UPDATE A newsletter from the International Tropical Timber Organization to promote the conservation and sustainable development of tropical forests Mapping mangroves angroves are highly productive, biodiversity-rich forest Recognizing the importance of mangroves and the peril they face, a ecosystems adapted to survive in the harsh interface between consortium of organizations—ITTO, ISME, FAO, UNESCO-MAB, UNEP- Mland and sea. They provide resources such as timber, firewood, WCMC, UNU-INWEH and TNC1- worked together to produce the 2010 thatching materials and a wide range of other products, they serve as habitat World Atlas of Mangroves, a follow-up to an Atlas published by ITTO and for fisheries, and they help protect coastlines from tsunamis, storm surges ISME in 1997 and the most comprehensive worldwide study ever undertaken and erosion. But they are under threat. An estimated 35 600 km2 were lost on mangrove ecosystems. This special between 1980 and 2005, and the annual rate of loss between 2000 and 2005 edition of the TFU summarizes its was 0.6 main findings. Special edition summarizing the findings of the 2O1O World Atlas of Mangroves ITTO Background The World Mangrove Atlas, an initiative of Contents ITTO and ISME, was published in 1997. This Chapters i and 2 of the Atlas provide highly acclaimed work supported the information on mangrove distribution, development of a new global perception of biogeography, productivity, ecology, human the extent and status of mangrove use, economic value, threats and ecosystems. It contained world and regional management approaches. Chapter 3 mangrove distribution maps, country-by- describes the methodology used in the country assessments, and case studies on production of the regional, national and the geomorphology, species composition subnational mangrove distribution maps and socioeconomic condition of specific presented in Chapters 4-13, which also areas. contain information at the country level on The aim of the 2010 World Atlas of mangrove distribution, ecology and use. Ten Mangroves was to revise and improve the case studies written by regional experts accuracy of the original World Mangrove provide insights into regional mangrove Atlas through analytical assessments of issues, including ecology, productivity, mangrove forest area and status at the biodiversity, traditional use and values, and regional and national levels. Published in sustainable management. English in July 2010, the revised Atlas was The Atlas contains three annexes. Annex i written by Mark Spalding (TNC), Mami consists of range maps for 73 mangrove Kainuma (ISME) and Lorna Collins (TNC), species; Annex 2 provides a listing of with funding from the Government of Japan country-by-country species; and Annex 3 and the inputs of more than 100 presents national-level statistics on various international mangrove researchers and mangrove parameters. organizations. This special TFU summarizes chapters 1-13 The 2010 World Atlas of Mangroves of the Atlas and also, under 'Management constitutes the first truly global assessment implications', extends it to address some of of the state of mangroves, providing recent the efforts that are being made to ensure the and reliable coverage of nearly 99% of the sustainability of the world's remaining world's mangroves and a wealth of statistics mangrove ecosystems. on biodiversity, habitat area, loss and economic value. It contains 60 full-page Map production maps—including new maps derived from FAO and UNEP-WCMC led the mapping recent satellite imagery for about 59% of the effort. A major element of this work was the resource—showing locations of the entire creation from Landsat imagery of new maps world's mangroves. It includes hundreds of for part or all of 55 countries and territories photographs and illustrations together with (representing 57% of the world's mangroves). comprehensive country-by-country In addition, high-resolution mangrove assessments. maps for the remaining 43% of the global Supporting countries mangrove resource were obtained from other sources, including the 1997 World ITTO and organizations Co-editors Chan Hung Tuck, Mark Spalding, Shigeyuki Baba, Mami Kainuma, Alastair Mangrove Atlas. The resulting global map is Sarre and Steve Johnson The following organizations provided a major milestone, with data of broadly Editorial assistant Kenneth Sato financial or in-kind contributions to the consistent age and resolution for 98.6% of Design DesignOne project: Government of Japan (the major The Tropical Forest Update is published by the International Tropical Timber the total global mangrove area. This dataset Organization. funding source of the project); Thailand enables comparisons over geographic space Content does not necessarily relied the views or policies ot ITTO. Articles may be Environment Institute; Tokio Marine and reprinted without charge provided the TFU and author(s)/editor(s) are credited. and provides a critical base for assessing Printing of this special issue of TFU was financially supported by ISME and Nichido Fire Insurance; Tropical Biosphere future change over time. YL Invest Co., Ltd. Due to a lack of funding for translation, this issue of the TFU is only available in English. This will be the last issue of the TFU produced until such Research Center of University of the time as funds become available to recommence regular publication. Ryukyus; Wetlands International; the International Tropical Timber Organization, Interna- International Tropical Timber Organization United States Department of State; and the tional Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME), Food International Organizations Center - 5th Floor and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Pacifico-Yokohama, 1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku Government of Spain (the latter two (FAQ), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cul- Yokohama 220-0012 Japan tural Organization-Man and the Biosphere Programme 181^15-2231110 provided funding for publishing French and 181-45-2231111 (UNESCO-MAB), United Nations Environment Pro- [email protected] Spanish versions of the Atlas in 2011 and gramme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre www.itto.int early 2012, respectively). (UNEP-WCMC), United Nations University-lnstitutefar Water Environment and Health (UNU-IWEH), and The Cover image Photo:© J.F. Hellio and N. Van Ingen Nature Conservancy (TNC). JL UNITED NATIONS & * UNIVERSITY ITTO tINEP WCMC Conservancy C* UNU-INWCM World Atlas of Mangroves Publication announcement This Atlas provides the first truly global assessment of the state of the world's mangroves. Written by Dr. Mark Spalding, a leading expert on mangroves with support from more than 100 top international mangrove researchers and organizations, this full colour Atlas contains 60 full-page maps showing locations of all the world's mangroves, hundreds of photographs and illustrations and comprehensive country-by-country assessments of mangroves. The detailed maps and new mangrove area statistics are derived from recent satellite imagery, comprising, the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of these important ecosystems. Mangroves Mangroves are considered both ecologically and from a human perspective. Initial chapters provide a global view, with information on distribution, biogeography, productivity and wider ecology, as well as on human uses, economic Authors: values, threats, and Dr Mark Spalding is Senior Marine approaches for Scientist at the Conservation mangrove Strategies Division of The Nature management. These Conservancy (TNC), and is based at themes are revisited the Department of Zoology, throughout the University of Cambridge, UK. Dr Mami Kainuma is the Project regional chapters, Coordinator and a Senior where the maps Researcher for the International provide a spatial Society for Mangrove Ecosystems context or starting point for further exploration. The book also (ISME), Japan. Lorna Collins has worked as a presents a wealth of statistics on biodiversity, habitat area, loss and research associate for TNC and economic value which provide a unique record of mangroves against holds a Masters degree in Marine which future threats and changes can be evaluated. Case studies, Biology from the University of written by regional experts provide insights into regional mangrove Plymouth, UK. issues, including ecology, primary and potential productivity, Map preparation was lead by FAO biodiversity, sustainable management and information on present and W\KU , ^,*f^^ ; - •..--. ..rf'\_^.,-.,. I/../.!.,< .•.,. i., INDONESIA ' • - r--.., >' • -- 3>«v.AV i • ' ' •*>«•• traditional uses and values. The World Atlas of Mangroves is the result of a project implemented since 2005 as a joint initiative of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the International Society of Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre ihipcd ind wnnk.cc pncumaophoca (UNEP-WCMC), UNESCO-Man and the Biosphere (UNESCO-MAB), UNU-lnstitute for Water Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to revise the World Mangrove Atlas published in 1997 from ITTO and ISME in collaboration with WCMC. The majority of funding was provided by ITTO through a Japanese Government project grant and the project was implemented by ISME. The Spanish and French translated versions are also published. For further information, please contact the ISME Secretariat at isme@mangro ve.or.jp. or visit Routledge at http://www.routledge.com/books/ details/9781844076574/