Chen L.Z., Zan Q.J., Li M.G., Shen J.Y., Liao B.W.Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science,2009.85:241-246.

For the purpose of mangrove restoration inChina,Sonneratia caseolarishas been introduced and planted inGuangdongProvinceoutside and north of its native habitat,HainanProvince. We monitored the litter fall and forest structure of thisS. caseolarisforest inShenzhen City,GuangdongProvince,China, from 1996 to 2005. The annual fluctuation in litter fall increased with increases in air temperature from spring to early summer, and reached a maximum in autumn when the fruits matured. The total litter fall was significantly affected by air temperature, day length, and evaporation, rainfall in the previous month and by typhoons. In 1998, the sixth year after cultivation, the total litter production of the matureS. caseolarisforest significantly increased. The mean annual total litter production during 1998–2005 was 15.1 t ha¹yr¹, among which, leaves and reproductive materials contributed more than 80% of the total. During the ten years of study, the DBH (diameter at1.30 mfrom ground level) and tree height ofS. caseolarisincreased from5.2 cmto18.3 cm, and from4.5 mto13.4 m, respectively. The litter fall production was strongly correlated with forest structure parameters, such as DBH, tree height, and crown area. TheRvalue (the ratio of the maximum total litter fall to the minimum in the same community during the investigation periods) ofS. caseolarisin the present study was 1.98, indicating a low annual variation of litter fall during these ten years. Nutrient conservation strategies of a mangrove speciesRhizophora stylosaunder nutrient limitation.