1. Mangroves in Southern China were seriously destroyed in the recent snow storm. The most seriously affected mangrove species are Sonneratia caseolaris, Laguncularia racemosa, Rhizophora stylosa and Thespesia populnea. Mangrove plantation forests planted in the coastal mud flat in Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian including experimental forest were near totally destroyed. The affected mangrove area reached to more than 5000 ha with more than 1000 ha dead, most of which were planted forests. More serious disaster regions were northern coastal regions of Zhanjiang, Guangdong including Yangjiang, Jiangmen, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shantou, Fujian and Guangxi.

2. Mangrove seedlings in all mangrove nurseries were affected.  More than 3 million seedlings died. The most seriously affected species among the dead seedlings were Sonneratia caseolaris, Laguncularia racemosa, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Rhizophora stylosa, Thespesia populnea and Sonneratia apetala (some).

3. Hypocotyls and flowers of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza in native mangrove forests in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province were almost frozen and fell off and flowers of Rhizophora stylosa were mostly frozen. It will be difficult to collect hypocotyls of those mangrove species this year.

4. Introduced species, Sonneratia apetala, were frozen and lost leaves or died away. Some seedlings also died.

More symptoms of the frozen mangroves are appearing gradually as temperature rises. Monitoring is needed to observe weather those destroyed mangroves can restore by themselves, how they recover and whether they will suffer from insect pests etc. and then immediate measurement and restoration can take place.

Mangrove are of special importance for the coastal ecosystem. Attention should be attracted from global scale on this serious cold disaster in the southern part of China. Technical and financial supports are needed from all fields such as governments, NGOs, international foundations, research organizations etc.

To view photos of Southern Chinese mangroves, click here.

Submitted by:  Liao Baowen
Baowenliao@ritf.ac.cn
The Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry
Guangzhou 510520, China
Tel: +86 20-87028494
Fax: +86 20-87031622