American Journal of Environmental Sciences Original Research Paper
Effect of Temperature and Precipitation on Global Mangrove Rhizophora Species Distribution 1,2
Aroloye O. Numbere and 1Gerardo R. Camilo
1
Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, Missouri, 63101, USA Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2
Article history Received: 28-02-2017 Revised: 13-07-2017 Accepted: 8-09-2017 Corresponding Author: Aroloye O. Numbere, Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, Missouri, 63101, USA Email:
[email protected]
Abstract: Climate change influences the distribution of mangroves towards tropical or temperate regions of the world. We hypothesized that Rhizophora species organized along complex spatial and temporal temperature and precipitation gradient. To determine the affinity of different mangroves with climatic parameters, the response of eight Rhizophora species to seven climatic parameters (i.e., annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, maximum temperature of warmest month, minimum temperature of coldest month, temperature annual range and temperature of driest month and precipitation of warmest month) was analyzed with Arc GIS and Maxent software. For temperature and precipitation there was significant difference (p
