Following up on a preliminary survey in 2012, a recently completed field survey in August confirmed the initial findings of mangroves on peat. Utilizing a combination of remote sensing and ground truthing, it is estimated that 4,976 hectares of peatlands were identified in mangroves within the Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia. Thirty-two locations were assessed with gauge auger, revealing peat depths ranging from 44cm to 200cm, with an average depth of 115cm.
The mangroves in Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary consist of several smaller islands. The outer layer (approximately 50m) of these islands is dominated by Rhizophora apiculata and Rhizophora mucronata. However, as we moved further into the range of 100m to 150m, there was a noticeable change in vegetation in terms of species and tree height. In general, four types of vegetation were identified: stunted Rhizophora apiculata only, stunted Ceriops tagal only, stunted Ceriops tagal or Rhizophora apiculata with tall Lumnitzera littorae, and a mixed species of Hibiscus tiliaceus, Xylocarpus granatum, and Melaleuca cajuputi. In total, 14 tree species were recorded for this survey, all of which are common mangrove species, with the exception of Melaleuca cajuputi, which is a species typical of freshwater swamps.
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