Nypa fruticans - useful but forgotten in mangrove reforestation programs?

Human population living along the coast depend on sea and rivers for fishing as well as the natural vegetation along the coast. The mangroves along the coastal zone are an important natural resource form which people derive their food, fibre and income. Two dominant mangrove types exist on the west coast of Aceh - Rhizophora and Nypa fruticans. The Rhizophora flora is dominated by Rhizophora mucronata, locally known as bakau, hence the mangrove forest is called as “Hutan Bakau”. Nypa fruticans (family Arecaceae) has a fairly wide distribution - India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and northern Australia. Nypa, known as the Attap Palm (Singapore), Nipa Palm (Philippines), and Mangrove Palm or Nipah palm (Malaysia), is the only palm considered a mangrove. As the only species in the genus, it is, however, not a mangrove in the strict sense, as it does not exploit truly littoral environments nor can it tolerate inundation with undiluted sea-water for long periods. A critical environmental condition for Nypa is the percentage dilution of the sea-water by seaward flowing fresh-water. It occurs most commonly in areas of brackish water, extending upstream into permanent fresh-water areas where tidal-influenced water-level fluctuations are able to carry and deposit the seeds. Nypa does not require saline conditions at all as it can grow well in pure fresh-waters. However, the salt-water tides are crucial for seed dispersal and deposition of silt. Nypa can also grow as an undershrub, infrequently as a tree, or can dominate in mixed forest.

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