Abstract
A comparative study was undertaken of the fate of fine sediment in the Ngerikiil and Ngerdorch mangrove-fringed estuaries in Babeldaob Island, Palau, Micronesia, in 2002. The mangroves comprised 3.8% of each catchment area, and in both systems, they trapped about 30% of the riverine sediment. Mangroves are important buffers protecting fringing coral reefs from excessive sedimentation. The sediment yield was significantly higher in the Ngerikiil River catchment (150 tons km−2 yr−1) that has been extensively cleared and farmed, than in Ngerdorch River catchment (1.9 tons km−2 yr−1) that was still relatively pristine during the study period.
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Victor, S., Golbuu, Y., Wolanski, E. et al. Fine sediment trapping in two mangrove-fringed estuaries exposed to contrasting land-use intensity, Palau, Micronesia. Wetlands Ecol Manage 12, 277–283 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-005-8319-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-005-8319-1