The preface of the World Atlas of Mangroves states that it aims to present up to date information on the distribution and status of mangroves to ‘as wide an audience as possible’ and strengthen the case for mangrove conservation. I think that the authors have succeeded in doing this, giving an accessible and detailed account of these important ecosystems from an ecological, social and geographical perspective.
From a conservation perspective the need for a book like this is evident: mangroves have suffered serious losses in the past, although formal protection and awareness of their value is now improving. Their global distribution also makes them significant, with mangrove forests found in the coastal zones of over 120 countries worldwide, providing food, building materials and protection to millions of people and a home to large numbers of threatened species of plants and animals.
Chapter one provides a detailed introduction to the ecology of individual mangrove species and to the ecosystem as a whole. This chapter covers a lot of basic information, from mangrove distribution and biogeography to productivity statistics and brief descriptions of some of the species commonly found in these ecosystems. The authors consider the importance of mangrove forests at various scales, including their role in global carbon cycles and on a local scale supporting threatened and endemic species. The photographs included with this section are particularly useful in demonstrating the specific adaptations and diversity of organisms in mangrove ecosystems.
The authors have dedicated chapter two to mangroves and people, a welcome addition to the book and one that helps to highlight their significance and need for protection in a different context. This chapter covers both the historical and contemporary values associated with mangrove ecosystems. Examples of the local use of mangrove products from several countries are included. The impact that humans have on mangroves is also considered and a box focusing on the effects of climate change nicely summarises recent work on this subject.
As the title would suggest, maps of the world’s mangrove forests make up a large part of the rest of the book and chapter three gives some background information on their development. The work of institutions such as the UN Environment Programme–World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN was used to update the maps from the original 1997 World Mangrove Atlas and this has resulted in detailed global, regional and national mangrove maps. The following 10 chapters focus on different regions and each begins with a full page regional distribution map. The ecology and values of mangroves in each country are then discussed in more detail. The country maps are likely to be of the most use to practitioners as they also show the overlap between mangrove forests and marine and terrestrial protected areas. Boxes focusing on mangrove conservation and local importance are included for some countries and these help to give depth to the otherwise more general country information. The case studies chosen are interesting and varied, with the only downside being that there are so few, with several regions having none at all.
The annexes provide further information on individual mangrove species and a breakdown of mangrove statistics by country. The species profiles are particularly useful from a conservation perspective, with many accompanied by a detailed range map and botanical line drawings to aid identification. These are not included for all species and I think this should be a priority for future work on this subject as this information would be particularly useful for those working in the field.
As the authors intended, the World Atlas of Mangroves is likely to be of use to a wide range of people. A lot of information is included but the language used is accessible for a non-expert reader whilst remaining scientific. The photographs that accompany the text illustrate the subjects well. Some of the more general information will be an excellent introduction to the subject for anybody researching mangroves, and the in-depth maps and species’ profiles will be a useful resource for conservation practitioners.
