Restoration and Conservation of Ecological System, Way of Life, and

Local Wisdom of Mangrove Forest Community

Nithipattara Balsiri

Dhonburi Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract. The purposes of this research were: 1) to study ecology system, way of life and local wisdom of

mangrove forest community, 2) to develop the model of restoration and conservation of ecology system, way

of life, and local wisdom of mangrove forest community. Research methodology is the participatory action

research. This research area is Bangkuntian District, Bangkok Province. Interview schedules, and observation

forms were employed for data collection. Content analysis and induction were employed for data analysis.

The major research results were: 1) the ecology system of mangrove forest community consisted of the

producers, consumers, and decomposers; 2) the way of life were crap farm, shell farm, shrimp farm, fish farm,

tourism; 3) local wisdom were shrimp paste, food preservation; 4) the model of restoration and conservation

of ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom of mangrove forest community consisted of learning

community model, ecology tourism community model, and sufficiency economy community model.

Keywords: ecological system, way of life, local wisdom

1. Introduction Mangroves are the forests situated at the confluence of land and sea in the subtropics and tropics.

Mangroves are trees or shrubs that develop best with low wave energy and shelter foster deposition of fine

particles enabling these woody plants to establish roots and grow. Mangrove forests are architecturally

simple compared to rainforests, often lacking an understorey of ferns and scrubs, and are ordinarily less

species than other tropical forests. The global distribution of mangroves indicates a tropical dominance with

major latitudinal limits relating best to major ocean currents and seawater. Mangrove forests possess

characteristics that make them structurally and functionally unique. Morphological and ecophysiological

characteristics and adaptations of mangrove trees include aerial roots, viviparous embryos, tidal dispersal of

propagandism, rapid rates of canopy production, frequent abaence of an understorey, absence of growth rings,

wood with narrow, densely distributed vessels, highly efficient nutrient retention mechanisms, and the ability

to cope with salt and to maintain water and carbon balance. Ecosystem characteristics include comparatively

simple food webs containing a mixture of marine and terrestrial species, nursery grounds and breeding sites

for birds, reptiles and mammals, and accumulation sites for sediment, some contaminants, carbon and

nutrients.

Mangrove forests are the primary features of coastal ecosystems throughout the tropical and subtropical

region of the world. Various kinds of fauna including shrimp, fishes, crabs, mollusks, mammals, reptiles,

birds, insects and micro-organisms are found in mangroves ecosystem. People in mangrove communities

have utilized mangrove ecosystems for their food resources, firewood, charcoal, timber, and other minor

products. In Thailand mangrove forests are found in 23 provinces of the coastline. It was estimated that

168,682 hectares of mangrove forest area. More than 50% of mangrove forests which cover an area of

199,217 hectares were lost during 1961-1993. Various activities carrying out in mangrove forest area such as

shrimp farming, tin-mining activities, mangrove over-exploitation, industrial area and settlements leading to

Corresponding author.

E-mail address: nithipat798@yahoo.com.

2014 3rd International Conference on Informatics, Environment, Energy and Applications

IPCBEE vol.66 (2014) © (2014) IACSIT Press, Singapore

DOI: 10.7763/IPCBEE. 2014. V66. 20

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the reduction of mangrove forests. Among these activities, shrimp farming, tin-mining and overexploitation

are major causes of the loss of mangrove forest area. [1]

Factor influencing the structure and function of mangrove forests vary in relation to global, regional, and

local scales over different time. At the global scale, mangrove forests are ultimately limited by temperature,

but at the regional scale the area and biomass of mangrove forests vary in relation to rainfall, tides, waves

and rivers. The mangrove forests represent a continuum of geomorphological types based on their location

within broader settings classified as river-dominated, tide-dominated, was-dominated, composite wave-

dominated and river-dominated, drowned bedrock valley and carbonate. Many physical and ecological

variations are often expressed within estuary. Because Waves, tides, rivers and rainfall affect water

circulation by generating turbulence, advective and longitudinal mixing and trapping coastal water,

influencing the rate of erosion and deposition of sediments on which mangrove forests grow. For the

mangrove ecosystem, natural change occur on the minutes to hours for microbial and physiological processes,

on scale of months to years for tree growth and replacement, and scale of decades to centuries for regional

forest changes. The mangrove forests become more susceptible to diseases and pests when stressed by

changes in salinity, tidal inundation, sedimentation and soil physicochemistry. The dynamics of natural gaps

in mangrove forests represent the cycle of natural mortality and regeneration that must be considered when

impacts are assessed, especially over the long-term.

2. Methods

2.1 Objectives of the research

The purposes of this research were : 1) to study ecology system, way of life and local wisdom of

mangrove forest community, Bangkuntian District, Bangkok, Thailand, 2) to develop the model of

restoration and conservation of ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom of mangrove forest

community, Bangkuntian District, Bangkok, Thailand.

2.2 Research samples

Research methodology is the participatory action research using document study, field study, in-depth

interview, meeting and group interview, participatory and non-participatory observation techniques. This

research area is Bangkuntian District, Bangkok Province, which is a part of Bangkok metropolitan, Thailand,

which plays an important role as historical, cultural, and traditional district passed down as a legend and

inscripted in Bangkok metropolitan museum. For the educational profit of general public, including many

major places such as the local museum of Mon Bang Kradi, mangrove forests, boardwalks for nature trait

and lifestyles of local residents in Saen To community, local intelligence, local wisdoms, and one district one

products of community.

Knowledge mangrove area located in the local group 9 and group 10 at the Telephone Road. The

mangrove forests of the land as a permanent national under the supervision of the department of the ministry

of forestry agriculture, that has declared three provinces and coastal areas of Samut Prakarn, Samut Sakhon,

and Thon Buri Province, and then to be based on land area Act 2511 B.C. The coastal areas are used as a

buffer zone about 1 mile to beach erosion.

The mangrove forest area : The north has until Baan Rai Cooperative district about 4,928; The South has

until the gulf of Thailand about 4,764 meters; The east has until the Klong Khun Rachapinit Samut Prakarn

about 940.85 meters; The west has until Puntai Norasing district about 940.75 meters. Bangkok

Administration Office offered the Mangrove Forest Bangkhunthein to the Chai Pattana Foundation in occupy

the thron 50 years, 25 January 1995, but the King gave them back and let them do their project and give them

the idea to develop the mangrove forest area to be the park.

2.3 Variables in the research

In this research concentrated ecology system, way of life and local wisdom of mangrove forest

community, and the model of restoration and conservation of ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom

of mangrove forest community.

2.4 Data collection and data analysis

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Interview schedules, and observation forms were employed for data collection. Content analysis,

triangulation analysis, analytic induction, and typological analysis were employed for data analysis. The key

informants in this research consisted of 4 group of people which were government officials, community leaders,

peoples, and tourists.

3. Results The major research results were : 1) the ecology system of mangrove forest community consisted of 3

factors; 1.1) the producers such as mangrove tree, aegiceras officinalls, wooden pin, taboon tree, milkwood,

cycas; 1.2) consumers such as fish, crab, shell, bird, bat, monkey, shrimp, human; 1.3) decomposers such as

bacteria, fungus, crustacear; 2) the way of life were crap farm, shell farm, shrimp farm, fish farm, tourism

zone; 3) local wisdom were shrimp paste, food preservation; 4) the model of restoration and conservation of

ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom of mangrove forest community consisted of learning

community model, ecology tourism community model, and sufficiency economy community model.

The learning community model comprised of the knowledge management system of mangrove forest,

the developing learning center of mangrove forest community, the training program of mangrove forest

knowledge, and growing the mangrove forest.

Fig. 1 Way of life with the learning community model.

The ecology tourism community model consisted of mangrove forest hiking, fishing, bicycling,

mangrove studying, restaurants, seeing birds, sea food menu, community museum, community learning

center of mangrove forest, way of life studying, shrimp farming, fish farming, crap farming, shell farming,

agricultural farm, accommodation, and meeting room.

Fig. 2 Way of life with the ecology tourism community model.

The sufficiency economy community model consisted of shrimp farming, fish farming, crap farming,

shell farming, and agricultural farm. The management had based on the philosophy of sufficiency economy

which comprised of 1) the middle path were reasonableness, moderation, and self-immunity such as

economic or financial immunity, social immunity, cultural immunity, environmental immunity; 2) the

conditions were application of knowledge (knowledge, wisdom, prudence), application of moral principles

(honesty, hard-working, sharing, tolerance).

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Fig. 3 Way of life with the sufficiency economy community model.

Fig. 4 The model of restoration and conservation of ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom of

mangrove forest community.

4. Conclusion and Discussion The way of life of community has high level of relationship with mangrove forest or ecosystem. The way

of life of mangrove forest community in Bangkuntian district, Bangkok, Thailand comprised of shrimp

farming, crap farming, fish farming, learning community of mangrove forest, and ecology tourism

management. Human behaviors have effect, impact and threat to ecology of mangrove forest both direct and

indirect consequences. Mangroves are heavily used traditionally and commercially worldwide. Local

communities have always used mangroves as a source of wood for cooking and heating, and for building

houses, huts, fences, matting and scaffolds. Timber is also widely used to produce charcoal, bridges, poles

for fish cages and traps, medicines, alcohol, boats, and many other products. Mangrove stands and associated

waterways are important sites for gathering and small-scale cultivation of shellfish, finish and crustaceans.

Local communities are often faced with the problem of over-exploited fisheries.

The restoration and conservation of ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom of mangrove forest

community in Bangkuntian district, Bangkok, Thailand, consisted of learning community model. This

learning community model comprised of the knowledge management system of mangrove forest, the

developing learning center of mangrove forest community, and the training program of mangrove forest

knowledge. Uasiriponrit (2004) revealed that learning organization consisted of 1) learning factor were

individual learning, team learning, organizational learning, adaptive learning, anticipatory learning, learning

how to learn, action learning, systematic thinking, personal mastery, mental model, share vision, dialogue; 2)

organization factor were structure, vision, culture, strategies; 3) person factor were employee, leaders,

customers, suppliers, alliances, communities; 4) knowledge management factor were knowledge acquisition,

knowledge creation, knowledge storage, knowledge transfer and utilization; technology factor were

information technology, technology-based learning, electronic performance support systems. [2] Phuenchote

(2006) had the purpose of the study was investigate the learning achievement and the student’s recognition to

mangrove forest before and after, through the training packages. The Result indicated that the learning

achievement, before and after the experiment was significantly at the 0.05 level, the student’s recognition to

mangrove forest before and after supreme was significantly at the 0.05 level. [3]

Ecology System

Mangrove Forest

Way of Life

Local Wisdoms

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The natural resources and cultural resources in mangrove forest in Bangkuntian district, Bangkok,

Thailand, have value-added for people in community. The management system of natural resources and

cultural resources, exploitative resources, and knowledge management of resources, have along with head of

community, community people, government officers. The management principle concentrate the

participatory management and the philosophy of sufficient economy. Iamwatcharin (2012) had studied about

value of mangrove forests in Krabi. The results revealed that Krabi is one of Thailand’s tourist provinces,

famous for its natural resources, beaches, islands, as well as beautiful mangrove forests. The province’s

growths in terms of economy and community sizes affect changes in the environmental qualities, invasions

of the forest area for land used, more drainage of wastewater into the sea, and destruction of the mangrove

ecological system. The factors affecting the willingness to pay consist of the preliminary willingness to pay

(first bidding), the monthly salary before deducting tax, the age, and the distant from the dwelling to the

utilization spot in the forest areas. [4] Petchthai (2008) revealed that there are many activities for the

ecotourism such as walking through the forest, growing the mangrove forest, seeing the birds, relax and

participate the ecotourism activities, restaurants, accommodations, meeting rooms. The ecotourism activities

make people who interested in conserving the environment. The government supports related to conserving

the ecotourism. [5] Jinto (2007) had research study aims to investigate the community potential in managing

homestay at Damnoensaduak canal area. The results showed that the communities had strongest attitudes

toward the community resources. For the community management factor, they had moderate attitude. In

addition, they had attitudes towards the community potential in managing homestay at moderate level,

indicated that the community’s homestay service still did not meet Thai homestay standard. The management

indicated that these community meet Thai homestay standard were residence, food and nutrition, tourist

activities, and environment while the unmet standard were market promotion, security and management. [6]

5. References

[1] Sremongkontip, S., Hussin, Y. A., and Groenindijk, L. (2000). Detecting Changes in the mangrove forests of

southern Thailand using remotely sensed data and GIS. International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote

Sensing. 18, 7, 567-574.

[2] Uasirikponrit, S. (2004). A Development of Composite Indicators of Learning Organization of Basic Education

Institutions in Southern Provinces. A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

of Doctor of Eduation in Educational Administration, Faculty of Education, Srinakharinwirot University.

[3] Phuenchote, W. (2006). A Development of Training Packages of Mangrove Forest for the Third Key Stage Students.

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Eduation in Secondary

Education, Faculty of Education, Srinakharinwirot University.

[4] Iamwatcharin, J. (2012). Economic Value of Mangrove Forests in Krabi. A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Economic in Managerial Economic, Srinakharinwirot University.

[5] Petchthai, C. (2008). Tourists’ Opinion on Ecotourism Activities and Services in Mangrove forest Area : A Case

Study in Bang-Pu Subdistrict, Muang District, Samutprakarn Province. A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Ecotourism Planning Management, Srinakharinwirot

University.

[6] Jinto, K. (2007). Community Potential in Homestay Management at Damnoensaduak Canal Area. A Thesis

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Ecotourism Planning

Management, Srinakharinwirot University.

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