However, the coastline evolution also depends on many other
factors such as sediment supply, hydraulic conditions (wave,
wind, current), bathymetry,etc. Therefore, there is no unique
critical mangrove width value that can be set for all shorelines.
For instance, there will be a difference between the critical
mangrove width of the southeastern coast and the eastern
coast and that of the west coast. Even though the West Sea has
smaller tidal amplitudes and smaller wave heights, the
sediment supply in the West Sea is also weaker than in the
South China Sea. Therefore, no significant erosion is observed
along the west coast, nor is there much sedimentation found
even at the location where the mangrove forest width is about
900 m. The quantitative relationship that we provide will
therefore only be applicable for the southeastern coast and the
eastern coast of the Mekong Delta, although the general
principle will apply to many mangrove coasts.