Proposal for the Reforestation of Mangrove areas within the Vava’u Island Group.
Target Area: Koloa
Target Area: Koloa
Background
Mangroves are a vital ecosystem for both the marine and terrestrial areas of Vava’u. Mangroves are habitats for fish and invertebrates as they grow from juvenile form. Mangroves also aid in disaster management, helping to protect low lying coastal areas from rising sea levels and storm surges.
Table 1: Mangrove species present in Tonga
Scientific name and nomenclature name- Tongan name
Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae). -Tongolei or Tongo
(Pseudonym = Rhizo)
Rhizophorastylosa Griff. (Rhizophoraceae). -Tongolei or Tongo
Brugidera gymmorrhiza (L.) Lamk. (Rhizophoraceae)- Tongo ta'ane
Excoecaria agallocha L. (Euphorbiaceae) - Feta 'anu
Rare
Luninitzera littorea (Jack) Voigt. (Combretaceac). - Hangale
Heritiera littoralis Dryand. (Sterculiaceae) - Mamea
Xylocarpus granatum Konig (Meliaccae). - Lekileki
Xylocarpus moluccensis (Lamarck) Roemer - Lekileki
Ref: Table One extracted from Tonga Country Report by Netatua Prescott – Department of Environment
The mangrove species we identified in Koloa is Rhizophora mangle.
This identification was made by looking at the root system, leaves and the seedling.
Cultural Aspects
Mangroves are used in Tongan culture for the making of Tapa mats. They are also currently being used in the Bech-La-Mer Sea Cucumber Harvesting process. Finally, they are sometime used for harvesting wood for boats and houses.
Mangroves are vital protection and risk reduction measures against Tsunamis and Cyclones. Erosion and siltation are appearing in coastal areas where mangroves have been removed or damaged. This poses a great risk to human life and food resources.
Ideas for project:
The idea for this proposal is to bring together education and environment. Class 5 children will grow their own mangrove, and replant it in the area. The mangrove will be tagged with the child’s name, and monitored throughout the school year and beyond.
Children will make their growing pots from recyclable items.
The local women's group will help install the fence and monitor the area.
Aims:
Identify the mangrove species within the target area.
Establish the seeding season through a collaborative workshop using local knowledge.
Establish a small, protected area for the mangroves to be planted into.
Identify species that inhabit the mangrove areas and the estimated populations.
Improve knowledge and education on importance of healthy mangrove systems and sustainable usage.
Area Map
The fence around the area will be 13m wide by 10m deep. "Tongan pig fencing" will work best. It allows the water to flow naturally into the area whilst keeping pigs out. Also when one area is completed it can easily be moved to another area to start the replanting again.
The area needs to be fenced on all four sides for protection.
The children will grow and replant in the center area because this area is much harder for natural seed aggregation to reach. The areas close to the mangroves on each side will have more chance of natural seeding.
By choosing three methods of replanting we will be able to monitor the success rate of each area for future projects.
Costs:
Costs for this project will be as minimal. Most things can be made from natural resources or from recycled materials.
The cost for 46m of pig fencing is approx TOP350
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of Tonga Community Development Trust will assist if directly link to project’s expected output.
Related documents:
Tonga Country Report – Sprep
Ecological mangrove Restoration – Mangrove Action Project
Mangrove Forest – Mangrove Action Project
