Rise and Fall: Summary and Conservation Insights

The paleoecological and evolutionary findings discussed in this book are able to provide insights useful for conservation and restoration practices in the face of active deforestation, global warming, sea-level rise, or increased extreme events. The Caribbean mangroves have been structured around single mangrove-forming tree species—Pelliciera in the Eocene and Rhizophora from the Oligocene to the Pliocene—for most of their evolutionary history. This suggests that safeguarding the dominant species could ensure the continuity of mangroves as communities, while the preservation or restoration of other species could be a more gradual process. The heterogeneous responses of local mangrove communities to environmental shifts suggest that baseline conservation studies should be conducted on a site-specific basis. Regional initiatives are necessary to attract political, stakeholder, and public interest, but conservation/restoration actions should carefully consider local mangrove responses to site-specific threats for optimal results. For example, paleoecological studies demonstrate that it is essential to maintain a suitable balance between sediment supply, a local factor, and sea-level rise. Anthropogenic impact, also a regional factor with varied local manifestations, may be reduced by legislation, the creation of protected areas, and the promotion of restoration activities. In all cases, general regulations are needed, but local factors should also be considered.