Mangrove community structure and alaysis : a case for Tumpat, Kelantan Delta, East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

A study on the mangrove vegetation structure at Tumpat (Kelantan Delta) was conducted during 21 - 25 October 2007. Altogether, 21 stations (at 11cm intervals) were chosen covering an area of approximately 32 sq. km (N: 6 ° ° 12'00" - 6 13'30" & ° E: 102 ° 09'30" - 102 13'00"), and reached to their nearest point with the help of a Global Positioning Systems. Out of 21 stations selected, seven represented mangroves proper. The Point-Centered Quarter Method (PCQM) was employed in all mangrove stations to estimate different tree structural parameters such as stem density (nos/0.lha), basal area (m2 /0.lha), relative density (% composition), relative dominance (% composition), absolute frequency (% composition), and species individual ranking. Mangrove plant composition was represented by five dominant tax.a i.e., Avicennia alba, Bruguiera gymnorrhyza, Nypa fruiticans, Rhizophora mucronata and Sonneratia caseolaris. Based on stem density and basal area measurements, four species' associations were recognized. Group-I represented by S.caseolaris and N.fruiticans was abundant and distributed throughout the forest, Group-2 (A.alba) species is a pioneer species, Group-3 (B.gymnorrhyza) is a succeeded of the pioneer species, and Group-4 (Rmucronata) species have occurred only at the bay-mangrove periphery showing their preference to those high salinity regimes. Overall, the mangrove at Tumpat could categorize as "riverine mangrove" based on their ecological distribution.