3/7/2019 OUTLINE PREDICTING THE MOST SUITABLE MANGROVE SPECIES AS - PDF document

3/7/2019 OUTLINE PREDICTING THE MOST SUITABLE MANGROVE SPECIES AS A • Introduction NATURAL DEFENSE FOR FIJIAN • Project Aims and Objectives COASTAL COMMUNITIES • Research Question and Hypothesis • Methodology • Data Collection and Analysis • Results and Discussion • Conclusion SC356 2018 (Group GS 4) Elizabeth Ravonu Jason Tigarea Kolora Qativi INTRODUCTION AIM Mangroves provide the best form of defense for coastal communities • (Alongi, D. M., 2008; Rogers et al., 2016). • Identify mangrove species from the coastal shoreline to the inland using This research identifies the mangrove species most suitable for coastal • GIS tools and field surveying at 3 sites: (1)Ellington wharf, (2) Naboutini protection in Fiji. village and (3) Nasese. • Negative impact of seawalls on coastal environments and livelihoods of coastal communities in Fiji. According to Betzord and Mohamed (2017): Identify the location and growth characteristics of each species to • “… seawalls and other coastal defense structure are controversial, determine which are most suitable as a natural coastal defense especially in a SIDS context, where they typically are poorly designed and constructed thus tend to increase rather than decrease erosion and are often unable to prevent flooding.” Conversely, mangroves provide natural protection where processes of • ecological succession mean more the resilient species adapt to local conditions. OBJECTIVES RESEARCH QUESTION AND BACKGROUND • Identify mangrove species occurrence using transects Interpret the mangrove species tree by growth •  Research Question • Identifying the most suitable mangrove species to be the natural Which Mangrove Species are most suitable for coastal defense for Fijian coastal defense using the results coastal communities? According to Tomlinson (2011) mangroves are highly adaptable plant • families that occur in the coastal environment, and act as a natural barrier providing protection for coastal communities. Species that are dominant throughout the coastal shoreline are the most • suitable species to act as a barrier for coastal communities. 1

3/7/2019 METHODOLOGY RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS  Study Sites 3 selected sites: 1. Ellington Wharf 2. Naboutini 3. Nasese  Null Hypothesis All mangrove species can act as effectively as the other as a natural coastal defense for Fijian coastal communities and species are equally distributed in their spatial extent  Alternative Hypothesis Mangrove species Rhizophora stylosa (scientific name) is the most dominant and suitable for providing a natural coastal defense for Fijian coastal communities DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY  Transect Method - Determine spatial extent of the mangrove boundary  Data collection - Transect line with starting and ending point • Transect method - 30m between transects Purpose: record tree species occurrence along a path - subplots of 10m x 10m per transect - Identify mangrove species within the subplots • Diameter breast height (dbh) Purpose: “sweet spot” on a tree to calculate growth and volume DATA COLLECTION DATA COLLECTION  Measuring dbh for each tree mangrove species  All species identified at the 3 sites - Measure dbh for identified species (in - Rhizophora samoensis centimeter units) - Rhizophora stylosa - Measuring tape used to measure dbh - Rhizophora x selala - Bruguirea gymnorhiza  Data for 3 sites - Excoecaria agallocha - Data for Ellington wharf and Naboutini village as provided by Prof. Nicholas * Mangrove ID Book → field guide book Rollings describing properties of mangrove species - Group field work and survey data (Tuiwawa, S.H., Skelton, P. A., & Tuiwawa, M. V. ) collection at Nasese site 2

3/7/2019 RESULTS DATA INTERPRETATION  Mean and standard error  Outcome of data collection - relationship between species - data compiled and finalized to specific - higher the population (N) smaller species and measurements the standard error excel file w ith data - Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora x  Software selala, Rhizophora samoensis and - excel file → species and dbh values (total Bruguiera gymnorhiza can be value) related due to smaller standard - PSPP → ANOVA test for 5 species found error - relationship between the species (level of - Excoecaria agallocha cannot be significance) to determine related to other species due to higher standard error ANOVA test output RESULTS DISCUSSION  5 species → perform ANOVA test  Level of significance is 0.05 due to get significant differences  Significance level of Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora x between 2 species selala and Rhizophora samoensis are all equal to 0.000  Output significance for between  Excoecaria agallocha has significance value of 0.382 group (species) is less than 0.05  4 species show siginificance whereas for 1 species shows non-significance  Significance differences  Accept the null hypothesis between the Bruguiera → All mangrove species can act as the natural coastal defense for Fijian gymnorhiza, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora x selala and coastal communities and species are equally distributed in their spatial Rhizophora samoensis extent  Excoecaria agallocha is not significant CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATION  Five Species were identified at the three sites  To encourage the Fiji Government and local communities to  ANOVA test shows the significance level of each species preserve and protect mangroves  All species can act as the natural barrier  By providing a natural barrier, mangroves benefit the local  By providing a natural barrier mangroves benefit the local community community (through coastal protection and livelihood (through coastal protection and livelihood opportunities) and also the opportunities) and also the marine ecosystem marine ecosystem  Extending this research to additional sites across Fiji will provide a more comprehensive baseline of data to compare with the results described here. 3

3/7/2019 REFERENCES Alongi, D. M. (2008). Mangrove forests: Resilience, protection from tsunamis, and responses • to global climate change. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 76(1), 1 – 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2007.08.024 • Rogers, K., Boon, P. I., Branigan , S., Duke, N. C., Field, C. D., Fitzsimons, J. A., … Saintilan, N. (2016). The state of legislation and policy protecting Australia’s mangrove and salt marsh and their ecosystem services. Marine Policy, 72, 139 – 155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.06.025 • Mangrove and Seagrass Species of Fiji. Tuiwawa, S.H., Skelton, P. A., & Tuiwawa, M. V.  Corral-Rivas, J., Barrio-Anta, M., Aguirre-Calderón, ,O.A., & Diéguez-Aranda, U. (2007). Use of stump diameter to estimate diameter at breast height and tree volume for major pine species in el salto, durango (mexico). Forestry, 80 (1) Pp.29-40, 2007, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.usp.ac.fj/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/925439441?acco untid=28103 4