CHAPTER 9 • Conservation and Management of Latin American Mangroves
185
9.2
Extent, Distribution and Composition of New World Mangroves
The New World mangrove flora evolved from species of the more diversified mangroves
of the Indo-Pacific. The genera Rhizophora and Avicennia were the first to spread through
the Tethys Sea into what is presently the Mediterranean, and thereafter to the east coast of
the Americas. They reached the Caribbean by the early Eocene (55-50 million years B.P.)
and crossed a still non-existent Panama isthmus to the Pacific coast (Graham 1989).
Table 9.1. Estimates of mangrove area (ha), ratio of mangrove area/area of country (-), and ratio of
mangrove area A (km') /length of coastline of country L (km) of continental and insular countries
on the American continents
Country
Area (hal
Area
A/L
Reference
ratio
ratio
Continental countries
USA
190000
0.Q2
10
Odum et al. (1982)
Mexico
524600
0.27
56
Flores-Verdugo et al. (1992)
Belize
73000
3.10
189
Saenger et al. (1983)
Guatemala
16040
0.15
40
Jimenez (1992)
Nicaragua
60000
0.50
66
Saenger et al. (1983)
Honduras
121340
1.08
148
Jimenez (1992)
Costa Rica
41330
0.08
32
Jimenez (1992)
EI Salvador
35235
1.65
45
Jimenez (1992)
Panama
171000
2.22
69
D'Croz (1992)
Colombia
358000
0.31
148
Alvarez-Le6n (1993)
Ecuador
161770
0.60
72
MAG (1991)
Peru
4791
0.01
2
Echevarria and Sarabia(1993)
Venezuela
250000
0.27
76
MARNR (1986)
French Guyana
5500
0.06
15
Saenger et al. (1983)
Guyana
150000
0.70
326
Saenger et al. (1983)
Suriname
115000
0.70
298
Saenger et al. (1983)
Brazil
1412376
0.12
134
Kjerfve and Lacerda (1993); Hertz (1991)
Insular countries
Trinidad and Tobago
7150
1.40
20
Bacon (1993)
Jamaica
10624
1.02
7
Bacon (1993)
Cuba
529700
4.80
142
Padron et al. (1992)
Haiti
18000
0.65
10
Saenger et al. (1983)
Dominican Republic
9000
0.20
7
Saenger et al. (1983)
Puerto Rico
6500
0.71
Saenger et al. (1983)
Bahamas
141957
10.18
40
Bacon (1993)
Bermuda
20
<0.01
<1
Ellison (1993)
Guadeloupe
8000
4.49
20
Saenger et al. (1983)
Martinique
1900
1.73
7
Saenger et al. (1983)
Cayman Islands
7268
27.60
45
Bacon (1993)
Lesser Antilles
24571
Bacon (1993)
185
9.2
Extent, Distribution and Composition of New World Mangroves
The New World mangrove flora evolved from species of the more diversified mangroves
of the Indo-Pacific. The genera Rhizophora and Avicennia were the first to spread through
the Tethys Sea into what is presently the Mediterranean, and thereafter to the east coast of
the Americas. They reached the Caribbean by the early Eocene (55-50 million years B.P.)
and crossed a still non-existent Panama isthmus to the Pacific coast (Graham 1989).
Table 9.1. Estimates of mangrove area (ha), ratio of mangrove area/area of country (-), and ratio of
mangrove area A (km') /length of coastline of country L (km) of continental and insular countries
on the American continents
Country
Area (hal
Area
A/L
Reference
ratio
ratio
Continental countries
USA
190000
0.Q2
10
Odum et al. (1982)
Mexico
524600
0.27
56
Flores-Verdugo et al. (1992)
Belize
73000
3.10
189
Saenger et al. (1983)
Guatemala
16040
0.15
40
Jimenez (1992)
Nicaragua
60000
0.50
66
Saenger et al. (1983)
Honduras
121340
1.08
148
Jimenez (1992)
Costa Rica
41330
0.08
32
Jimenez (1992)
EI Salvador
35235
1.65
45
Jimenez (1992)
Panama
171000
2.22
69
D'Croz (1992)
Colombia
358000
0.31
148
Alvarez-Le6n (1993)
Ecuador
161770
0.60
72
MAG (1991)
Peru
4791
0.01
2
Echevarria and Sarabia(1993)
Venezuela
250000
0.27
76
MARNR (1986)
French Guyana
5500
0.06
15
Saenger et al. (1983)
Guyana
150000
0.70
326
Saenger et al. (1983)
Suriname
115000
0.70
298
Saenger et al. (1983)
Brazil
1412376
0.12
134
Kjerfve and Lacerda (1993); Hertz (1991)
Insular countries
Trinidad and Tobago
7150
1.40
20
Bacon (1993)
Jamaica
10624
1.02
7
Bacon (1993)
Cuba
529700
4.80
142
Padron et al. (1992)
Haiti
18000
0.65
10
Saenger et al. (1983)
Dominican Republic
9000
0.20
7
Saenger et al. (1983)
Puerto Rico
6500
0.71
Saenger et al. (1983)
Bahamas
141957
10.18
40
Bacon (1993)
Bermuda
20
<0.01
<1
Ellison (1993)
Guadeloupe
8000
4.49
20
Saenger et al. (1983)
Martinique
1900
1.73
7
Saenger et al. (1983)
Cayman Islands
7268
27.60
45
Bacon (1993)
Lesser Antilles
24571
Bacon (1993)