Abstract
A field study was conducted to evaluate the relative importance of factors affecting seedling establishment and survival on a mangrove-dominated island in Belize. An examination of spatial patterns of seedling relative densities in relation to reproductive adults and physico-chemical conditions provided correlative information on factors affecting mangrove regeneration patterns. Distance from reproductive adults explained 89–94% of the variation in relative density of Rhizophora mangle seedlings, whereas availability of resources (light and NH4) explained 73–80% of variation in Avicennia germinans seedling relative density. Just after dispersal (December), 89% of the variation in Laguncularia racemosa seedling relative density was attributable to distance from reproductive adults, but 7 months later (July) 74% of the variation was explained by intensity of flooding- and salinity-related stresses. Survivorship (after 2.5 years) of propagules and seedlings of R. mangle and A. germinans transplanted to zones of contrasting physico-chemical conditions demonstrated that: (1) mortality was highest during the establishment phase and major causes were failure to strand before viability was lost, consumption by predators and desiccation; and (2) after establishment, differences in sensitivity to physicochemical stress factors such as flooding (A. germinans) and initial orientation of the seedling axis (R. mangle) exerted a further influence on seedling survival. The results indicate that seedling recruitment in these neotropical forests is strongly influenced by dispersal patterns, differential establishment abilities and effects of physico-chemical factors that vary with elevation and distance from the shoreline.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ball MC (1988) Ecophysiology of mangroves. Trees 2:129–142
Bertness MD (1991) Interspecific interactions among high marsh perennials in a New England salt marsh. Ecology 72:125–137
Boto KG, Wellington JT (1984) Soil characteristics and nutrient status in a northern Australian mangrove forest. Estuaries 7:61–69
Carlson PR, Yarbro LA, Zimmerman CF, Montgomery JR (1983) Pore water chemistry of an overwash mangrove island. FI Sci 46:239–249
Chapman VJ (1976) Coastal vegetation. Pergamon Press, Oxford
Cintron G, Lugo AE, Pool DJ, Morris G (1978) Mangroves of arid environments in Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Biotropica 10:110–121
Clarke PJ (1993) Dispersal of grey mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) propagules in south-eastern Australia. Aquat Bot 45:195–204
Clarke PJ, Allaway WG (1993) The regeneration niche of the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina): effects of salinity, light and sediment factors on establishment, growth and survival in the field. Oecologia 93:548–556
Clarke PJ, Myerscough PJ (1993) The intertidal distribution of the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) in southeastern Australia; the effects of physical conditions, interspecific competition, and predation on establishment and survival. Aust J Ecol 18:325–344
Egler FA (1948) The dispersal and establishment of red mangrove in Florida. Carib For 9:299–310
Ellison AM, Farnsworth EJ (1993) Seedling survivorship, growth, and response to disturbance in Belizean mangal. Am J Bot 80:1137–1145
Grace JB, Wetzel R (1981) Habitat partitioning and competitive displacement in cattails (Typha): experimental field studies. Am Nat 118:463–474
Gomez KA, Gomez AA (1984) Statistical procedures for agricultural research. Wiley, New York
Gorsuch RL (1984) Factor analysis. Lawrence Erlbaum, London
Harper JL (1977) Population biology of plants. Academic Press, London
Jimenez JA, Sauter KA (1991) Structure and dynamics of mangrove forests along a flooding gradient. Estuaries 14:49–56
LaRue CD, Muzik TJ (1951) Does the mangrove really plants its seedlings? Science 114:661–662
Lawrence DB (1949) Self-erecting habit of seedling red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle L.). Am J Bot 36:426–427
McKee KL (1993a) Determinants of mangrove species distribution patterns in neotropical forests: biotic and abiotic factors affecting seedling survival and growth. Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University
McKee KL (1993b) Soil physicochemical patterns and mangrove species distribution: reciprocal effects? J Ecol 81:477–487
McKee KL (1994a) Mangrove species distribution and propagule predation in Belize: An exception to the dominance-predation hypothesis. Biotropica (in press)
McKee KL (1994b) Interspecific variation in growth, biomass partitioning and defensive characteristics of neotropical mangrove seedlings: response to light and nutrient availability. Am J Bot (in press)
McKee KL, Feller IC (1994) Effects of nutrients and shading on growth and architecture of mangroves in Belize (abstract only). Ecol Soc Am Bull Suppl 75:149
McKee KL, Mendelssohn IA, Hester MW (1988) Reexamination of pore water sulfide concentrations and redox potentials near the aerial roots of Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans. Am J Bot 75:1352–1359
Nixon SW (1982) The ecology of New England high salt marshes: a community profile. United States Department of the Interior, Washington
Pielou E, Routledge R (1976) Salt marsh vegetation: latitudinal gradients in the zonation patterns. Oecologia 24:311–321
Rabinowitz D (1978a) Dispersal properties of mangrove propagules. Biotropica 10:47–57
Rabinowitz D (1978b) Early growth of mangrove seedlings in Panama, and an hypothesis concerning the relationship of dispersal and zonation. J Biogeogr 5:113–133
Rabinowitz D (1978c) Mortality and initial propagule size in mangrove seedlings in Panama. J Ecol 66:45–51
Ruetzler K, Ferraris JD (1982) Terrestrial environment and climate, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. In: Ruetzler K, Macintyre IG (eds) The atlantic barrier reef ecosystem at carrie bow cay, Belize I: structure and communities. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, pp 77–91
Smith TJ III (1987a) Seed predation in relation to tree dominance and distribution in mangrove forests. Ecology 68:266–273
Smith III (1987b) Effects of light and intertidal position on seedling survival and growth in tropical, tidal forests. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 110:133–146
Smith III (1992) Forest structure. In: Robertson AI, Alongi DM (eds) Tropical mangrove ecosystems. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, pp 101–136
Smith TJ III, Chan HT, McIvor CC, Robblee MC (1989) Comparisons of seed predation in tropical tidal forests from three continents. Ecology 70:2146–151
Tamai S, Iampa P (1988) Establishment and growth of mangrove seedlings in mangrove forests of south Thailand. Ecol Res 3:227–238
Tomlinson PB (1986) The Botany of Mangroves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Urish D, Wright R (1988) Mangrove island hydrologic model development. In: Ruetzler K (ed) A mangrove ecosystem: Twin Cays, Belize. (Western Atlantic mangrove program workshop report). Solomons, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, pp 7–8
US EPA (1979) Methods for chemical analysis of water and wastes. Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati
Vince SW, Snow A (1984) Plant zonation in an Alaskan salt marsh. I. Distribution, abundance, and environmental factors. J Ecol 72:651–667
Williams TR, Van Doren JB, Smith BR, McElvany SW, Zink H (1986) ICP analysis of biological samples. Am Lab 18:52–57
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McKee, K.L. Seedling recruitment patterns in a Belizean mangrove forest: effects of establishment ability and physico-chemical factors. Oecologia 101, 448–460 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329423
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329423