Species composition and forest conditions of true mangroves in Kapa at Kadan Island, Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar

Abstract

The survey was conducted in the mangrove forest around the Kapa Village in Kadan Island, Myeik Coastal area, in April 2018. Transect lines in shoreline, seaward and landward, and plot based on Point Center Quarter Method (PCQM) P-DATA PRO were used. A total of 18 species of true mangroves were record. Among than 1 species in Near Threaten(NT), 1 species in Critically Endangered(CR), 2 species in Endangered(EN) considered under the IUCN red list. Rhizophora apiculata and R.mucronata are the dominant species in the area. Aegialitis rotumdifolia, Avicennia marina, Excoecaria aglocha, Heritiera littoralis, Sonneratia graffithii, Xylocarpus mucronata and Nypa fruticans are the least species in the area. Among the three study sites of Kapa, Landward zone is the most distributed of species and shoreline zone is the least distributed. The complexity index was found 2.5 to 67.3.The total forest density 0.17 to 0.39m2 and mean height 3.2 to 4.7m. The mean important value of Rhizophora apiculata was heights; the Nypa frucan was least. The environmental parameters such as salinity and temperature of seawater, and temperature and pH of soils of each study site were presented.