Attempts to restore mangrove forests often fail
However, replanting and recovery have proved to be more difficult than expected. Mangrove seedlings survive only with difficulty. A range of natural forces prevent the seeds taking root in the soil. Climate change and human activities in coastal areas are other factors. Thorsten Balke looked at the conditions in which mangrove seedlings do root successfully. He conducted his research in Singapore and New Zealand. The central issues he studied were: how do seedlings reach the tidal flat and what factors result in them growing into successful mangrove forests?
Ideal conditions for seedlings now predictable
To examine the whole issue in detail, Balke simulated the various sedimentation rates and erosion during high water in a test array in Singapore. He did this in nine large water basins measuring 3 m x 1 m, with wave generators, in which he could manually push the silt up and down. In combination with wind data and tidal time series, Balke developed models for the establishment of young mangrove forests by predicting windows of opportunity: tidal periods in which the conditions are ideal for the establishment and further development of mangrove seedlings.
The information about the study is open source
Thorsten Balke: 'We now understand both the optimal conditions for the successful establishment of a mangrove forest and the optimal location and optimal time to sow mangroves. Policymakers can take these factors into account when restoring mangroves. We can also use this information to create scenarios to predict the impact of climate and environmental change on mangroves.' All the data from the study are open source, so that everyone in the world can use this information freely.
Thorston Balke will receive his doctorate on 18 December at the Radboud University in Nijmegen.