The mangrove flora of Australia is one of the richest in the world. It consists of thirty-nine species. The mangroves are distributed around most of the mainland coast, except for the Great Australian Bight, in the southwestern Australia, and for Tasmania, where they do not occur. The highest diverse species is found along the north and northeastern coastlines. The presence of mangroves along the south east coast is important since they are located at the southernmost latitude in the world (38° 45’S). Common species include: Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Bruguiera parviflora, Ceriops tagal, Excoecaria agallocha, Lumnitzera racemosa, Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora stylosa, and Acanthus ebracteatus. Associated species include: Acrostichum speciosum, and Pemphis acidula.
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 |
1979 |
1 161 700 |
Galloway, R.W. 1979. Distribution and patterns of Australian mangals. Presented at the Australian National Mangrove Workshop, 18-20 April 1979 |
X |
Cited in: FAO. 1982. Management and utilization of mangroves in Asia and the Pacific. FAO environment paper 3. FAO, Rome, 160 pp. |
1982 |
1 000 000 |
Robertson, A.J. 1991. Plant-animal interactions and the structure and function of mangrove forest ecosystems. Australian Journal of Ecology Vol. 16: 433-443 |
Secondary reference, no primary source provided. | |
1982 |
1 150 000 |
Galloway, R.W. 1982. Distribution and physiographic patterns of Australian mangroves. In: Clough, B.F., ed. Mangrove ecosystem in Australia: Structure, Function and Management, pp. 31-54. Australian Institute of Marine Science and Australian National University Press, Canberra. |
Cited in: Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D., eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp. It could be an approximate estimate based on Galloway, R.W. 1979 (see above). | |
1983 |
1 162 000 |
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. 1994. Mangrove forest management guidelines. FAO Forestry Paper 117. Rome, 319 pp. Most likely an approximate estimate based on the 1979 figure (see above) | |
1995 |
969 500 |
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 1:250 000 | |
1997 |
1 045 000 |
National Forest Inventory. 1997. |
Cited in: Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS). 1998. Australia's State of the Forest Report 1998. http://www.affa.gov.au/content/publications.cfm?Category=Forest%20and%20Vegetation%20Sciences&ObjectID=3D3475D7-AA51-493F-90C186929E909302 | |
1997 |
995 277 |
Ibid |
X |
Combined national level mangrove estimate based on the following remote sensing studies: Queensland: Queensland Fisheries Service, Assessment and Monitoring Group. 2000. Queensland Coastal Wetlands Mapping. Queensland government, CD ROM. Rest of the country: National Forest Inventory. 1997. (see above) The reference year is the area weighted average. |
