The impacts of tree density on the physical and biological characteristics of planted Mangrove stands in Sri Lanka

Survival, growth, aboveground biomass production, belowground biomass production, sediment accretion, soil surface elevation dynamics, sediment carbon and C/N ratio, sediment N and P, sediment 13C and 15N, sediment texture and macrofauna community structure, were studied in experimental treatments planted with four different densities (6.96, 3.26, 1.93 and 0.95 seedlings m-2) of the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata in Palakuda, Puttalam Lagoon, Sri Lanka. The first three parameters were also studied at a replicated experiment at Rekawa Lagoon, Sri Lanka. For both Palakuda (1,171days) and Rekawa (702 days) sites, the highest tree density (6.96 seedlings m-2) showed significantly higher % survival: means (±S.E.) of…