Home Institution
Wheaton College
Publication Date
Spring 2024
Abstract
Mangroves are incredibly important ecosystems that have an outsized impact on their surroundings, providing crucial ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and coastal protection. At the same time, mangroves are some of the most threatened habitats due to their valuable position along tropical coastlines. Globally, mangrove forests are deforested and degraded by aquaculture, tourism developments, urbanization, and overharvesting. Due to high rates of mangrove loss, mangrove deforestation is now illegal in Panama, though this legislation is inconsistent and allows for exceptions, especially in tourism developments. This study aims to probe the impacts of localized coastal developments on a small mangrove forest in Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro, which is obstructed from the ocean by a manmade walking path. Measurements of salinity, seedling density, height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and species composition were taken for five plots and compared to previous measurements taken in a nearby undisturbed mangrove forest. Analysis revealed that average height, DBH, prevalence of the mangrove species Laguncularia racemosa, and salinity were significantly greater in the cloistered plot. In combination, these results suggest that the walking path obstructs seawater input, leading to completely freshwater conditions within the forest. The repercussions of this are uncertain, but could include population dynamic changes leading to a reduction in the ecosystem services provided by this forest. It is important to understand how coastal developments directly and indirectly affect mangrove forests, especially as these ecosystems become increasingly important with climate change.
Disciplines
Botany | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Forest Management | Fresh Water Studies | Natural Resources and Conservation | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Recommended Citation
Hodge, Mary Elizabeth, "Variations in salinity and forest structure between marginal and cloistered mangrove forests in Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro, Panama" (2024). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3832.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3832
Included in
Botany Commons, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Forest Management Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Program Name
Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation