Mangrove composition and structure at the Welu Estuary,Khlung District, Chanthaburi Province, Thailand

Abstract

The largest mangrove areas in the eastern part of Thailand are located in Chanthaburi province, but most of them have deteriorated and are abandoned. A healthy mangrove area in the Weluestuary, Khlung district, Chanthaburi province is selected as the study area. Mangrove composition, structure and distribution were investigated to be used as a baseline for mangrove conservation in the surrounding area. Twenty-six mangrove speciesincluding 15important true mangrove species, namely A. alba, A. officinalis, B. cylindrica, B. gymnorrhiza, B. hainesii, B. parviflora, B. sexangula, C. tagal, E. agallocha, R. apiculata, R. mucronata, S. caseolaris, S. ovata, X. granatum and X. moluccensis, were identifiedfrom the field survey.Based on structure and community, R.apiculata appeared dominant in the area. The composition and structure results, in terms of number of trees, total stem basal area, tree density and IVI, revealed distribution of these true mangroves following different distances.Consequently, E. agallocha, X. granatum and X. moluccensis presented in the same zones as theAvicenniaceae, Rhizophoraceae and Sonneratiaceae families. This result suggested that E. agallocha, X. granatum and X. moluccensis can be used to rehabilitate the lost mangroves in the Welu estuary and other deteriorated and abandoned mangrove areas.