Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam

The influence of hydrology on the mangrove forests of Vietnam has received little scientific attention, even though hydrology is recognized as the primary forcing function in mangrove ecosystems worldwide. The purpose of this dissertation research was to determine the effects of hydrology on specifi...

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Main Author: Le, Loi Tan
Other Authors: Robert P. Gambrell
Format: Others
Language:en
Published: LSU 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-05302008-163309/
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spelling ndltd-LSU-oai-etd.lsu.edu-etd-05302008-1633092013-01-07T22:51:40Z Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam Le, Loi Tan Oceanography & Coastal Sciences The influence of hydrology on the mangrove forests of Vietnam has received little scientific attention, even though hydrology is recognized as the primary forcing function in mangrove ecosystems worldwide. The purpose of this dissertation research was to determine the effects of hydrology on specific structural attributes and functional processes within the mangrove forests of Can Gio, a province in southeastern Vietnam. Khe Vinh (KV) and Mui O (MO), two locations within compartment 17 of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, were chosen as study sites. This research addressed two questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the hydrological regime at the Can Gio mangrove forest? and (2) How does the hydrological regime in the Can Gio mangrove forest affect soil properties, sedimentation, litter decomposition, primary production and species distribution. Tidal effects of the China Sea and the Saigon and Dong Nai Rivers affected the hydrological regime of the Can Gio mangrove forests. Average high tide and low tide were higher in the dry season than in the wet season. The different mangrove vegetation zones had different flooding frequencies at the KV and MO study sites. Zone 1 (nearest to the shoreline) at the KV site had a lower elevation than the other, more inland, mangrove zones at both the KV and MO sites. Overall, flooding frequency and elevation affected various soil properties. Low elevation zones had the highest sedimentation rates and flooding frequency. No sedimentation occurred at the MO site. Litter decomposition at the KV and MO study sites was dependent on the tissue structure of the species and the zones in which they occurred. Species that had thin and soft tissues had a higher decomposition rate than species with thick and hard tissues. The decomposition process was affected by vegetation zone, elevation, and flooding frequency. Flooding frequency and elevation affected primary production and species distribution at the study sites. More species were found in the higher elevation zones, which had dry, compacted soil. However, zones with a single dominant species, such as Rhizophora apiculata or Avicennia alba, had the greatest amount of litter fall. Robert P. Gambrell Jim Jian Wang Irving A. Mendelssohn Davis Himelrick Karen L. McKee John W. Day LSU 2008-06-02 text application/pdf http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-05302008-163309/ http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-05302008-163309/ en unrestricted I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report.
collection NDLTD
language en
format Others
sources NDLTD
topic Oceanography & Coastal Sciences
spellingShingle Oceanography & Coastal Sciences
Le, Loi Tan
Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
description The influence of hydrology on the mangrove forests of Vietnam has received little scientific attention, even though hydrology is recognized as the primary forcing function in mangrove ecosystems worldwide. The purpose of this dissertation research was to determine the effects of hydrology on specific structural attributes and functional processes within the mangrove forests of Can Gio, a province in southeastern Vietnam. Khe Vinh (KV) and Mui O (MO), two locations within compartment 17 of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, were chosen as study sites. This research addressed two questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the hydrological regime at the Can Gio mangrove forest? and (2) How does the hydrological regime in the Can Gio mangrove forest affect soil properties, sedimentation, litter decomposition, primary production and species distribution. Tidal effects of the China Sea and the Saigon and Dong Nai Rivers affected the hydrological regime of the Can Gio mangrove forests. Average high tide and low tide were higher in the dry season than in the wet season. The different mangrove vegetation zones had different flooding frequencies at the KV and MO study sites. Zone 1 (nearest to the shoreline) at the KV site had a lower elevation than the other, more inland, mangrove zones at both the KV and MO sites. Overall, flooding frequency and elevation affected various soil properties. Low elevation zones had the highest sedimentation rates and flooding frequency. No sedimentation occurred at the MO site. Litter decomposition at the KV and MO study sites was dependent on the tissue structure of the species and the zones in which they occurred. Species that had thin and soft tissues had a higher decomposition rate than species with thick and hard tissues. The decomposition process was affected by vegetation zone, elevation, and flooding frequency. Flooding frequency and elevation affected primary production and species distribution at the study sites. More species were found in the higher elevation zones, which had dry, compacted soil. However, zones with a single dominant species, such as Rhizophora apiculata or Avicennia alba, had the greatest amount of litter fall.
author2 Robert P. Gambrell
author_facet Robert P. Gambrell
Le, Loi Tan
author Le, Loi Tan
author_sort Le, Loi Tan
title Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
title_short Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
title_full Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
title_fullStr Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Hydrology on the Structure and Function of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
title_sort effect of hydrology on the structure and function of mangrove ecosystems in the can gio mangrove biosphere reserve, vietnam
publisher LSU
publishDate 2008
url http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-05302008-163309/
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