Biomass and primary production of Rhizophora apiculata Bl. in a mangrove in southern Thailand

Published Date

1978, Vol.4:43–52, doi:10.1016/0304-3770(78)90005-0

Title 

Biomass and primary production of Rhizophora apiculata Bl. in a mangrove in southern Thailand ☆

• Author 

• Bo Christensen ^∗∗

• Phuket Marine Biological Center, Phuket, P.O. Box 60 Thailand

Received 1 September 1976. Revised 28 April 1977. Available online 7 July 2003. 

Abstract

The biomass of Rhizophora apiculata Bl. was measured within a 25 m² sample plot in a mangrove at Phuket Island on the west coast of Thailand. The total biomass above the ground of this 15 years-old stand was estimated to be 159 t dry matter ha⁻¹. The annual increment in the form of trunks, branches and prop roots was estimated to be 20 t ha⁻¹yr⁻¹ during the last year of growth. By means of a simple marking technique, leaf turn-over rate was found to be 0.7 yr⁻¹ and leaf production was 6.7 t ha⁻¹yr⁻¹. Buds, flowers and propagules contributed very little to annual production. Total net production was estimated to be 27 t dry matter ha⁻¹yr⁻¹ or 6.9 g ash free dry matter m⁻²day⁻¹.

The biomass of prop roots, trunks, branches and leaves as well as leaf areas were determined for 1 m horizontal levels. Prop roots formed 39% of total biomass above the ground.

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