Mangrove Response to Environmental Changes Predicted Under Varying Climates: Case Studies from Australia

Over the past few decades, many of the world’s mangrove forests have experienced significant change, which can be attributed to human activities and also natural causes. However, a component may also be due to factors that are commonly associated with anthropogenic climate change including higher air temperatures, variations in rainfall, increases in storm frequencies and intensities, and rising sea levels. The expected responses of mangrove to these drivers include changes in extent (latitudinal, seaward and landward), growth rates and productivity, and species composition. This paper reviews such responses and then, using examples from Australia, illustrates how these might appear within and be detected using single-date or time-series of remote sensing data acquired in different modes (e.g., aerial photography, optical and radar). In doing so, it informs countries and organisations of the potential impacts of climate change on mangrove forests and how these may be monitored using remote sensing data.