Introduction

4Citations
Citations of this article
29Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

One of the major issues we currently need to address in mangrove ecological research is the causes (qualitative and quantitative) that drive current mismanagement and degradation of mangrove wetlands; one of the most productive and valuable coastal ecosystems in the world. This is a complex task, and we need to consider the complex interactions between social and ecological systems, including an evaluation of state-of-the-art mangrove ecosystem science. For instance, the attempts to refine and improve the significance of mangrove wetlands’ economic value include not only the most visible and well-recognized mangrove ecosystem services around the world, e.g., fisheries and wood harvest, but also other services such as carbon sequestration, storm protection, and maintenance of water quality. Because these mangrove ecosystem services are well recognized, it is common to read in many mangrove papers published since the 1980s, a long list of such services to strength and underscore the paper’s importance and contribution. Yet, despite this qualitative listing, we still lack a comparative and comprehensive quantitative global assessment of the economic value of these ecosystems in the context of local and regional economies, especially in developing countries. We contend that adaptive science-based management should be a major basis for protection, conservation, restoration, and management of mangrove wetlands in this century, especially under the uncertainty of future climate change scenarios. Thus, it is paramount to pause and evaluate what we know and need to know to improve our understanding of how mangrove wetlands function, and how this functionality and societal needs can be translated into sound management plans under various socioeconomic settings across the globe. We consider this book such a pause. An exercise in the analysis of our current knowledge of mangrove-dominated ecosystems that aims to provide a new research agenda for this century and that explicitly addresses current mangrove area loss risks and vulnerabilities. We hope this book contributes to the development and consolidation of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary initiatives among researchers and countries with major stakes in mangrove conservation. The book aims to (1) provide a scholarly and authoritative analysis of mangrove ecological processes, covering data at the local, biogeographic, and global scales with an emphasis on regions and countries holding the largest mangrove resources; (2) integrate ecological and socioeconomic perspectives on mangrove function and management using a system-level hierarchical analysis framework; and (3) explore the nexus between mangrove ecology and the capacity for ecosystem services, with an emphasis on thresholds, multiple stressors, and local conditions that determine this capacity. We foresee the contribution of the eleven papers included in this book as a significant step forward in both closing the knowledge gap about mangrove structural and functional properties, and the development of an integrated research agenda for the implementation of global long-term socioecological studies in mangrove-dominated ecosystems.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Rivera-Monroy, V. H., Kristensen, E., Lee, S. Y., & Twilley, R. R. (2017). Introduction. In Mangrove Ecosystems: A Global Biogeographic Perspective: Structure, Function, and Services (pp. 1–16). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62206-4_1

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free