STATUS AND TRENDS IN MANGROVE AREA EXTENT WORLDWIDE

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Vegetation description

Fifteen mangrove sites have been identified in these islands. Eight in S. Kitts and seven in Nevis. Except for some sites, such as Friar’s Bay Pond and Greatheeds Pond in St. Kitts and Nisbett Settlement in Nevis, the majority of sites contains few mangroves species. The most common species are: Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia schaueriana. The series of white mangrove stands (Laguncularia racemosa) are located around fresh or brackish water lagoons. At Greatheeds Pond stands of A. germinans reach a maximum of 10 m in height; in other sites mangroves rarely reach above 5 m high. In Nevis island Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus are the most common species.

Lacerda, L.D. 1993. Conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests in Latin America and Africa regions. Vol. 2 Part I- Latin America. Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90 (F). Okinawa, Japan. 272 pp.
Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. & Field, C.D., eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp.

National level mangrove area estimates

Year

Area
(ha)

Source

Trend

Methodology/Comments

1980

43

Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D., eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp.

Map analysis based on wide range of maps, scale between 1:50 000 and
1:300 000.

1991

79

Bacon P.R. 1993. Mangroves in the Lesser Antilles, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. In: Lacerda, L.D. 1993. Conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests in Latin America and Africa regions. Vol. 2 Part I- Latin America. p. 155 210. Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90 (F). Okinawa, Japan. 272 pp.

X

Ground survey

1991

20

George, A.L. nd.

Snedaker, S.C. 1991. Personal communication. Cited in: Fisher, P and Spalding, M.D. 1993. Protected areas with mangrove habitat. Draft Report World Conservation Centre, Cambridge, UK. 60 pp. The “Year” is the year of the communication.

Trends in mangrove area extent over time

The estimates for 1980, 1990 and 2000 have been calculated applying FRA 2000 (FA0, 2001) annual forest cover change rate for 1990-2000 (-0.6 percent) to the most recent, reliable figure.

Year	Area (ha)	Source	Trend	Methodology/Comments
1980	43	Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D., eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp.		Map analysis based on wide range of maps, scale between 1:50 000 and 1:300 000.
1991	79	Bacon P.R. 1993. Mangroves in the Lesser Antilles, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. In: Lacerda, L.D. 1993. Conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests in Latin America and Africa regions. Vol. 2 Part I- Latin America. p. 155 210. Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90 (F). Okinawa, Japan. 272 pp.	X	Ground survey
1991	20	George, A.L. nd.		Snedaker, S.C. 1991. Personal communication. Cited in: Fisher, P and Spalding, M.D. 1993. Protected areas with mangrove habitat. Draft Report World Conservation Centre, Cambridge, UK. 60 pp. The “Year” is the year of the communication.