Verification and validation of mangrove presence in the central portion of the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula, México

Abstract

To verify and / or validate the existence of angrove swamp in four locations in the central portion of the eastern coast of Baja California Sur, a boat trip was made from the coastal lagoon San Lucas (27⁰ 14.8 'N; 112⁰ 12´ W) to the San Carlos estuary (27 ° 42ʹ 13ʺ N, 112 ° 38ʹ 24ʺ W). The absence of mangroves was verified in Campo Camacho, Santa Ana and San Carlos. The lagoon coastal San Lucas was the only one with the presence of mangroves and the structural parameters of this mangrove indicate typologies of rim and dwarf mangroves, which are found forming strips parallel to the coastline between 5 and 25 m wide. Estimated total coverage by digitizing satellite images was 50 ha, which represented 11% of the extension of the lagoon. The dominant species was Rhizophora mangle with 44% coverage and average height of 2.08 m (SD ± 0.41) with a height interval of 1.60–2.80 m, followed by Avicennia germinans with 36% coverage, height mean of 2.4 m (SD ± 0.94) and an interval of 0.20-3.5 m and finally, Laguncularia racemosa with 20% of coverage, average height of 2.40 m (SD ± 0.41) and a 1.90–3 m interval.