Know your Planting Zones

Ecosystems are never isolated. The following chart illustrates how the 5 zones described in the previous pages (Coastal Beach forest, Inland Beach forest, Foreshore Mangroves, Inland Mangroves, Mangrove Associate /Fringe Forests) are not strict delineations in terms of planting areas, but rather make for inter-related, often overlapping zones.

Highly Recommended by ESSC

For anyone wanting to plant and help regenerate forests in coastal areas, the best Philippine resource-book published to date is the Handbook of Mangroves in the Philippines which was printed in 2004 by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department or SEAFDEC and the UNESCO (authored by Primavera, Sadaba, Lebata and Altamario).

Mangroves make up a unique ecosystem of plant and animal life. Being highly adapted to the salty and flooded conditions, mangal trees are the only kinds that survive and thrive under these harsh environments of sea-side swamp regions.

Beach forest has a unique species mix that integrates with various mangrove transitions landward. Beach forest plays a critical role in maintaining the coastline and is often neglected as an important ecosystem as is usually a narrow strip of vegetation.