. germinans, phytophagous insects affect the chances for survival also. Therefore, mortality in both species is extremely high. R. mangle is much more resistant to most detrimental factors observed with the exception of high salinities. However, there is one favourable factor at the open sites. When sufficient water is present and salinities as well as temperatures are low enough, the high light availability increases growth rates and survival.
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ball, M. C., 1988. Salinity tolerance in the mangroves Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina I. Water use in relation to growth, carbon partitioning and salt balance. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 15: 447–464.
Brauner, L. & F. Bukatsch, 1964. Das kleine pflanzenphysiologische Praktikum. 7. Auflage, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany: 288 pp.
Cintrón, G., C. Goenaga & A. E. Lugo, 1980. Observaciones sobre el desarrollo del manglar en costas áridas. Memorias del Seminario sobre el estudio ciéntifico e impacto humano en el ecosistema de manglar, Cali, 1978. UNESCO: 18–32.
Cintron, G., A. E. Lugo, D. J. Pool & G. Morris, 1978. Mangroves of arid environments in Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Biotropica 10: 110–121.
Clarke, P. J. & P. J. Myerscough, 1993. The intertidal distribution of the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) in southern Australia: the effects of physical conditions, interspecific competition and predation on propagule establishment and survival. Aust. J. Ecol. 18:307–315.
Clough, B. F., 1984. Growth and salt balance of the mangroves Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. and Rhizophora styiosa Griff, in relation to salinity. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 11: 419–430.
Elster, C., 1997. Beziehung zwischen ökologischen Faktoren und der Regeneration dreier Mangrovenarten im Gebiet der Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Kolumbien. Dissertation, Justus-Liebig— Universität, Giessen: 220 pp.
Elster, C., J. Polanía & O. Casas-Monroy, 1999. Restoration of the Magdalena River Delta, Colombia. Vida Silvestre Neotropical 7: 23–29.
Elster, C., L. Perdomo, J. Polanía & M.-L Schnetter, 1999. Control of Avicennia germinans recruitment and survival by Junonia evarete larvae in a disturbed mangrove forest in Colombia. J. Trop. Ecol. 15 (in press).
Ensminger, I., 1996. Hydrologische Veränderungen am Canal Clarin und ihre Bedeutung für die Regeneration salzgeschädigter Mangrove. Diploma thesis, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen: 137 pp.
Garcés, G., D. M. & S. De la Zerda L., 1994. Gran Libro de los Parques Nacionales de Colombia. Circulo de lectores S.A. Bogotá: 230 pp.
García, C. B., 1994. Quantitative data on the forest structure of a small mangrove formation in the bay of Nenguange, Colombian Caribbean. An. Inst. Invest. Mar. Punta Betín 23: 183–187.
Gonzälez. E., 1991. El manglar de la Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta: Ecosistema en peligro de extinción. Colombia, sus gentes y regiones. Instituto Geográfico ‘Agustin Codazzi’, GAC 21:2–21.
IGAC, 1973. Monograffa del departamento del Magdalena. Instituto Geográfico ‘Agustin Codazzi’, Bogotá: 162 pp.
INDERENA — Divisiones fauna terrestres y parques nacionales, 1984. Colombia Parques Nacionales. INDERENA, Bogotá: 264pp.
Jones, D. A., 1984. Crabs of the mangal ecosystem. In Por, F. D. & I. Dor (eds), Hydrobiology of the Mangal. Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague: 89–109.
Larcher, W., 1984. Ökologie der Pflanzen auf physiologischer Grundlage. 4. überarbeitete Auflage, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart: 403 pp.
McKee, K. L., 1995. Seedling recruitment patterns in a Belizean mangrove forest: effects of establishment ability and physico-chemical factors. Oecologia 101: 448–460.
McMillan, C., 1971. Environmental factors affecting seedling establishment of the black mangrove on the central Texas coast. Ecology 52: 927–930.
Raasveldt, H. C. & A. Tomic, 1958. Lagunas Colombianas. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Bogota 10(40): 175–198.
Sánchez-Páez, H., R. Alvarez-León, F. Pinto-Nolla, A. S. Sánchez—Alférez, J. C. Pino-Renjifo, I. García-Hansen & M. T. Acosta-Peñaloza, 1997. Departamento del Magdalena. In Sánchez-Páez, H. & R. Alvarez-León (eds), Diagnostico y Zonificación Preliminar de los Manglares del Caribe de Colombia. Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Bogota: 119–191.
Serrano Dias, L. A., L. Botero, P. Cardona & J. E. Mancera-Pineda, 1995. Estructura del manglar en el delta exterior del Río Magdalena-Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, una zona tensionada por alteraciones del equilibrio hídrico. An. Inst. Invest. Mar. Punta Betín 24: 135–164.
Smith, T. J. III, 1987a. Seed predation in relation to the dominance and distribution in mangrove forests. Ecology 68: 266–273.
Smith, T. J. III, 1987b. Effects of seed predators and light level on the distribution of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. in tropical, tidal forests. Estuar. coast shelf Sci. 25: 43–51.
Smith, T. J. III. H. T. Chan, C. C. McIvor & M. B. Robblee, 1989. Comparison of seed predation in tropical tidal forests from three continents. Ecology 70: 146–151.
Tamai, S. & P. Iampa, 1988. Establishment and growth of mangrove seedlings in mangrove forests of southern Thailand. Ecol. Res. 3: 227–238.
Tomlinson, P. B., 1986. The botany of mangroves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 419 pp.
Van Speybroeck, D., 1992. Regeneration strategy of mangroves along the Kenya coast: a first approach. Hydrobiologia 247: 243–251.
Wiedemann, H. U., 1973. Reconnaissance of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia: physical parameters and geological history. Mitt. Inst. Colombo-Alemán Invest. Cient. 7: 85–119.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this paper
Cite this paper
Elster, C., Perdomo, L., Schnetter, ML. (1999). Impact of ecological factors on the regeneration of mangroves in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia. In: Dodd, R.S. (eds) Diversity and Function in Mangrove Ecosystems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 145. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4078-2_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4078-2_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5792-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4078-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive