Ninety mangrove sites have been identified in the islands. Caicos has a very large mangrove area, especially in the southern portion of North Caicos and in Middle and East Caicos, where virtually continuous mangroves and salt flats occurs. The most common species in these islands are: Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans (widespread on the margins of salts ponds and lagoons, as in the interior of West Caicos, but is largely a dwarf mangal about 2 – 3 m high), Conocarpus erectus (widespread on the drier landward margins of wetland), and C. erectus var. sericeus (common on saline margins on the North Caicos). Fringe Rhizophora mangle is developed in patches along sheltered coastal areas and margins of channels. In this zone trees are generally between 3 and 4.5 m high. The tallest R. mangle trees are present on Parrot Cay (in Caicos Cays), where some trees reach 10 m in height. The generally low, scrubby development of mangroves in these Islands, is probably a response of the high ambient salinity. There are three protected areas with mangroves in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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.
Year |
Area |
Source |
Trend |
Methodology/Comments |
1984 |
11 100 |
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. Scale 1:200 000. | |
1991 |
23 600 |
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, Part I - Latin America Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports vol.2 ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90. p. 155 210 |
X |
Ground survey |
1997 |
54 400 |
Bacon, P.R. 1997. The role of Ramsar Convention in Mangrove Management. Intercoast Network, International Newsletter of Coastal Management- Special Mangrove Edition. Narragansett, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Special Edition #1 |
The "Year" is the publication year. The figure might contain the entire wetland. |
No major changes appear to have occurred in this country over the last twenty years.
