Hydrological classication in mangrove areas: A case study in Can Gio, Vietnam

A.F. van Loon a,*, R. Dijksma a, M.E.F. van Mensvoort b

a

Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands b Soil Inventarization and Land Evaluation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

Abstract The common hydrological classication for mangroves developed by Watson [Watson, J.G., 1928. Mangrove forests of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records No. 6. Forest Department, Federated Malay States, Kuala Lumpur] is not sufcient in mangrove areas with an irregular tidal regime and elevation, such as Can Gio in Vietnam. Incorporating more detailed hydrological information in the Watson classication gave promising results for the measuring sites in Can Gio, but should be tested in other mangrove areas.
Keywords: Mangrove; Hydrology; Watson classication; Mangrove restoration; Vietnam; Can Gio

1. Introduction The only hydrological tool used in mangrove rehabilitation is a classication developed by Watson (1928). This Watson classication (Table 1) was developed for mangroves in areas with regular semi-diurnal tides and a gradually rising elevation, while only part of the mangroves worldwide meets these conditions. However, Watson is still used in mangrove restoration projects all over the world (Hong and San, 1993; Lewis, 2005). This paper analyses the hydrology of a mangrove area, Can Gio, Vietnam, and presents an extended version of the Watson classication, more suited to irregular tidal regimes and elevation proles. 2. Site description Can Gio is located south of Ho Chi Minh City and forms the delta of the Saigon-Dong Nai river, where it discharges into the South China Sea. The coordinates of the study area are 108220 108400 N and 1068460 1078010 E (Tuan et al., 2002). The predominant semi-diurnal tidal regime is variable over time
* Corresponding author. Current address: FutureWater, Costerweg 1G, 6702 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 317 425100; fax: +31 317 423716. E-mail address: a.vanloon@futurewater.nl (A.F. van Loon).

(Fig. 1). After deforestation in the Second Indochina war (19631974) rehabilitation was done in monoculture with Rhizophora apiculata Blume (Tuan et al., 2002). 3. Methods Surveys were conducted along two transects between 23 March and 20 May 2004 (Van Loon, 2005). Data were gathered regarding the height of the soil surface, the water level in the open water and in the mangrove forest, ow characteristics (overland and groundwater ow), and vegetation. The piezometric head was measured by automatic pressure measuring devices both in the open water (site A0 and B0) and in the mangrove forest (sites A1A4 and B1). 4. Results and discussion Both transects had a ridge parallel to the coastline after which the elevation gradually declined, resulting in a basin further inland (Fig. 2). At both transects the mangrove vegetation was present in zones parallel to the coastline, mostly with abrupt transitions between successive zones. The ridges in both transects clearly form a barrier to overland ow. The rising tide rst has to overtop the ridges, or enter through a sub-creek, resulting in a lag at site A4 and B1

Table 1 Watson inundation classication and the related Southeast Asian mangrove species (Source: Watson, 1928) Inundation class 1 2 3 4 5 Tidal (regime ooded by) All high tides Medium high tides Normal high tides Spring high tides Equinoctial tides Elevation (m above admirality datum) Below 2.44 2.443.35 3.353.96 3.964.57 4.57 and above Flooding frequency (times per month) 5662 4559 2045 220 Up to 2 Vegetation (species) None Avicennia spp., Sonneratia Rhizophora spp., Ceriops, Bruguiera Lumnitzera, Bruguiera, Acrostichum aureum Ceriops spp., Phoenix paludosa

Fig. 1. Tidal prediction for the port of Vung Tau for the period 10 April16 May 2004: (left axis) the zero level of Vung Tau and (right axis) the reference level Mean Vung Tau (pers.commun. Marine Hydrometeorological Centre, Hanoi).

Fig. 2. Elevation prole of transects A and B, including the location of the measurement sites and the vegetation zones (Av: Avicennia alba; Rh: Rhizophora apiculata; Ph: Phoenix paludosa).

(Fig. 3). At ebb tide the water is discharged from the basin via sub-creeks and through the soil, resulting in a very gradual falling tide at A4 and B1, while sites A1A3 showed an abrupt change to a constant head. The inundation frequency in transect A showed strong anomalies due to the irregularity of the tidal regime. As both the elevation prole and the inundation frequency are important criteria in the classication of Watson, the hydrological conditions of Can Gio are not represented correctly by this classication. Classication according to Watson does not give unique and satisfactory results in a region with an irregular tidal regime and/or an irregular elevation prole. Therefore, we propose an adapted classication based on Watson (Table 2). The parameters inundation frequency and elevation are only useful in an area with a regular tidal regime and a regular elevation

prole. In an area with an irregular tidal regime and/or an irregular elevation prole the duration of inundation would rather be the most important parameter. Both the duration per inundation and per day should preferably be used to get a reliable classication. Only when no information on the other parameters can be obtained, the tidal regime can be used for a rough classication. We applied the adapted inundation classes to the sites in Can Gio. Comparing the results of the adapted classication to those of the Watson classication, the difference in the lower and the higher parts of the transects are remarkable. Overall, we believe that the extended classication gives better results in a mangrove region with an irregular tidal regime and an irregular elevation prole. Validation of the new classication will be done in a number of other sites in Can Gio and other mangrove areas to conrm this idea.

Table 2 Adapted inundation classication and the related Southeast Asian mangrove species Inundation class 1 2 3 4 5 Tidal regime Elevation (m above MSL) <0 00.9 0.91.5 1.52.1 >2.1 Inundation frequency (times per month) 5662 4559 2045 220 <2 Duration of inundation (min/day) >800 400800 100400 10100 <10 Duration of inundation (min/inundation) >400 200400 100200 50100 <50 Vegetation (species)

All high tides Medium high tides Normal high tides Spring high tides Equinoctial tides

None Avicennia spp., Sonneratia Rhizophora spp., Ceriops, Bruguiera Lumnitzera, Bruguiera, Acrostichum aureum Ceriops spp., Phoenix paludosa

Acknowledgements This research was carried out within the framework of two Wageningen Research Schools, WIMEK-SENSE and PE&RC. It was funded by the NUFFIC Project MHO-8 IMCR executed by the Can Tho University and Wageningen University. References
Hong, P.N., San, H.T., 1993. Mangroves of Vietnam. IUCN, The World Conservation Union, Bangkok, Thailand, 173 pp. Lewis, R.R., 2005. Ecological engineering for successful management and restoration of mangrove forests. Ecol. Eng. 24, 403418. Tuan, L.D., Oahn, T.T.K., Thanh, C.V., Qui, N.D., 2002. Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. Oxfam America. Van Loon, A.F., 2005. Water ow and tidal inuence in a mangrove-delta system, Can Gio, Vietnam. M.Sc. Thesis. Department of Environmental Sciences, Sub-department Water Resources, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Watson, J.G., 1928. Mangrove forests of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records No. 6. Forest Department, Federated Malay States, Kuala Lumpur.

Fig. 3. Detail of the piezometric head at measurement site A1A4 and B1 on the morning of 6 May 2004 (a constant piezometric head represents a situation without water on surface).