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Relationship between plant growth and soil chemical properties in a mangrove afforestation stand, Kiribati

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Abstract

Purpose

There is increased recognition of the importance of mangroves worldwide, with efforts being made to sustainably manage these ecosystems for forestry and fishery use. Although successive monitoring of mangrove growth after planting has been conducted in some afforestation stands, measurements of soil environmental changes accompanying plant growth have not been made in most stands. In this study, we observed the interactive relationship between the underground root biomass of mangrove, Rhizophora stylosa, and soil chemical properties at an afforestation stand on Tarawa atoll, Kiribati.

Methods

We first estimated underground root biomass in the stand. Next, we measured the concentrations of dissolved phosphorus, nitrogen, and other ions (Br−, Ca2+, K+, Na+, Cl−, and SO42−) in soil pore water, as well as the isotopic ratio of leaf carbon and nitrogen in mangrove patches of different ages.

Results

Estimated underground root biomass was positively related with phosphate and nitrate concentrations in soil pore water, indicating the formation of a rhizosphere environment. Leaf δ15N analysis suggested that the discrimination of nitrogen isotopes during nitrification and/or uptake of NH4+ and NO3− occurs in accordance with plant growth. Differences in salt stress among the patches were reflected in leaf δ13C, suggesting it would be a good indicator of the physiological response of mangrove plants to salinity.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed the changes that occur on a yearly basis in the chemical properties of mangrove leaves and soil pore water after mangrove plantation. These data help to improve our understanding of environmental succession during the formation of mangrove ecosystems.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

DTN:

Dissolved total nitrogen

DON:

Dissolved organic nitrogen

DTP:

Dissolved total phosphorus

DOP:

Dissolved organic phosphorus

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Acknowledgements

We offer our sincere thanks to Mr. Anote Tong, the former president, and the director and officers of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development of the Republic of Kiribati for giving us the research permission (Scientific Research Permit no. 012/16) and supporting our field activities. We also thank Mr. Minoru Abe (Alice Enterprises Inc., Kiribati) for his logistical and moral support.

Funding

This work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI (grant no. 16H04941) and by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund Project (nos. JPMEERF20172012 and JPMEERF15S11406) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan

    Tomomi Inoue, Yasuaki Akaji & Ayato Kohzu

  2. Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan

    Ko Hinokidani

  3. Geoact, Kitami, Hokkaido, 099-0878, Japan

    Hiroshi Adachi

  4. International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0129, Japan

    Mio Kezuka & Shigeyuki Baba

Authors
  1. Tomomi Inoue
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  2. Yasuaki Akaji
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  3. Ayato Kohzu
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  4. Ko Hinokidani
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  5. Hiroshi Adachi
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  6. Mio Kezuka
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  7. Shigeyuki Baba
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Contributions

Tomomi Inoue design the research, and Tomomi Inoue, Yasuaki Akaji, Ko Hinokidani, Hiroshi Adachi, Mio Kezuka, and Shigeyuki Baba conducted field measurements. Tomomi Inoue and Ayato Khozu conducted sample analysis. Tomomi Inoue and Yasuaki Akaji conducted statistical analysis of the data. All authors discussed and interpreted of the data and contributed to drafting and finalizing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tomomi Inoue.

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Inoue, T., Akaji, Y., Kohzu, A. et al. Relationship between plant growth and soil chemical properties in a mangrove afforestation stand, Kiribati. Plant Soil 479, 559–571 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05545-8

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