STATUS AND TRENDS IN MANGROVE AREA EXTENT WORLDWIDE

Sri Lanka

Vegetation description

Mangroves constitute a relatively minor type of forest in Sri Lanka, where they form a thin belt around lagoons and river mouths. In the past, mangroves occupied much larger areas but a big amount has been reclaimed for coconut plantations and aquaculture. They are characterised by typical mangrove species such as Rhizophora sp., Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera cylindrica, Sonneratia sp., and Excoecaria agallocha.

FAO, UNEP. 1981. Tropical Forest Resourcess Assesment Project, Forest Resources of Tropical Asia. FAO, UNEP, 475 pp.

National level mangrove area estimates

Year

Area
(ha)

Source

Trend

Methodology/Comments

1968

3 640

Aruchelvam, K. 1969. Mangroves. The Ceylon Forester 8 (384): 1-34

Cited in: Pinto, M.L. 1982. Distribution and zonation of mangroves in the Northern part of the Negombo Lagoon (Sri Lanka). J. Natn. Sci. coun. Sri Lanka 1982 10 (2): 245-255

1969

10 000

Aruchelvam, K. 1969. Mangroves. The Ceylon Forester 8 (384): 1-34

X

Cited in: Jayasekara, A.M. 1986. Management strategies for fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystem in Sri Lanka. In: Mepham, R.H. 1986. Papers contributed to the workshop on strategies for the management of fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystems. p 1-9. Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 June

1977

120 000

Raphael, Y.I. 1977. Mangrove and estuarine area development: Country statement - Sri Lanka. In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Mangrove and Estuarine Area Development for the Indo-Pacific Region. p. 119-120. 14-19 November 1977. Manila.

This figure is considered as an overestimate. It could include "estuarine" area, or be a typographical error.

1978

3 200

Seneviratne, E.W. 1978. The Sri Lanka Mangroves.

Cited in: Snedaker, S.C. 1984. The Mangroves of Asia and Oceania: Status and Research Planning. In: proceedings of the Asian Symposium on Mangrove Environment Research and Management, Kuala Lumpur. p 5-15. August 25-29, 1980. Edited by E. Soepadmo, A.N. Rao and D.J. MacIntosh. 1984.

1982

8 000

World Rainforest movement. 2002. Sri Lanka: politics in forests. http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/29/SriLanka.html

Secondary reference, no primary source provided.

1983

3 600

Saenger, P., Hegerl E.J. and J.D.S., Davie. 1983. Global status of mangrove ecosystems. Commission on Ecology Papers No.3. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland. 88 pp.

Secondary reference, no primary source provided. The "Year" is the publication year.

1983

4 000

Wacharakitty, S. 1983. Mangrove Ecosystem in General. In: ESCAP/UNESCO/NRCT Regional Remote Sensing Training Course of Mangrove Ecosystem. p. 22-33. Bangkok, Nov. 28-Dec. 16 1983

Cited in: FAO. 1988. Manual on mapping and inventory of mangroves. Benessalah, D., ed. FAO Rome, 123 pp.

Rough estimate.

1986

6 296

Jayasekara, A.M. 1986. Management strategies for fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystem in Sri Lanka. Papers contributed to the workshop on strategies for the management of fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystems. Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 June

Land use maps prepared by the Survey Department as a result of the Sri Lanka-Swiss Remote Sensing Project. This estimate does not include all the country.

1992

8 800

WCMC. 2000. Coral reefs and mangroves of the world. http://www.wcmc.org.uk/marine/data/coral_mangrove/

Data are based on analysis of satellite imagery as of early 1992. An additional 500-700 ha in stands <20 m wide may also exist. Legg in litt.

1992

8 900

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 1:50 000.

1992

8 688

Legg, C. and N. Jewell. 1995. A 1:50 000 scale Forest Map of Sri Lanka: The basis for National Geographic System. The Sri Lanka Forester, Special Issue: Remote Sensing.

X

Remote sensing

1994

11 500

Dassanayake, H. 1994. Shri Lanka (environmental situation) In: An Environmental assessment of the Bay of Bengal region. FAO, Rome, p: 209-235

As cited in the document, the mangrove extent is between 10,000-13,000 ha.

The figure in this list is an average.

Trends in mangrove area extent over time

The figure for 2000 has been calculated applying FRA 2000 (FAO, 2001) annual forest cover change rate for 1990-2000 (-1.6 percent) to the most recent, reliable figure.

Year	Area (ha)	Source	Trend	Methodology/Comments
1968	3 640	Aruchelvam, K. 1969. Mangroves. The Ceylon Forester 8 (384): 1-34		Cited in: Pinto, M.L. 1982. Distribution and zonation of mangroves in the Northern part of the Negombo Lagoon (Sri Lanka). J. Natn. Sci. coun. Sri Lanka 1982 10 (2): 245-255
1969	10 000	Aruchelvam, K. 1969. Mangroves. The Ceylon Forester 8 (384): 1-34	X	Cited in: Jayasekara, A.M. 1986. Management strategies for fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystem in Sri Lanka. In: Mepham, R.H. 1986. Papers contributed to the workshop on strategies for the management of fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystems. p 1-9. Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 June
1977	120 000	Raphael, Y.I. 1977. Mangrove and estuarine area development: Country statement - Sri Lanka. In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Mangrove and Estuarine Area Development for the Indo-Pacific Region. p. 119-120. 14-19 November 1977. Manila.		This figure is considered as an overestimate. It could include "estuarine" area, or be a typographical error.
1978	3 200	Seneviratne, E.W. 1978. The Sri Lanka Mangroves.		Cited in: Snedaker, S.C. 1984. The Mangroves of Asia and Oceania: Status and Research Planning. In: proceedings of the Asian Symposium on Mangrove Environment Research and Management, Kuala Lumpur. p 5-15. August 25-29, 1980. Edited by E. Soepadmo, A.N. Rao and D.J. MacIntosh. 1984.
1982	8 000	World Rainforest movement. 2002. Sri Lanka: politics in forests. http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/29/SriLanka.html		Secondary reference, no primary source provided.
1983	3 600	Saenger, P., Hegerl E.J. and J.D.S., Davie. 1983. Global status of mangrove ecosystems. Commission on Ecology Papers No.3. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland. 88 pp.		Secondary reference, no primary source provided. The "Year" is the publication year.
1983	4 000	Wacharakitty, S. 1983. Mangrove Ecosystem in General. In: ESCAP/UNESCO/NRCT Regional Remote Sensing Training Course of Mangrove Ecosystem. p. 22-33. Bangkok, Nov. 28-Dec. 16 1983		Cited in: FAO. 1988. Manual on mapping and inventory of mangroves. Benessalah, D., ed. FAO Rome, 123 pp. Rough estimate.
1986	6 296	Jayasekara, A.M. 1986. Management strategies for fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystem in Sri Lanka. Papers contributed to the workshop on strategies for the management of fisheries and aquaculture in mangrove ecosystems. Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 June		Land use maps prepared by the Survey Department as a result of the Sri Lanka-Swiss Remote Sensing Project. This estimate does not include all the country.
1992	8 800	WCMC. 2000. Coral reefs and mangroves of the world. http://www.wcmc.org.uk/marine/data/coral_mangrove/		Data are based on analysis of satellite imagery as of early 1992. An additional 500-700 ha in stands <20 m wide may also exist. Legg in litt.
1992	8 900	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 1:50 000.
1992	8 688	Legg, C. and N. Jewell. 1995. A 1:50 000 scale Forest Map of Sri Lanka: The basis for National Geographic System. The Sri Lanka Forester, Special Issue: Remote Sensing.	X	Remote sensing
1994	11 500	Dassanayake, H. 1994. Shri Lanka (environmental situation) In: An Environmental assessment of the Bay of Bengal region. FAO, Rome, p: 209-235		As cited in the document, the mangrove extent is between 10,000-13,000 ha. The figure in this list is an average.