Title

Comprehensive dataset of mangrove tree weights in Southeast Asia

Authors

Akira Komiyama^1,*, Shogo Kato¹, Sasitorn Poungparn², Tanuwong Sangtiean³, Chatree Maknual³, Somsak Piriyayotha³, Vipak Jintana⁴, Suhardjono Prawiroatmodjo⁵, Pramudji Sastrosuwondo⁶, Kazuhiko Ogino⁷

• ¹ Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
• ² Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
• ³ Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
• ⁴ Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
• ⁵ Research Center for Biology (LIPI), Cibinong 16911, Indonesia
• ⁶ Research Center for Oceanography (LIPI), North Jakarta 14430, Indonesia
• ⁷ Emeritus Professor of Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8566, Japan

^* Corresponding author: Akira Komiyama
Address: 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Tel & Fax: +81-58-293-2858
E-mail address: komiyama@gifu-u.ac.jp

Abstract

We assembled a dataset tabulating the weights of Thai and Indonesian mangrove trees that we measured between 1982 and 2001. We selected four Thai study sites in Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun, and Trat provinces and one site in eastern Indonesia on Halmahera Island in Maluku Province. The stands in Ranong Province and on Halmahera Island were in primary forests with data collected in the 1980s and the remaining stands were in secondary forests with data collected later. We collected 124 tree samples from ten species (Avicennia alba, Bruguiera cylindrica, B. gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata, Sonneratia alba, S. caseolaris, Xylocarpus granatum, and X. moluccensis) and measured the root weights of 32 individuals of nine species (A. alba, B. cylindrica, B. gymnorrhiza, C. tagal, R. apiculata, R. mucronata, S. alba, S. caseolaris, and X. granatum). All sampled trees were subjected to a standardized protocol to obtain aboveground weights. The trunks were divided into horizontal segments from which the leaves and branches were collected separately. Roots were collected by winching them out of the ground, by trench digging, or by complete excavation. Thus, we were able to compile the weights of the trunk, branches, leaves, and roots of each tree sampled. Aerial roots were included in root weight measurements, although they were collected above ground. We compiled separate lists of trunk diameters, trunk heights, heights of the lowest living branches, and the heights of aerial roots on the trunks of trees in different size categories. Our dataset includes a wide range of tree sizes (maximum trunk diameter: 48.9 cm), geographical locations (1°10′N–12°24′N, 98°32′E–123°49′E) and organ weights (trunks, branches, leaves, and roots), and therefore should prove useful in future biomass studies of mangrove forests.

Keywords

• Allometry
• Biomass
• Branch weight
• Leaf weight
• Mangroves
• Root weight
• Southeast Asia
• Tree dimensions
• Trunk volume
• Trunk weight

Introduction

Mangrove forests occur in the intertidal zone of tropical and sub-tropical coastlines, forming ecosystems that benefit a variety of diverse organisms, including humans (Tomlinson 1986). Until now, mangrove-forest researchers have used the allometric method for estimating biomass and productivity of these forests (Clough and Scott 1989; Ong et al. 2004; Chave et al. 2005; Komiyama et al. 2005; Komiyama et al. 2008). To use this method, researchers need allometric equations that are based on the weights of individual trees.

The quality and quantity of raw data are important factors for allometric equations. However, the labor involved and destructive nature of harvesting trees in mangrove forests creates difficulties for many researchers when compiling adequate raw datasets. Falster et al.(2015) established a worldwide database of individual tree weights to underpin allometric equations with rich and systematic raw data. However, that database did not include mangroves, with the exception of a Xylocarpus tree sampled elsewhere in a tropical rain forest.

We investigated five mangrove forests in Southeast Asia and collected individual-tree weight data from 124 trees. These samples included large trees that were present in primary forests in the 1980s. Our comprehensive dataset with a wide range of geographical locations, tree sizes, and organ weights should be useful for researchers studying mangrove biomass and productivity.

Metadata

1. TITLE

Comprehensive dataset of mangrove tree weights in Southeast Asia

2. IDENTIFIER

ERDP-2016-07

3. CONTRIBUTOR

A. Dataset owners

Akira Komiyama
Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Gifu University
Address: 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Tel.: +81-58-293-2858
Fax: +81-58-293-2858
Email address: komiyama@gifu-u.ac.jp

Kazuhiko Ogino
Emeritus Professor of Ehime University
Email address: rxw00766@nifty.com

B. Contact person

4. GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

A. Geographical description

Thailand and Indonesia

B. Boundary coordinates

West: 98°32′E
East: 123°49′E
North: 12°24′N
South: 1°10′N

5. TEMPORAL COVERAGE

The earliest sampling date: Feb. 1, 1981 (at RNG)

The latest sampling date: Jul. 25, 2001 (at TRT)

6. METHODS

A. Sampling sites

The dataset that we assembled contains information on mangrove trees harvested in Phang Nga [PNG], Ranong [RNG], and Satun [STN] Provinces of southern Thailand, Trat [TRT] Province of eastern Thailand, and Halmahera Island [HLM] in Maluku Province of eastern Indonesia. The harvested trees belong to the families Avicenniaceae (Avicennia alba Blume [Aa]), Meliaceae (Xylocarpus granatum Koenig [Xg], X. moluccensis (Lam.) Roem. [Xm]), Rhizophoraceae (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam. [Bg], B. cylindrica (L.) Bl. [Bc], Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Robinson [Ct], Rhizophora mucronata Lam. [Rm], R. apiculata Bl. [Ra]), and Sonneratiaceae (Sonneratia alba J. Smith [Sa], S. caseolaris (L.) Engler [Sc]) (scientific names after Tomlinson 1986). The research activities required to assemble this dataset were approved by the National Research Council of Thailand and the Indonesian Institute of Science in the 1980s.

The five study sites were located between 1°10′N and 12°24′N, and between 98°32′E and 123°49′E (Fig. 1). Details of the climatic and environmental conditions in the forests are listed in Table 1. The primary mangrove forests in RNG and HLM had typical zonation patterns (i.e. zones of Sonneratia–Avicennia, Bruguiera, Rhizophora, and Xylocarpus; Ogino 1985; Komiyama et al. 1988). The secondary forests in PNG and TRT, which were previously used for charcoal production or tin mining, had similar zonation patterns (Poungparn et al. 2002; Poungparn et al. 2009). In contrast, the forest in STN was comprised of a nearly pure stand of C. tagal (Komiyama et al. 2000).

The tallest trees in the two primary forests that we studied reached 35.5 and 39.6 m in RNG and HLM, respectively. The tree densities in these forests were 1,246 (trunk diameters ≥ 4 cm) and 206–761 (trunk diameters ≥ 8 cm) trees ha⁻¹ in RNG and HLM, respectively. In the three secondary forests, the tallest trees were 18.8 m (PNG), 8.0 m (STN), and 23.8 m (TRT), and tree densities were in the range of 2,000–3,000 trees ha⁻¹.

Fig. 1 Locations of the five study sites in Thailand and Indonesia

Forest types (zones): BR, Bruguiera zone; CE, Ceriops zone; RH, Rhizophora zone; SO, Sonneratia zone; XY, Xylocarpus zone

B. Data collection and tree harvesting

Our dataset contains information on 124 trees belonging to ten species (Aa, n = 7; Bc, n = 13; Bg, n = 15; Ct, n = 10; Ra, n = 33; Rm, n = 11; Sa, n = 13; Sc, n = 8; Xg, n = 13; Xm, n = 1). We also included the root weights of 32 individuals belonging to nine species (Aa, n = 1; Bc, n = 4; Bg, n = 3; Ct, n = 1; Ra, n = 13; Rm, n = 1; Sa, n = 2; Sc, n = 1; Xg, n = 6). The largest trunk diameters measured were 48.9 cm (Bg) at HLM, 43.3 cm (Ra) at RNG, and 21.7 cm (Sa) at HLM.

Komiyama et al. (2005) described the procedures that we used for tree cutting and weighing as follows. Trunk diameters were measured on each individual at ground level (D₀), at 30 cm height (D_0.3), at 1-m intervals thereafter (D_1.3 = DBH, D_2.3, D_3.3…), and at the height of the lowest living branch (D_B), as well as tree height (H) and the height of the lowest living branch (H_B). We also measured the trunk diameters 30 cm above the highest prop roots (D_R0.3) in samples of Rhizophora species and others. We used measurements of trunk diameters at 1-m intervals to calculate the total trunk volumes (V_S), assuming that each trunk segment had a conical shape. The height of the highest prop/buttress root (H_R) was also measured when tree samples had developed noticeable aerial roots.

All tree samples were single-stemmed. Each sample was cut at ground level using a handsaw or chainsaw, and then separated manually into trunk, branch, leaf, and root fractions. Fresh weights of these organs were obtained by measurement with balances. The aboveground weights of individual trees (W_top) were calculated from the sums of dry weights of trunks (W_S), branches (W_B), and leaves (W_L), while the wood densities of the trunks were obtained by calculating W_S / V_S.

Individual tree roots were removed from the ground with three procedures: winching out (Tamai et al. 1983; Tamai et al. 1986; RNG), trench cutting (Komiyama et al. 1988; Komiyama et al. 2000; HLM and STN), and complete excavation using a water pump (Poungparn et al. 2002; TRT). Aerial roots (aboveground prop roots of Rhizophora species, and ridge-shaped buttress roots of other species) were cut from the trunk fraction, and harvested with the underground roots still connected. These aerial roots were included in the total dry root weights (W_R), and excluded from W_top. The harvested roots were manually separated into eight diameter classes: 0–2 mm, 2–5 mm, 5–10 mm, 10–20 mm, 20–30 mm, 30–40 mm, 40–50 mm, and ≥50 mm.

The measurements of W_S, W_B, W_L, and W_R were obtained after oven-drying the samples (each ca. 500 g) the different organ types at 110 ℃ for 48 hours. The dry/fresh weight ratios were calculated for each species and study site. Separate samples were taken of canopy and understory trees. For trunks and branches, we calculated the overall ratios of individual trees based on mixed sub-samples collected from horizontal segments spaced at 1-m intervals. We used the ratio of either canopy or understory tree samples to calculate the dry weights of other harvested trees. For leaves, we calculated the ratios for the same horizontal segments to assess the differences between sun and shade leaves. The ratio in each horizontal segment (of either canopy or understory tree samples) was used to calculate the dry-leaf weights of other harvested trees. For roots, the ratios were calculated for each of the eight diameter classes listed above, and multiplied by the respective fresh root weights of other harvested trees.

This dataset was used by Komiyama et al. (2005) to construct common allometric equations for mangroves. In these equations, DBH was used for the independent variable (the underlined trunk diameters in our dataset) except for Rhizophora species where D_R0.3 was used instead. This was done because Rhizophora trees sometimes show unusual trunk forms below H_R. In trees with developed prop roots, radial growth of the trunk becomes vigorous only above H_R. In cases where H_R ≥ 1.0 m, DBH can be smaller than D_R0.3 depending on the distribution pattern of large prop roots. This trunk form also affects D₀ and D_0.3 values from Rhizophora trees.

7. DATA STATUS

Latest update: October 2016

8. ACCESSIBILITY

A. Usage rights:

Please inform the dataset owner about the use of the dataset when a new publication based on, or delivered from, this dataset is distributed.

B. Data updates:

The data set will be updated. Please check the latest version of the dataset.

C. Disclaimer:

In no event shall the authors and the dataset owners be liable for loss of profits, or for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the dataset.

D. Dataset owner:

See 3.A

9. DATA STRUCTURE

A. Metadata of “Dataset of the weights of mangroves trees”

A-1. Dataset file

Identity: site_metadata.csv
Format and storage mode: ASCII text, comma separated. No compression scheme was used.
Header information: The first row of the file contains the variable names below.

A-2. Variable information

10. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We sincerely thank all of the researchers and colleagues who participated in the fieldwork. We are especially grateful to S. Tamai, T. Nakasuga, R. Tabuchi, H. Moriya, T. Toma, S. Aksornkoae, P. Patanaponpaiboon, and the late A. Budiman for their contributions. Part of the fieldwork for this dataset was financially supported by Grants-in-aid for Oversea Scientific Surveys of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (No. 62043054, No. 10041125).

11. LITERATURE CITED

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