广西热带亚热带典型森林岩溶区土壤-植物系统元素分布特征

对广西热带亚热带典型岩溶区土壤-植物系统13种元素分布特征及相关性进行了研究.结果表明:与非岩溶区植物相比,岩溶植物Ca、Al含量比较高,Na、Fe、Mn、Si、K、P的含量较低.植物体内元素的分布特点是:叶>茎>根;石灰土更易富集Fe、P、K、Cu、Zn和Co.大多数土壤元素含量随纬度的降低而降低,Fe和Zn表现较为明显,而Mn和Si在热带较中亚热带的更易淋失.土壤中与Fe元素明显相关的元素最多,包括Mn、Zn、Co、S、Al,其相关性分别为Mn> Al > Co > Zn > S,其中,Fe与Mn、S呈负相关,与Zn、Co、Al呈正相关;植物中的Na、Fe、Si、P、Al与土壤中对应的元素相关性显著,呈正相关关系,主要体现在土壤的A层;植物对大量元素的吸收强于对微量元素的吸收,其中,对Mn的吸收能力最强(8229.38%),主要集中在根部的Al(0.57%)和Fe(0.0049%)的吸收能力最小.     

海南省几种草本植物微量元素的组成

海南省位于我国热带地区，草本植物微量元素组成可反映热带区域生物地球化学特点。海南植物微量元素含量属正常范围值，仅个别植物Ｃｄ、Ｈｇ含量偏高。植物Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｍｏ含量大多在５ｍｇ／ｋｇ以上，Ｐｂ、Ｃｕ、Ｃｄ含量一般低于２ｍｇ／ｋｇ，Ｈｇ、Ａｓ、Ｎｉ通常不足１ｍｇ／ｋｇ。雀稗（Ｐａｓｐａｌｕｍｃｏｍｍｅｒｓｏｎｉ）、地胆草（Ｅｌｅｐｈａｎｔｏｐｕｓｓｃａｂｅｒ）等微量元素含量普遍较高。红裂稃草（Ｓｃｈｉｚａｃｈｙｒｉｕｍｓａｎｇｕｉｎｅｕｍ）、白茅（Ｉｍｐｅｒａｔａｃｙｌｉｎｄｒｉｃａ）等微量元素含量一般较低。植物微量元素组成与植物种类及其生境条件有关。生物吸收系数反映植物摄取元素的强度，Ｍｏ、Ｃｄ、Ｈｇ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ的生物吸收系数通常大于１．０，属强积聚元素，Ｐｂ、Ｃｒ、Ｎｉ、Ａｓ的生物吸收系数大多低于０．３，是弱摄取元素。     

珠江口红树林硫的累积和循环研究

主要研究了珠江口红树林硫的累积和循环特点，并探讨其对土壤中硫累积的影响．结果表明，珠江口五个红树群落硫的贮存量平均为１７０．４２ｋｇ／ｈｍ２；在群落硫元素的生物循环中，年存留量平均为１７．６０１ｋｇ／ｈｍ２，年归还量平均为３５．６０３ｋｇ／ｈｍ２，年吸收量平均为５３．２０４ｋｇ／ｈｍ２，周转期为３－８ａ，富集率均大于１．选定浅海沉积物的平均含硫量作为林下土壤成土母质的本底含硫量，估算红树植物生长后土壤含硫量的变化，并与群落硫的年归还量作比较．红树林对其林下土壤硫的累积作用有两方面，一是对海水硫的生物选择吸收与归还，二是为海水中的ＳＯ４（２－）为黄铁矿提供有机还原剂和嫌气微生物的能源，尤以后者的作用更重要．     

黔西北土壤-植被系统元素地球化学特征及其生态关系

在黔西北不同地区采集地带性和非地带性植物样品和对应的土壤样品,分析了元素在土壤和植物中的含量。结果表明:黔西北自然状态下土壤N、P、K含量低,Ca、Mg元素空间变异较大,微量元素含量大多小于贵州土壤背景值,Co具有明显富集特征,As为区内高背景值元素,Cd污染较严重;盐肤木、鸢尾和马尾松等具有较强的Cd吸收能力,且鸢尾能同时较好地吸收Cd和As;同种植物在不同成土母岩区的元素生物吸收系数差异较大,同种植物在碳酸盐岩区的生物吸收系数要大于碎屑岩区,吸收系数主要受土壤p H和共吸附作用的共同影响。此外,Co和Cd、Cu和Zn的生物吸收系数存在显著相关性,土壤P可能会抑制植物对Cu和Pb的吸收。     

内蒙阿拉善地区植物与土壤元素背景值特征及其相互关系

内蒙阿拉善地区植物、土壤的元素背景特征及其相互关系的研究结果表明：５３种植物的９种元素（Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｎｉ、Ｐｂ、Ｃｄ、Ｃｏ、Ｃｒ、Ｖ、Ｍｎ）背景含量有很大差异．不同生活型植物背景值也各异，总的规律为：Ｍｎ＞Ｚｎ＞Ｖ＞Ｃｕ＞Ｎｉ＞Ｃｒ＞Ｐｂ＞Ｃｏ＞Ｃｄ；同种植物的元素含量在不同群落中有明显差别，但都在同一个数量级．土壤９种元素的背景含量均以Ｍｎ含量最高，其次为Ｚｎ和Ｖ，Ｃｄ的含量最低；不同上类各剖面各种元素的垂直分布规律为底层或表层的元素含量高于中间各层．土壤元素背景值都高于植物背景值，前者一般为后者的２～２０倍．植物对元素的吸收系数以Ｃｄ最大，Ｃｒ最小．土壤元素含量与有机质含量的相关性因土类不同而异：沙土的有机质含量最低，只有Ｚｎ含量与有机质相关性显著；而盐土的有机质含量最高，有Ｃｏ、Ｃｄ、Ｍｎ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｒ、Ｚｎ６种元素含量与之显著相关．     

广州市区植物叶片重金属元素含量及其大气污染评价

文章通过对广州市区植物叶片中重金属元素含量的分析，研究了植物大气环境污染指数，探讨了植物叶片重金属元素含量与城市大气环境污染之间的关系。结果表明，植物叶片中Cu,Pb,Cd,Cr元素污染都较严重，在重污染区这些元素的含量明显高于清洁对照区；用植物污染指数可以综合评价大气环境质量状况；利用植物叶片内的重金属含量变化，为大气污染生物监测和环境质量评价提供了科学依据。     

赣南富稀土矿区农田土壤中稀土元素的环境化学特征

选择江西赣县大田稀土矿区，研究了矿区耕作农田土壤中稀土元素的含量、分布及赋存形态特征。结果表明，该区土壤中稀土元素含量明显高于对照区和全国土壤平均含量，且相对富含重稀土元素。土壤中稀土元素的分布模式受成土母岩及元素性质控制，呈现Eu和Ce负异常。稀土元素主要以可交换态和有机结合态（特别是松结有机态）形式存在，具有较高的活性和生物有效性，可能影响生态环境安全。     

海南芒果园土壤环境及其对芒果品质的影响

针对海南芒果(Mangifera indica)生产的环境条件进行了研究,分别在芒果园采集了植株和土壤样品,采用国家标准测定方法对比分析了各种元素的含量和分布特征,并阐明了芒果对环境条件的生态适应性.研究结果表明:海南芒果园土壤有机质、全氮、有效磷含量较低(为四级以下水平),有效钾含量相对较高.Ca、Mg、B、Ni含量较低,Cu、Mn含量较高.海南芒果种植地环境质量较好,Cr、Pb、Cd等低于国家土壤环境质量一级标准.Hg、Cu、As、Pb含量为一至二级标准.六六六、滴滴涕含量低于一级标准.海南芒果矿质元素含量丰富,农药残留量和Cr、As、Cd含量符合无公害芒果的要求.芒果对大中量元素、微量元素和有害元素(Hg、As、Cd)的生物吸收系数较大.锰主要在叶片中积累,铜则主要积累在果实中.     

洞庭湖封闭河口区与湖心区的基本生态特征——以六门闸至小西湖样带为例

通过对洞庭湖六门闸至小西湖样带的调查,研究了封闭河口区和湖心区水体、土壤和植物等基本生态特征及其相关关系。结果表明,河口区水流缓慢,透明度低,而湖心区水流速度较高,透明度也高;河口区水体具有较高的营养水平和电导率,而湖心区水体营养水平和电导率相对较低;湖心区土壤有机质和氮含量较高,而河口区有机质和氮含量相对较低;河口区不适合水生植物的生长繁殖,而湖心区是植物生长繁殖的主要生境。相关分析结果表明,河口区和湖心区生物、土壤和水文特征之间存在相互作用,透明度与水流速度之间在α=0.05水平上相关显著,物种丰富度、生物量和多样性指数分别与水流速度和透明度在α=0.01水平上相关显著,与土壤全氮含量之间在α=0.05水平上相关显著,水流速度是调控生态特征变化的关键因子。     

铜陵矿区土壤中镉存在形态及生物有效性

采取Tessier连续提取法，研究铜陵矿区不同功能区表层土壤中镉的化学形态分布和生物有效性。结果表明，各种土壤中的镉含量全部高于地区背景值，主要来源与矿业活动有关，部分样品还有矿体的风化富集叠加，土壤镉污染指数PCd为1．15～79。镉含量依次为矿体风化土壤→废矿堆下垫土→市郊菜地土→矿区铜草土、路边土和稻田土→其它土壤。其形态分布，酸性土壤中以Fe-Mn氧化态和可交换态为主，其余三态相对较低；碱性土壤中有机态和残渣态比例较高，碳酸盐态和可交换态所占的比例低。土壤中生物可利用态镉的含量较高，占土壤总镉的60．20%-98．3％，生物不可利用态仅占1．7％-39．2％。     

Mangrove recruitment after forest disturbance is facilitated by herbaceous species in the Caribbean.

Plant communities along tropical coastlines are often affected by natural and human disturbances, but little is known about factors influencing recovery. We focused on mangrove forests, which are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, to examine how facilitation by herbaceous vegetation might improve forest restoration after disturbance. We specifically investigated whether recovery of mangrove forests in harsh environments is accelerated by nurse plants and whether the beneficial effects are species-specific. Quantification of standardized effects allowed comparisons across performance parameters and over time for: (1) net effect of each herbaceous species on mangrove survival and growth, (2) effects of pre- and post-establishment factors associated with each herbaceous species, and (3) need for artificial planting to enhance growth or survival of mangrove seedlings. Mangrove recruitment in a clear-cut forest in Belize was accelerated by the presence of Sesuvium portulacastrum (succulent forb) and Distichlis spicata (grass), two coastal species common throughout the Caribbean region. The net effect of herbaceous vegetation was positive, but the magnitude of effects on mangrove survival and growth differed by species. Because of differences in their vegetative structure and other features, species effects on mangroves also varied by mechanism: (1) trapping of dispersing propagules (both species), (2) structural support of the seedling (Distichlis), and/or (3) promotion of survival (Sesuviumn) or growth (Distichlis) through amelioration of soil conditions (temperature, aeration). Artificial planting had a stronger positive effect on mangrove survival than did edaphic conditions, but planting enhanced mangrove growth more in Sesuvium than in Distichlis patches. Our study indicates that beneficial species might be selected based on features that provide multiple positive effects and that species comparisons may be improved using standardized effects. Our findings are not only relevant to the coastal environments found in the Caribbean region, but our assessment methods may be useful for developing site-specific information to restore disturbed mangrove forests worldwide, especially given the large pool of mangrove associates (>45 genera) available for screening.     

不同栽培基质对石山珍稀濒危植物苗期生长的影响

对 6种石山珍稀濒危植物在石灰岩土壤和酸性红壤上的苗期生长状况及体内化学元素含量进行了对比研究 ,结果表明 :(1 )每种植物在 2种土壤上的物候学特征基本一致 ;(2 )小花异裂菊和青檀在石灰岩土壤上生长量比酸性土壤上高 ,海南椴在酸性土壤上生长量比石灰岩土壤上高 ;(3 ) 6种植物体内Ca、B 2种化学元素的含量是石灰岩土上比酸性土上高 ;除小花异裂菊外 ,Al在其它 5种植物中的含量都是酸性土上高于石灰岩土上 ,小花异裂菊则是石灰岩土上高于酸性土上 ;(4 )K、Zn、B的生物吸收系数是石灰岩土高于酸性土 ,而N、P、Ca、Mg、Fe、Al、Mn则是酸性土高于石灰岩土。     

Stoichiometric characteristics of carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaf litter soil of Pinus yunnanensis forest during different restoration stages in the karst plateau of eastern Yunnan北大核心CSCD

以滇东岩溶坡地不同恢复阶段云南松林(纯林、人工混交林、天然次生林)为研究对象,以元江栲原生林和小铁仔灌丛作为参照样地,对5种植被类型中的叶片-枯落物-土壤中的C、N、P含量和化学计量比特征进行研究.结果表明:(1)3种云南松林都呈现为高C(432.27 g/kg)、低N(10.28 g/kg)、P(0.96 g/kg)的格局,5种植被类型的叶片-枯落物-土壤C、N、P含量基本都表现为叶片>枯落物>土壤,C/N、C/P、N/P值则都表现为枯落物>叶片>土壤,叶片和枯落物的养分含量和化学计量比值与土壤间差异显著.(2)3种云南松林对于养分的吸收同化能力差异不大,但天然次生林的枯落物质量最好,人工混交林的土壤N、P有效性最高,云南松林内受N的胁迫作用强于原生林和灌丛.(3)植物叶片-枯落物-土壤中C、N、P及其化学计量比间相关性显著,互馈机制明显.研究区内土壤C、N、P化学计量特征受土壤pH、团聚体颗粒、含水率、容重和硝态氮影响显著.因此,滇东岩溶高原云南松植被恢复过程中主要受N胁迫作用,提高枯落物养分回流是云南松植被恢复与经营的关键要素.(图4表3参41)     

Element mobility and partitioning along a soil acidity gradient in central Ontario forests, Canada

The potential environmental risk posed by metals in forest soils is typically evaluated by modeling metal mobility using soil-solution partitioning coefficients (K(d)), although such information is generally restricted to a few well-studied metals. Soil-solution partitioning coefficients were determined for 17 mineral elements (Al, As, Be, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Rb, Sr, Tl, U and V) in A-horizon (0-5 cm) soil at 46 forested sites that border the Precambrian Shield in central Ontario, where soil pH(aq) varied from 3.9 to 8.1. Sites were dominated by mature sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) or white pine (Pinus strobus L.). Log K(d) values for all elements could be predicted by empirical linear regression with soil pH (r (2) = 0.17-0.77) independent of forest type, although this relationship was greatly affected by positive relationships between acid-extractable metal concentration and pH(aq) for 13 of the 17 elements. Elements that exhibited strong or moderate (r (2)> 0.29; p < 0.001) relationships with soil pH(aq) in soil water extracts include Al, Ba, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Rb, Tl, V (negative) and Ca (positive). Elemental partitioning in mineral soil was independent of forest type; tree species differed in their response to chemical differences in mineral soil. For example, Rb, Ba, and Sr concentrations in foliage of sugar maple and white birch significantly increased with increasing soil acidity, whereas Rb, Ba, and Sr concentrations in balsam fir and white pine foliage exhibited no response to soil pH(aq). While K(d) values can provide useful information on the potential mobility and bioavailability of mineral elements in forest soils, care must be used when interpreting the relative contribution of solid and aqueous phases to this relationship and the differing responses of vegetation in elemental cycling in forests must also be considered.     

Controls over foliar N:P ratios in tropical rain forests

Correlations between foliar nutrient concentrations and soil nutrient availability have been found in multiple ecosystems. These relationships have led to the use of foliar nutrients as an index of nutrient status and to the prediction of broadscale patterns in ecosystem processes. More recently, a growing interest in ecological stoichiometry has fueled multiple analyses of foliar nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) ratios within and across ecosystems. These studies have observed that N:P values are generally elevated in tropical forests when compared to higher latitude ecosystems, adding weight to a common belief that tropical forests are generally N rich and P poor. However, while these broad generalizations may have merit, their simplicity masks the enormous environmental heterogeneity that exists within the tropics; such variation includes large ranges in soil fertility and climate, as well as the highest plant species diversity of any biome. Here we present original data on foliar N and P concentrations from 150 mature canopy tree species in Costa Rica and Brazil, and combine those data with a comprehensive new literature synthesis to explore the major sources of variation in foliar N:P values within the tropics. We found no relationship between N:P ratios and either latitude or mean annual precipitation within the tropics alone. There is, however, evidence of seasonal controls; in our Costa Rica sites, foliar N:P values differed by 25% between wet and dry seasons. The N:P ratios do vary with soil P availability and/or soil order, but there is substantial overlap across coarse divisions in soil type, and perhaps the most striking feature of the data set is variation at the species level. Taken as a whole, our results imply that the dominant influence on foliar N:P ratios in the tropics is species variability and that, unlike marine systems and perhaps many other terrestrial biomes, the N:P stoichiometry of tropical forests is not well constrained. Thus any use of N:P ratios in the tropics to infer larger-scale ecosystem processes must comprehensively account for the diversity of any given site and recognize the broad range in nutrient requirements, even at the local scale.     

Soil particle-size composition and coastal erosion and accretion study in Soc Trang mangrove forests

Coastal erosion results in loss of land, which impacts the economy, coastal residents and settlement plans, especially in the context of rising sea levels caused by climate change. Studying soil particle-size fractions in mangrove forests will help provide a better understanding of the relationship between soil proportions and coastal processes as well as the role of mangrove forests to support coastal planning and management. Soil samples were collected at 26 sampling plots at depths of 10 cm and 40 cm in the Cu Lao Dung (CLD), Long Phu (LP) and Vinh Chau (VC) mangrove forests in Viet Nam’s Soc Trang Province. The soil proportions based on six different particle-sizes (<0.074 mm, 0.074–0.1 mm, 0.1–0.25 mm, 0.25–0.5 mm, 0.5–1.0 mm, and >1.0 mm) were measured using a dry sieving method. Analysis showed that soil particle-sizes ranging between 0.074 and 0.5 mm made up 75–95 % of the soil sample weight at both depths. The high standard deviation values of soil proportions of each given particle-size among sampling plots indicated the soil proportions by particle-size varied widely across the sampling plots. Cluster analysis found similar pattern of soil particle-size proportions for samples collected in CLD and VC, and different pattern of soil particle-size proportions in samples collected at LP, which is more impacted by the Mekong River flow and has a thin mangrove forest belt.?Non-metric dimension scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that sampling plots across the landward sites of the three mangrove forest areas were distributed in the nearby locations (Stress?=?0.11). This indicated that soil proportions of particle-sizes of samples collected from areas of the natural forest composed of different species were more similar. Such similarities were not found, however, in samples collected from middle and seaward plots dominated by single-species plantations.     

塔里木荒漠河岸林植物群落演替下的土壤理化性质研究

选择塔里木荒漠河岸林内典型、有代表性的不同演替阶段的群落,对其土壤理化性质进行研究。结果表明：土壤理化性质在演替方向和土壤剖面上表现出较强的规律性。演替后、中期表层土壤（0～20 cm）粘粒质量分数比初期分别减少了1.28%、64.29%、土壤砂粒质量分数分别增加了3.08%、17.23%,土壤明显变粗沙化。群落演替能明显增大土壤容重与非毛管孔隙度,降低土壤总孔隙度、毛管孔隙度、孔隙比、土壤水分质量分数、最大持水量、毛管持水量和最小持水量。演替后、中期表层土壤非毛管孔隙度比初期分别增大了33.78%、36.087%,土壤水分质量分数分别降低了85.57%、97.77%,演替后期最大持水量、毛管持水量分别比初期降低了40.28%、9.27%,导致土壤固相率减小,气相率增大,土壤持水供水能力与抗风蚀性能减弱。土壤有机质、全氮与碱解氮、全磷与速效磷、全钾与速效钾、盐分质量分数随群落演替呈降低趋势。演替后期表层土壤有机质、碱解氮、全磷与速效钾质量分数分别比初期降低了38.68%、60.71%、23.58%、66.93%,其土壤理化性质退化最显著。地下水位下降是引起荒漠河岸林植物群落逆向演替的驱动力。当前随人类干扰强度增强（水土资源开发）,塔里木荒漠河岸林土壤结构与土壤生态功能随之受到破坏与衰退,而保持合理的生态水位则是维持荒漠河岸林生态系统稳定的有效途径。     

不同混交类型对毛竹林土壤有机碳和土壤呼吸的影响

为了解不同混交类型对毛竹林土壤有机碳含量和组成以及土壤呼吸的影响,为武夷山地区毛竹林土壤环境改善和可持续生产经营积累实验数据,以武夷山地区毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis J.Houz.)纯林、毛竹-阔叶树混交林、毛竹-油茶(Camellia oleifera Abel.)混交林、毛竹-杉木[Cunninghamia lanceolate (Lamb.) Hook.]混交林和毛竹-油桐[Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw]混交林5种林地为研究对象,对林地土壤进行采样并测定土壤有机碳含量、土壤活性有机碳组成和比例以及土壤呼吸.结果显示:(1)5种林地的土壤总有机碳(soil organic carbon,SOC)含量和SOC富集系数均表现为毛竹-阔叶树>毛竹-油茶>毛竹-杉木>毛竹纯林>毛竹-油桐,且一年之中夏季SOC含量最低.(2)SOC、土壤可溶性有机碳(dissolved organic carbon,DOC)、土壤微生物生物量碳(microbial biomass carbon,MBC)和轻组碳(lightfractionorganiccarbon,LFOC)含量均随土层深度加深而降低;毛竹-油桐林、毛竹-杉木林和毛竹-阔叶树林的几种土壤有机碳之间均表现为显著(P <0.05)正相关,部分甚至达到极显著(P <0.01).(3)毛竹-阔叶树林地的DOC、MBC和LFOC含量显著(P <0.05)高于其他林地,毛竹-油桐林地的DOC和LFOC含量在几种混交类型中最低,但其在0-20 cm土层的MBC含量显著(P <0.05)高于其他林地;DOC占SOC的比例随土层深度加深而增大,LFOC比例随土壤深度加深而减小,但混交林的LFOC比例相对于毛竹纯林有所提高,MBC比例在一定范围内波动.(4)一年四季中夏季林地的土壤呼吸最高,而毛竹-油茶林的土壤呼吸在几种林地中较高.综上,不同混交类型对土壤有机碳含量和组成以及土壤呼吸产生影响,毛竹-油桐林的土壤有机碳相对毛竹纯林有所下降,但其能够提高土壤上层的MBC含量,毛竹-阔叶树和毛竹-油茶的混交类型对土壤有机碳含量的提升效果较好,但毛竹-油茶林的土壤呼吸较高,因此在选择毛竹林混交方式时需要综合考虑.(图5表2参53)     

Effect of heavy metals (Hg and Zn) on the growth and phosphate solubilising activity in halophilic phosphobacteria isolated from Manakudi mangrove

The diversity of phosphobacteria in Manakudi mangrove ecosystem of Tamil Nadu was carried out in root and rhizosphere soil samples. The counts of phosphobacteria were found higher in root samples than in soil samples particularly in Hymenachene acutigluma. The abundance of phosphobacterial diversity in Manakudi mangrove showed high degree of positive correlation with the content of phosphate in rhizosphere soil of all the mangrove and associated plant species. Nine phosphobacterial species belonging to 7 genera were reported from Manakudi mangrove ecosystem. All the identified bacterial species are sensitive to both the heavy metals (mercury and zinc) in terms of growth and physiology even at lower concentrations. The content of protein and total sugars were increased by the higher concentrations of heavy metals whereas decreased trend was noticed in lower concentrations of heavy metals.     

Old-Growth Mangrove Forests in the United States

Criteria used to identify old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest have not been proven applicable in other ecological life zones. For example, Pacific Northwest criteria are not suitable for the identification of old-growth mangrove forests. To identify old-growth mangroves one has to take into account differences in stand structure and function due to geomorphology, within-site environmental gradients, and regional disturbance regimes. A flexible and holistic approach is needed. Stand age, defined in terms of Pacific Northwest forests, is not necessarily the best criterion for identifying for conservation mangrove forests or any forest outside the Pacific Northwest. No single stand will have all old-growth characteristics, and even if they are present in a stand, these characteristics do not necessarily assure that the stand is old growth. Whether a mangrove stand reaches old-growth stage depends on the dynamics of coastal conditions under which it grows. Moreover, it is necessary to differentiate between the age of trees in a stand and the age of the mangrove system, which includes the substrate. Old-growth mangrove stands are improbable states for this ecosystem type, and they can revert to younger stages. Mangroves offer a challenge to the concept of the old-growth forest, and through our analysis of this system we show that when ecosystem functions and states are evaluated it is necessary to avoid geographic biases based on particular ecological conditions.