Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

MANAGING MANGROVE FOR RESILIENCE TO CLIMATIC CHANGE

Mary Kensa V. and V. Antoe Jasmine

Abstract

Climatic change is likely to dramatically change the physical geography of the planet at an unprecedented scale and consequently impact on human geography. Global climate change is one of the greatest challenges that humans will face in this century. Although geological records show climate changes throughout history, the present rate of global warming threatens the survival of entire ecosystem. Among the most at-risk ecosystems are mangroves which are especially vulnerable to sea level rise, but the good news is that not all coastlines with mangrove forests are projected to experience a rise in relative sea level. Mangrove species have demonstrated different tolerances to changes in sea level, salinity and storms. By understanding which mangroves stands are able to survive sea-level rise and other changes, natural resources managers can identify and protect refuges that self seed and act as sources for seedlings of future mangrove communities. Building resilience into mangrove conservation requires an understanding of how mangrove will respond to climate change, what factors help them survive these changes and consequently which mangrove are most likely to survive these changes. This paper is an attempt to provide some considerations for conservation practitioners as they design conservation strategies for mangroves. This paper provides an overview of mangrove ecosystem, discusses the benefits of mangroves to people and the human and global threats that compromise mangrove ecosystem. This paper describes the impacts of climatic change on mangrove and outlines tools and strategies that enhance mangrove resilience.