Pore Water Chemical Variability and Its Effect on Phenological Production in Three Mangrove Species under Drought Conditions in Southeastern Mexico

Abstract

Mangrove forests have proven to be resilient to most environmental change, surviving catastrophic climate events over time. Our study aimed to evaluate the chemical variability of pore water and its effect on phenological production in three mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, and Laguncularia racemosa) along the coast of the state of Campeche during a year of severe drought (2009) and a year of average precipitation (2010). Pore water salinity and redox potential were measured monthly in a mangrove forest in 2009 and 2010. Litterfall production and reproductive phenology was measured monthly. We determined the relationships among litterfall production, reproductive phenology, pore water chemistry and precipitation of three species between years. Precipitation, pore water salinity and redox potential significantly differed among years, seasons and sites, and also showed significant interaction between years and seasons (p < 0.05). Significant variation was observed in litterfall production, propagules, flowers, and leaf litter among sites (p < 0.05). A significant change was observed in propagules and flowers among years, and in total litterfall and leaf litter between seasons and species (p < 0.05). Under severe drought, salinity had the strongest effect on total litterfall and propagules in R. mangle, while A. germinans, had the strongest effect on propagule/flower precipitation. Both A. germinans and L. racemosa showed higher resilience than R. mangle at all sites under severe drought conditions. These findings can support activity allocation for mangrove conservation and restoration by providing the tolerance thresholds of the three species that dominate in the regional area of Campeche state. Likewise, this research provides knowledge to the Intergovernmental Experts Group on climate change about drought intensity and its magnitude of impact on mangrove productivity, reproduction and integrity.

Relationship between Carbon Sequestration and Soil Physicochemical Parameters in Northern Campeche, Mexico

“…In addition, the dominance of A. germinans and presence of R. mangle and L. racemosa create suitable conditions for carbon sequestration [28][29][30]. The soil carbon sequestration at a depth of 30 cm in the mangroves in this study was similar to that reported at different sites in the state of Campeche by authors such as [1,31,32] (Table 1). This could have been due to environmental conditions, such as hydroperiod behavior, soil dynamics, and mangrove species productivity [33][34][35].…”

“…Mangroves form a coastal ecosystem that exhibits high productivity; they provide a variety of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration [1]. Therefore, they are considered to play an important role in mitigating the global warming caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) owing to their ability to store carbon.…”

Blue Carbon: Comparison of Chronosequences from Avicennia marina Plantation and Proteresia coarctata Dominated Mudflat, at the World’s Largest Mangrove Wetland

“…Quadrats of 10 m × 10 m were laid randomly in the study site as per the standard ecological estimation method, to minimize biases in sampling. A similar method was also used by similar studies on mangrove biodiversity assessment across the globe [1,[25][26][27]. However, the dominant species has been the mangrove grass-P. coarctata (Relative density-78-88) and a frequency of 100 as observed between 2012-2016.…”

Genome-Wide Analysis of bHLH Family Genes and Identification of Members Associated with Cold/Drought-Induced Photoinhibition in Kandelia obovata

“…In 1972 to 2004, prolonged drought due to less rainfall increased the vulnerability of mangroves in response to changing climate conditions in Australia [6]. Recent researches revealed that drought stress restrained mangrove growth and development [7]. As a result, protecting and restoring mangrove forests under extreme climatic conditions remains a major challenge [8].…”

“…K. obovata, the most cold-tolerant mangrove in China, faces imminent threats from extreme climate events, notably cold and drought stresses [7]. For instance, drought stress results in suppressed water absorption, closed stomata, and hindered CO 2 exchange in K. abovata [9,10].…”