Tropical cyclones and the organization of mangrove forests: a review

Studies have documented massive tree mortality and forest structural shifts as well as high variability of spatial effects associated with proximity and direction of the tropical cyclone trajectory that influence biogeochemical processes, recovery of individual trees, and forest regeneration and succession. Mangroves provide coastal protection through surge and wind suppression during tropical cyclones, and yet are able to overcome wind effects and often recover unless some alternative environmental stress is at play (e.g. hydrological alteration or sedimentation). Structural elements of mangroves are influenced by the legacies imposed by past tropical cyclone injury, which affect their current appearance, and presumably their function, at any point in time. However, much is yet to be discovered about the importance of the effects of tropical cyclones on these fascinating botanical ecosystems, including the role of storm-based sediment subsidies, and much more effort will be needed to predict future recovery patterns as the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones potentially change.