GUIDELINES FOR PLANTING MANGROVE GREENBELTS, POND REHABILITATION

J.H. Primavera, Ph.D.

Pew Fellow and Scientist Emerita SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department Tigbauan, Iloilo

Guidelines For Planting Mangrove Greenbelts, Pond Rehabilitation

Numerous mangrove rehabilitation programs in the Philippines have failed despite multimillion peso funding over the last few decades. The very low survival rates of mangroves can be traced to practices based mainly on the convenience of the planter rather than the ecology of the plant. The following guidelines provide a brief summary of sciencebased protocols that incorporate results of planting trials and field observations conducted under the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation as well as earlier experiences. In the Philippine setting, the characteristic mangrove species along seashores, riverbanks are predominantly: a. bungalon/apiapi Avicennia marina varied substrates, wide salinity range; front liner b. bungalon/apiapi Avicennia alba sandy-muddy substrate, full seawater salinity; front liner c. pagatpat Sonneratia alba sandy substrate, full seawater salinity; front liner d. bakhaw Rhizophora stylosa more sheltered sites, or behind A. marina-S. alba zone, sandy substrate e. bakhaw lalaki Rhizophora apiculata - more sheltered sites, e.g., lagoons or behind A. marina-S. alba zone or along riverbanks, sandy to muddy substrate, full to brackish salinity f. bakhaw babae Rhizophora mucronata along riverbanks, muddy substrate, more brackish salinity Allow natural water flow (hydrology) and natural recruitment of native species. If there is no natural recruitment, plant seedlings from a nursery.

Avicennia marina

Avicennia alba

Sonneratia alba

Guidelines For Planting Mangrove Greenbelts, Pond Rehabilitation

A. NURSERY AND OUTPLANTING 1) Set up a mangrove nursery near the sea or tidal river/creek (for regular watering) and slightly shaded from the sun. Plant undamaged, mature propagules or seeds in polybags, or use wild seedlings (wildings). 2) Near mother trees, locate wild seedlings/wildings at least 10-20 cm high with woody stems (rather than very young seedlings with herbaceous stems) and at least 6-8 leaves. 3) Around the plant, dig deep and wide to avoid damage to the roots, and quickly transfer to a good-sized (at least 15-20 cm diameter) plastic bag. Condition in the nursery for 4-6 months. 4) Transplant from the nursery during the season of least wave action -- during low tide either in the late afternoon to avoid high daytime temperatures, or in the early morning when the flood tide comes in soon after planting. Bury all the roots and at least one-third of the stem in the substrate. Remove the plastic bags, do not include in planting. 5) Plant in the upper to middle intertidal zone; seedlings planted in the lower intertidal zone will have higher mortality rates. Make sure to plant the right species -- bungalon and pagatpat facing the open sea, bakhaw in more sheltered sites (see opposite page). 6) Space plants at 1.5-2 meter distances and plant in plots of 100 to 1,000 square meters with gaps of 10-20 meters between plots. Gaps will be filled up later by natural growth or recruitment of mangroves. 7) For protection from waves and also foraging goats, cows, etc. fence off the area (with bamboo or other inexpensive materials). 8) Maintenance -- check the plants regularly and remove lumut or filamentous algae, tagimtim or barnacles (using long-nosed pliers), plastic bags, nets and other debris. Replace dead or damaged seedlings. 9) Regularly monitor growth (height of plant, number of leaves and/or nodes) and survival of the plantation.
Rhizophora stylosa Rhizophora apiculata Rhizophora mucronata

Guidelines For Planting Mangrove Greenbelts, Pond Rehabilitation

B. EXPIRED FLA/ABANDONED FISHPONDS 1) Fishpond Lease Agreements (FLAs) of abandoned ponds must first be cancelled by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), then returned to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for reversion to mangrove forest. 2) Abandoned ponds that are privately owned or titled can proceed with the steps below. 3) Restore water flow (hydrology) by breaking the dikes. 4) Let natural regeneration (or recruitment) of mangroves take place. 5) If there is no natural regeneration, then plant seedlings following the steps above.
Notes: A more comprehensive volume is planned with added lessons from the Community-Based Mangrove Rehabilitation Project of the Zoological Society of London. A detailed description of the commonly planted mangrove species can be found in the 2004 Handbook of Mangroves in the Philippines - Panay published by UNESCO (for copies, inquiries may be made through http://www.seafdec.org.ph). Photos by: J.H. Primavera, Ph.D.