Development of widespread mangrove swamps in mid-Holocene times in northern Australia

Woodroffe, Colin D.; Thom, B. G.; Chappell, John

doi:10.1038/317711a0

Cited by 237 publications

(172 citation statements)

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“…The provenance study also indicates the presence of sediment input from the Himalaya via the river Hooghly, a distributory of the large Ganga river system, which is still active today . Similar types of mid Holocene coastal progradation are reported from other areas of the world, namely in northern Australia (Woodroffe et al 1985), in the Atralto delta in Colombia (West 1956), in the Nile delta in Egypt Warne 1993, 1994), in the Philippines (Berdin et al 2003), Indonesia (Atmadja and Soerojo 1994;Yulianto et al 2004), Bangladesh (Umitsu 1993;Islam and Tooley 1999), Puerto Rico (Lugo and Cintron 1975) and in the Mississippi delta in USA (Coleman and Roberts 1988). This suggests a world-wide phenomenon due to environmental changes caused by a combination of the factors of regional climate and local tectonics.…”

Section: Early Holocene Coastal Environment and Mangrove Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Therefore this ecosystem is sometimes referred to as a dancing ecosystem (Sanyal 1990). Mangrove pollen recovered from the sediments has been used by several workers as an indicator of sea level changes in the coastal areas (Woodroffe et al 1985;Sen and Banerjee 1990;Ellison 1994Ellison , 2005Kamaludin 1993;Hait et al 1996a, b;Blasco et al 1996;Islam and Tooley 1999;Lézine 1996;Lézine et al 2002;Nguyen et al 2000;Behling et al 2001Behling et al , 2004Campo and Bengo 2004;Yulianto et al 2004Yulianto et al , 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Holocene mangrove and coastal environmental changes in the western Ganga–Brahmaputra Delta, India

Hait

Behling

2008

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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A 50 m-long radiocarbon dated core was studied through sediment and pollen analysis to reconstruct the Holocene mangrove and environmental changes at a coastal site Pakhiralaya in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve in the western Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta, India. This biosphere reserve harbours a diverse mangrove ecosystem and supports a large number of people living in the area. Pollen and stratigraphic data indicate the existence of a brackish water estuarine mangrove swamp forest in this area during the last 9880 cal yr B.P. The development of the mangrove forest is not shown continuously in the Holocene record. Rapid transgression of the sea (9240 cal yr B.P.) halted the development of the mangrove. After about 8420 cal yr B.P. mangrove recolonised the area and persisted until 7560 cal yr B.P. as a result of a balance between the sedimentation and sea level fluctuation. The mangrove disappeared again from the site until 4800 cal yr B.P. because of a high sedimentation rate and possible delta progradation with loss of habitats. The reappearance of mangrove at the study site occurred with a return of a brackish water estuarine environment and the site then gradually became supra tidal during the mid-late Holocene. The continuity of the mangrove development and dynamics was interrupted by the fluctuating sea levels. Climatic fluctuations were viewed as an indirect factor influencing the mangrove ecosystem.

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Section: Early Holocene Coastal Environment and Mangrove Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene mangrove and coastal environmental changes in the western Ganga–Brahmaputra Delta, India

Hait

Behling

2008

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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“…Mangroves are restricted to channel-fringing environments (Woodroffe et al 1985) but in the mid-Holocene were far more extensive, occupying the greater part of the floodplains of the Fitzroy, Ord, Daly and Alligator Rivers (Thom et al 1975;Woodroffe et al 1985). The replacement of mangrove by saltmarsh and salt flats occurred as a result of estuarine infilling (Woodroffe et al 1985).…”

Section: Recent Changes In the Extent Of Australian Saltmarshmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Estuaries dominated by tidal processes, typical of the tropical north-west, are characterised by wide upper-intertidal and supratidal blacksoil plains, devoid of vegetation in drier climates, or supporting saltmarsh in wetter areas (Woodroffe et al 1989). Mangroves are restricted to channel-fringing environments (Woodroffe et al 1985) but in the mid-Holocene were far more extensive, occupying the greater part of the floodplains of the Fitzroy, Ord, Daly and Alligator Rivers (Thom et al 1975;Woodroffe et al 1985). The replacement of mangrove by saltmarsh and salt flats occurred as a result of estuarine infilling (Woodroffe et al 1985).…”

Section: Recent Changes In the Extent Of Australian Saltmarshmentioning

confidence: 99%

The significance and vulnerability of Australian saltmarshes: implications for management in a changing climate

Saintilan¹,

Rogers

2013

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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We review the distribution, status and ecology of Australian saltmarshes and the mechanisms whereby enhanced atmospheric carbon dioxide and associated climate change have influenced and will influence the provision of ecosystem goods and services. Research in temperate and subtropical saltmarsh has demonstrated important trophic contributions to estuarine fisheries, mediated by the synchronised massspawning of crabs, which feed predominantly on the C-4 saltmarsh grass Sporobolus virginicus and microphytobenthos. Saltmarshes also provide unique feeding and habitat opportunities for several species of threatened microbats and birds, including migratory shorebirds. Saltmarshes increased in extent relative to mangrove in Australia in both tide-and wave-dominated geomorphic settings through the latter Holocene, although historic trends have seen a reversal of this trend. Australian saltmarshes have some capacity to maintain elevation with respect to rising sea level, although in south-eastern Australia, the encroachment of mangrove and, in Tasmania, conversion of shrubland to herbfield in the past half-century are consistent with changes in relative sea level. Modelling of the impacts of projected sea-level rise, incorporating sedimentation and other surface-elevation drivers, suggests that the survival of saltmarsh in developed estuaries will depend on the flexible management of hard structures and other impediments to wetland retreat.

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“…During prolonged dry periods in the Pleistocene, mangrove species may have got more confined to the hot and wet climate at the equator than they are today (Woodroffe and Grindrod, 1991). Moreover, declining sea levels due to glacial events in the Pleistocene that resulted in lowering sea levels would have created land connections between the present day land masses in South East Asia, which in turn made available large extents of potential mangrove habitats (inter-tidal areas) that could successfully be colonized and specialized by plants (Clark and Guppy, 1988;Woodroffe et al, 1985;Woodroffe and Grindrod, 1991). Wet and arid climates that prevailed in different parts of the tropics during Pleistocene would have contributed to the mangrove distribution now observed in the New and Old World mangrove areas.…”

Section: Evolution and Distribution Of Mangrove Plant Species In The mentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical biogeography of Sri Lankan mangroves

Amarasinghe

Perera

2017

Ceylon J. Sci.

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Mangroves are a group of genetically unrelated plant taxa of angiosperms that occur in inter-tidal habitats in sheltered tropical coastlines. Biogeographically, mangrove areas are categorized into two regions: Sri Lanka is situated in the IndoWest Pacific (IWP) region where the plant diversity is significantly greater than in the Caribbean, West Pacific and Atlantic regions (CWPA). More than half the number of mangrove plant species that are exclusive to mangrove areas in the IWP region occur in the Sri Lankan mangrove areas that cover only about 16,000 ha. Being located in the land-sea interface, identification of mangrove areas and plant taxa endemic to mangrove ecosystems is ambiguous as plants that occur in non-mangrove areas too occur in mangrove habitats. This paper presents an insight into aspects relevant to resolving this ambiguity. Accordingly, 24 true mangrove species and a hybrid have hitherto been reported from Sri Lanka, out of which two are reported only once by a single researcher. Processes pertinent to historical biogeography of mangroves in Sri Lanka are discussed in the light of current hypotheses and knowledge base.

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Development of widespread mangrove swamps in mid-Holocene times in northern Australia

Cited by 237 publications

References 3 publications

Holocene mangrove and coastal environmental changes in the western Ganga–Brahmaputra Delta, India

Holocene mangrove and coastal environmental changes in the western Ganga–Brahmaputra Delta, India

The significance and vulnerability of Australian saltmarshes: implications for management in a changing climate

Historical biogeography of Sri Lankan mangroves

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