STATUS AND TRENDS IN MANGROVE AREA EXTENT WORLDWIDE (original) (raw)
Tonga
Vegetation description
Sheltered onshore mudflats, mainly on Tongatapu and in Vav'u, support a depauperate mangrove swamp community dominated by the mangroves Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Rhizophora samoensis and/or R. stylosa. Farther inland, where the water changes from saline to brackish or fresh, buttressed trees occur, such as Excoecaria agallocha, Inocarpus fagifer and Xylocarpus granatum. Paspalum vaginatum often forms a dominant grass cover on the inland margin of the swamp.
Mueller-Dombois, D. & F. R. Fosberg. 1998. Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. Springer-Verlag, New York. 733 pp.
National level mangrove area estimates
| Year | Area (ha) | Source | Trend | Methodology/Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1 000 | Saenger, P., Hegerl E.J. and J.D.S., Davie. 1983. Global status of mangrove ecosystems. Commission on Ecology Papers No.3. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland. 88 pp. | Secondary reference, no primary source provided. The "Year" is the publication year. | |
| 1990 | 500 | Netatua, P, Department of Environment. 2001. Tonga Country Report. Regional Workshop on mangrove wetlands protection and sustanaible use. Marine Studies Centre, USP SUVA June 12-16, 2001 | Aerial photographs | |
| 1990 | 1 305 | Wiser, S. Burrows, L. Sykes, W. Drake, D. Savage, T. 1999. A Natural Forest Invenrory of Tongatapu and Nearby Islands. Kigdom of Tonga NZODA 1998/99 Forestry Project | X | Remote sensing and ground survey. |
Trends in mangrove area extent over time
No major changes appear to have occurred in this country over the last twenty years.
