Casuarina Coastal Forest Shelterbelts in Hambantota City, Sri Lanka: Assessment of Impacts

Zoysa, Mangala De

doi:10.1007/s11842-008-9038-2

Cited by 25 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Casuarina equisetifolia is an N-fixing species that has been used extensively for windbreak and coastal stabilization in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world [5], [6]. The critical ecosystem services of coastal forests, including Casuarina plantations, have gained great recognition recently, particularly after the devastating 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami [6], [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration in Four Different Aged Casuarina equisetifolia Coastal Shelterbelt Plantations in South China

et al. 2013

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Thousands of kilometers of shelterbelt plantations of Casuarina equisetifolia have been planted to protect the southeast coastline of China. These plantations also play an important role in the regional carbon (C) cycling. In this study, we examined plant biomass increment and C accumulation in four different aged C. equisetifolia plantations in sandy beaches in South China. The C accumulated in the C. equisetifolia plant biomass increased markedly with stand age. The annual rate of C accumulation in the C. equisetifolia plant biomass during 0–3, 3–6, 6–13 and 13–18 years stage was 2.9, 8.2, 4.2 and 1.0 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Soil organic C (SOC) at the top 1 m soil layer in these plantations was 17.74, 5.14, 6.93, and 11.87 Mg C ha−1, respectively, with SOC density decreasing with increasing soil depth. Total C storage in the plantation ecosystem averaged 26.57, 38.50, 69.78, and 79.79 Mg C ha−1 in the 3, 6, 13 and 18- yrs plantation, with most of the C accumulated in the aboveground biomass rather than in the belowground root biomass and soil organic C. Though our results suggest that C. equisetifolia plantations have the characteristics of fast growth, high biomass accumulation, and the potential of high C sequestration despite planting in poor soil conditions, the interactive effects of soil condition, natural disturbance, and human policies on the ecosystem health of the plantation need to be further studied to fully realize the ecological and social benefits of the C equisetifolia shelterbelt forests in South China.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration in Four Different Aged Casuarina equisetifolia Coastal Shelterbelt Plantations in South China

et al. 2013

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“…A characteristic of C. equisetifolia is that it can establish and grow in barren land or sandy soil because of the root suckering habit and its 34 rapid growth 10 . In addition, C. equisetifolia is more resilient than other tree species and out competes other trees that cannot grow well under a closed canopy 9,33 .…”

Section: Vegetation Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ecosystem functions by protecting sandy beaches against coastal erosion and the effects of winds and storms, and protects against damage caused by salt spray to human settlements or cultivation 9,10 . Adjacent sandy beaches are important nesting sites for sea turtles 3,5 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As specific examples in this region, Pandanus odoratissimus L.f. and C. equisetifolia mitigated destructive tsunami forces, their effectiveness depending on the magnitude of the tsunami and vegetation structure 13 . Casuarina forests are generally negatively impacted by tsunamis in the Andaman Sea 14 , however, a surprising finding was that Casuarina forests remained undamaged after the 2004 tsunami devastated Hambantota City in southern coastal Sri Lanka 10 . Spatial details of coastal vegetation are often studied by, remote sensing, which can play an important role in assessing and monitoring at local scales 15,16 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beach forest changes (2003–2013) in the tsunami-affected area of Phang Nga, Thailand from multi-temporal satellite data

Kongapai¹,

Sompongchaiyakul²,

Jitpraphai³

et al. 2016

ScienceAsia

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Beach forests are important ecological zones in many coastal regions. Many are under increasing anthropogenic and natural stress. Beach forest changes and their causes were examined in three tsunami-impacted sites with different land-use/cover (LULC): Ban Nam Khem (BNK, fishing village), Khao Lak (KL, tourist destination), and Thai Mueang (TM, part of a national park). Vegetation surveys, GIS, and interpretation of time series IKONOS and THEOS imagery using supervised classification (ENVI 4.7) from 2003-2013 were performed. Six beach forest tree and shrub species were found in BNK and KL, dominated by Casuarina equisetifolia, while 24 tree/shrub species, dominated by Syzygium grande, were observed at TM. After the tsunami, beach forests were severely damaged in BNK (45%), KL (40%), and TM (23%). Recovery of beach forests in 8 years varied from BNK (58%), KL (39%) with low rates in KL and high rates in TM (62%). Substantial portions of the three sites were still characterized as beach forest in 2013, though the forests now included areas that had recovered from the tsunami damage and/or altered LULC (e.g., barren land to beach forests and vice versa). Anthropogenic factors represented 40% (BNK), 56% (KL), and 5% (TM) of the changes with urbanization being a leading cause in tourist areas (KL; 24%). The study highlights the need for improved understanding of beach vegetation, tsunami impacts, and LULC to provide sustainable management of beach forests in Thailand in three sites with different anthropogenic characteristics.

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“…Intensive and continuous maintenance at the early stage is required; many planting projects have failed in the past due to poor maintenance. Improvement of socioeconomic conditions of local coastal communities is also required (De Zoysa 2008). Scientific documentation has to be maintained, treating this as an continuing process.…”

Section: Importance Of Maintenance In Newly Established Coastal Vegetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coastal vegetation planting projects for tsunami disaster mitigation: effectiveness evaluation of new establishments

et al. 2010

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Coastal vegetation acts as a natural barrier against extreme natural and anthropogenic activities, protecting infrastructure and human lives. Establishment of hard infrastructure for tsunami protection is not feasible in developing countries due to its cost-intensive nature. Coastal vegetation can therefore be a feasible alternative for tsunami and general coastal protection in developing countries. This study investigates the effectiveness of current coastal vegetation projects and reports a pilot-scale vegetation project, which provides insights into the management and sustainability of such projects. Thirty-seven establishments of coastal vegetation for tsunami protection were identified for the study from Hambantota to Colombo along the southern coast in Sri Lanka. Evaluation was carried out to assess whether the coastal vegetation establishments fulfilled the planning objectives, such as vegetation alignment to tsunami direction, tree density and tree species, and whether monoculture or mixed species are grown. The study also assessed continuous maintenance and awareness about coastal vegetation, community participation and long-term institutional support from government, nongovernment groups, academic institutions, and other institutions within an integrated framework. Approximately 50% of the sites were found to be effective in terms of fulfilling the above requirements and had reasonable protection against future tsunami-type events. Continuous maintenance is ensured only for 35% of sites with community participation. The survey also revealed the importance of adopting scientific and nonscientific methods of vegetation establishment and selecting appropriate species and structure of vegetation strips for tsunami protection. It is expected that this will lead to the development of coastal vegetation guidelines for local authorities.

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Casuarina Coastal Forest Shelterbelts in Hambantota City, Sri Lanka: Assessment of Impacts

Cited by 25 publications

References 4 publications

Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration in Four Different Aged Casuarina equisetifolia Coastal Shelterbelt Plantations in South China

Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration in Four Different Aged Casuarina equisetifolia Coastal Shelterbelt Plantations in South China

Beach forest changes (2003–2013) in the tsunami-affected area of Phang Nga, Thailand from multi-temporal satellite data

Coastal vegetation planting projects for tsunami disaster mitigation: effectiveness evaluation of new establishments

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