In the future, landward migration
of fringing mangrove species, such as Rhizospora
mangle, will likely be limited both by in situ differences
in growth and by coastal development and
associated anthropogenic barriers (Parkinson et al.
1994; Ellison and Farnsworth 1996). As with other
wetland species, interspecific variation in physiological
responses of different mangrove species to factors
associated with climate change would be expected to
lead to changes in species composition and community
structure following predicted changes in sea level
and atmospheric CO2 levels (Ellison and Farnsworth
1997).