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Forest Structure and Species Composition of Mangroves in the Eastern Baja California Peninsula: The Role of Microtopography

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Abstract

Mangroves grow at the interface between land and sea in tropical and subtropical latitudes. This study investigated microtopographical conditions and differences in soil properties, mangrove forest structure and species composition. Forest structure was analysed using number of individuals, the number of stems, plant height and basal trunk diameter. We found significant differences in forest structure for four microtopographical conditions designated as Border condition (BO), Channel (CH), Permanent flooding (PF) and Temporary flooding (TF). We found that Langucularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle were the dominant species in BO and CH while Avicennia germinans was the dominant species in TF. Ecological indices showed that R. mangle was the most important species in the CH and PF conditions. Structural differences were found among the microtopographic conditions where the mangroves were taller and denser at the channel site characterized by lower salinity (<36 ppt). Rhizophora mangle was excluded from the TFcondition characterized by waterlogged and saline soils where the stress tolerant but stunted A. germinans was found. Mangrove forests respond to the arid environment in the eastern Baja California Peninsula by containing dense and shorter trees, thus differing from tropical areas where communities are composed of a mixture of species without a clear dominant.

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Abbreviations

BO:

border condition

CH:

channel condition

PF:

permanent flood condition

TF:

temporary flood condition

RH :

relative humidity

Pp :

rainfall

S :

solar radiation

T :

ambient temperature

V :

wind velocity

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) for the support granted to the first author, numbered 159418. We are also grateful to the Marine Botany Laboratory of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) and the Planning Environment and Conservancy Program of the Biology Research Centre of the Northwest, S.C. (CIBNOR). Proof and Reading Services reviewed the quality of the English language. We thank the constructive comments of two reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Investigación en Botánica Marina, Departamento de Biologia Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Km. 5.5 road to the south, La Paz, B.C.S., 23080, Mexico

    Reymundo Domínguez-Cadena & Rafael Riosmena-Rodríguez

  2. Programa de Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas del Noroeste, SC., Mar Bermejo No. 195, Col. Playa Palo de Santa RITa, La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23090, Mexico

    Reymundo Domínguez-Cadena & José Luis León-de la Luz

Authors
  1. Reymundo Domínguez-Cadena
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  2. Rafael Riosmena-Rodríguez
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  3. José Luis León-de la Luz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reymundo Domínguez-Cadena.

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Dr. Rafael Riosmena-Rodríguez is deceased.

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Domínguez-Cadena, R., Riosmena-Rodríguez, R. & la Luz, J.L.Ld. Forest Structure and Species Composition of Mangroves in the Eastern Baja California Peninsula: The Role of Microtopography. Wetlands 36, 515–523 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0760-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0760-9

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