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Development of Rhizophora apiculata Planting Patterns to Enhance Survival Rates, Growth rate and Mitigate Coastal Erosion for Sustainable Mangrove Restoration.

Organization(s):Princess Chulabhorn Science High School Trang
Country:Thailand
Student(s):1.Mr.Woramet Prayunhong 2.Mr.Tekawat Depachoo
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Member(s):Apasri Chumchuen
Contributors:Ms. Apasri Chumchuen Ms. Nutnicha Rodtook
Report Type(s):Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Soil Fertility, Soil pH
Presentation Video: View Video
Presentation Poster: View Document
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:2026-01-28
This image captures the natural environment of a mangrove forest, showcasing its remarkable physical features. The extensive network of prop roots provides vital structural stability and sustainably buffers the coastline against wave energy. Furthermore, these forests are essential to the ecosystem and serve as one of the world's most significant carbon sinks.
Currently, mangrove forests worldwide are experiencing significant destruction and degradation, necessitating urgent restoration efforts. Common methods include planting Rhizophora apiculata (Small-leaf Mangrove) propagules or randomly planting seedlings. This study designed and compared three specific planting patterns to evaluate survival and growth rates: 1) Grid , 2) Staggered, and 3) Semicircle, alongside a control group (random planting). The experiment involved planting 15 trees per pattern with 1-meter spacing within a 15 m2 area at the mouth of Sikao river area in Sikao District, Trang Province. The results revealed that the staggered pattern achieved the highest average survival rate at 82.22%, while the semicircle pattern had the lowest at 40.00%. These differences in survival rates across the various patterns were statistically significant at the .05 level.Regarding the growth of the surviving trees—specifically height, stem circumference, and leaf count—no significant differences were found at the .05 level. Additionally, post-planting soil analysis showed an increase in Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and organic matter content. Furthermore, coastal erosion mitigation was analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The study found that the staggered planting pattern was the most effective at reducing coastal erosion, as it consistently decreased wave velocity throughout the study area.


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