Restoration Guide
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CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... P. 3 CHAPTER 1 - Natural Colonisation .................................................................................................................... P. 5 Analysis of abiotic parameters ................................................................................................................................ P. 5 I.1. Substrate salinity ...................................................................................................................................................... P. 5 I.2. Wave energy .................................................................................................................................................................... P. 7 I.3. Slope (topographic profile) ...................................................................................................................... P. 7 I.4. The inundation parameter .......................................................................................................................... P. 9 Restoring favourable hydrological conditions ............................................................................. P. 11 I.6 Structures to limit energy and substrate erosion .................................................. P. 11 I.7 Restoring hydrological connections (breaches, excavators, culverts and drains) ............................................................................ P. 13 Where the presence of former aquaculture ponds (New Caledonia), dykes, walls or mounds prevents hydrological connectivity ......................................................... P. 14 The use of culverts or drains to provide hydrological connectivity ................................................................................................................................................. P. 14 CHAPTER 2 - Mangrove Planting ...................................................................................................................... P. 15 II.1. The choice of species ......................................................................................................................................... P. 15 II.2. Two methods of restoration by planting ............................................................................ P. 17 Collection and storage of propagules for direct implantation into the substrate ................................................................................................. P. 17 Setting up a nursery ............................................................................................................................................................ P. 19 II.3. The planting process ........................................................................................................................................ P. 24 Spacing between the seedlings .............................................................................................................................. P. 24 Organising the post-operation monitoring .................................................................................................. P. 27 - Monitoring indicators ................................................................................................................................................... P. 27 - Monitoring protocol ........................................................................................................................................................ P. 28 - Monitoring equipment ................................................................................................................................................. P. 30 - Managing predation and disease ..................................................................................................................... P. 30 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................................................. P. 31 Citation : Mangrove Restoration: the key elements to be considered in any restoration project. Technical guide, Pôle-relais zones humides tropicales, 2018. 2 Mangrove Restoration • Technical guide INTRODUCTION Mangroves are currently threatened by a host of anthropogenic pressures, including pollution, land take, infilling, aquaculture and urbanisation etc. A significant proportion of the world’s mangroves have already been lost, including within the French Overseas Territories. Mangrove restoration is therefore being increasingly undertaken, often in the form of replanting mangrove stands with seedlings. In spite of the efforts in- volved in these initiatives, the results are often disappointing due to a lack of forward planning. Problems include poor choice of location area, mono-specific coverage or lack of consultation with local stakeholders, all of which can limit the medium- or long-term success of these actions, and thus fail to restore a functional mangrove forest. A successful restoration action must result in the establishment of a relatively large, diverse, functional, and self-sustaining mangrove forest that can provide environmental and human benefits. There are two different fundamental approaches to ecological restoration: Photo P. Coquelet Photo P. Photo A. Caillaud Natural Mangrove Colonisation Planting The planting of mangroves should Mangrove planting may be prefe- be avoided in cases where the fo- rable in areas where natural recruit- rest shows signs of self-regenera- ment is no longer occurring or is tion (colonisation of the foreshore unlikely to occur, or to supplement by new propagules). In this case, re- the area with a particular species colonisation will occur naturally. In that has declined sharply. It can also some cases, the re-establishment of be used to colonise an area where favourable hydrological conditions mangroves once stood - subject to may be a necessary prerequisite to favourable hydrodynamic parame- support spontaneous colonisation. ters. Planting can also be a useful This approach is recommended by ‘tool’ for raising awareness among experts in the field of mangrove local stakeholders. restoration. Technical guide • Mangrove Restoration 3 Prior to any restoration undertaking, The answers to these questions will managers must consider a number of determine the best approach for essential questions: conducting a mangrove restoration • What is the origin of the distur- project. It would be preferable to al- bance or degradation? low natural colonisation if possible Is it irreversible? (depending on the specific context), or technical intervention involving: • What are the objectives of the restoration programme? - the restoration of hydrological characteristics that will allow na- • How much involvement will local tural colonisation to occur; stakeholders have? - the establishment of a mangrove • Under the given conditions, is plantation according to the steps letting nature take its course an described in this technical guide. appropriate strategy? • Favour natural colonisation when we observe the development of new individuals via a natural supply of propagules (which should be observable after the fruiting period). • Study abiotic parameters in advance when re-establishing hydrodynamic conditions for natural colonisation or when organising a planting site. • The restoration site must be completely within the intertidal zone. The highest tides, from a topographical perspective, determine the upper limit of the planting area. Photo L. Juhel Géo-Graphique 4 Mangrove Restoration • Technical guide Natural CHAPTER I Colonisation STEP 1 Analysis of abiotic parameters Key parameters must be analysed colonisation to occur, whether in order to understand the physical using breaches, geotextiles, or geography of the site. These largely more extensive intervention etc. determine the zonation of mangroves (see Page 11), within the foreshore area. Once com- - arranging the replanting site, by piled, these parameters are crucial in: knowing which species to plant, - re-establishing favourable hy- and where and how they should be drological conditions for natural planted (see Page 15). TYPE OF PARAMETER Physico-chemical Hydrodynamic Topographic Hydrodynamic INDICATOR Substrate salinity Wave energy Slope Submersion I.1. Substrate salinity • Objective : this parameter makes it - When: Never after a rain event. If possible to identify suitable areas for comparisons between sites are re- each species according to their degree quired, during the same chosen time of halophytism1. period from the onset of exposure to • Protocol : determine the salinity of air (as the tide retreats). the substrate along a transect2 per- - Where: Interstitial water in the pendicular to the sea. Establish a sa- sediment (water that occupies the linity gradient of the area to be res- space between the sediment grains). tored, in diagrammatic form. • Measurement: g/L. - How to do this: For each survey, • Tool(s): Salinometer it is preferable to take 3 values to obtain a more accurate mean value. The distance between the surveys should allow the site to be covered in a relatively homoge- neous manner. Figure 1 - Salinometer. (source : www.conrad.fr) 1. Capacity for resistance/tolerance to salinity 2. A straight line along which scientific monitoring is conducted (usually using