Mangroves and Sediment Dynamics Along the Coasts of Southern Thailand

CRC Press

Presents the quantification of mangrove responses to sedimentation and hydrodynamics. This work assesses coastal changes that revealed substantial on-going coastal erosion along the coasts of Southern Thailand. It shows that water turbulence and seedling herbivory had the most important impacts on mangrove colonization success. > Mangroves inhabit tropical coastlines and are particularly abundant along deltas and bays where rivers bring freshwater and sediment to the sea. This habitat witnesses great variability in sedimentation and erosion rates, partly governed by variation in hydrodynamics of rivers as well as the sea. Sedimentation and hydrodynamics have a great impact on coastal and mangroves dynamics. Sediment accretion creates new mud flats for colonization whilst exposure to waves and currents may strongly hinder colonization and promote coastal erosion. In sheltered coastal bays, mangroves were able to colonize newly-formed mudflats. Abrupt high sedimentation led to vast .