Conservation Practices

McIvor, A.L., Spencer, T., Möller., I and M.D. Spalding. The Nature Conservancy and Wetlands International. (2013).

The first section of this report briefly explains how sea level is changing, why this varies locally, what is meant by “surface elevation change” in mangroves, and how mangrove surface elevation may be able to keep pace with local sea level rise. In Section 2, the report examines historical and recent evidence for mangrove surface elevation keeping pace with sea level rise. In Section 3, the authors summarize the processes involved in mangrove surface elevation change and the factors that affect these processes. In Section 4, the report explores the relative contribution of surface and subsurface processes to elevation change, and look at factors known to affect surface elevation change rates. Section 5 then considers the factors affecting the response of mangrove surface elevation to sea level rise, including possible feedbacks and thresholds. Section 6 briefly considers a sediment development model that aims to predict surface elevation change in mangroves. Section 7 concludes by considering what additional information needs to be obtained in order to better predict when and where mangroves may be able to maintain their surface elevation in the face of sea level rise.