A Growing Threat to Tidal Forests: Incursion of Mangrove Ecosystems by Invasive Alien Species Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. (Fabaceae)

Kodikara, K.A.S.; Ransara, G. B. M.; Madarasinghe, S.K.; Dissanayake, N. P.; Abeysinghe, N. K.; Prasangika, K. D.; Dahdouh‐Guebas, Farid; Jayatissa, Loku Pulukkuttige

doi:10.1134/s207511172301006x

Cited by 1 publication

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“…A. auriculiformis has become the dominant species in the back mangroves of many of the mangroves of Sri Lanka, occurring with true mangroves. In these areas, the highest sapling and seedling densities are recorded and a high contribution of A. auriculiformis to relative densities and relative dominance supports the competitive domination of the Acacia plants over mangroves (Kodikara et al, 2022). Mangroves in this ecoregion will be affected severely by increased temperature and reduced rainfall due to climate change during the summer season.…”

Section: Main Threatening Process and Pathways To Degradationmentioning

confidence: 86%

IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, Mangroves of South India and Sri Lanka, and Maldives

Selvam,

Ramasubramanian,

Kathiresan

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Mangroves of South India and Sri Lanka, and Maldives is a regional ecosystem subgroup (level 4 unit of the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology). It includes the marine ecoregions of Western India, South India and Sri Lanka, and Maldives. The mapped extent in 2020 was 249.2 km2, representing 0.2% of the global mangrove area. The environmental settings of this ecoregion differ widely ranging from open coast, lagoonal, deltaic and estuarine mangrove formations. The mangroves of Maldives grow on a calcareous mud substratum; those in all other parts of this ecoregion occur on fine terrigenous sediments. The biota is characterized by 21 species of true mangroves. The mangroves of the southernmost east coast of India are dominated by a single, highly saline-tolerant species: Avicennia marina. In contrast, elsewhere in this ecoregion, diverse species constitute the mangrove floral community. There are at least five endangered mangrove-associated bird species and one shark species in the IUCN Red List. The major threats to the mangroves of this ecoregion are reduction in freshwater flow and subsequent development of hypersaline conditions; conversion of mangroves for aquafarming and tourism development; changes in sediment dynamics; poor exchange of tidal water; and climate change especially sea-level rise and storm surges. Today the South India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives mangroves cover ranges between 197.1 and 249.2 km2 according to different available sources. This is higher than our broad estimation for 1970. The mangrove net area change fluctuates between -4.7 and -26.8% 1996 to 2020 based on the data sources. If this trend continues, an overall loss between 49% and 58 % is projected over the next 50 years. Under a high sea-level rise scenario (IPCC RCP8.5) 82.7% of this ecoregion’s mangroves would be submerged by 2060. Moreover, 3.2% of the mangroves are undergoing degradation, with the potential to increase to 9.5% within a 50-year period, based on a vegetation index decay analysis. Overall, the South India and Sri Lanka, and Maldives mangrove ecosystem is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR).

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Section: Main Threatening Process and Pathways To Degradationmentioning

confidence: 86%