Identification of effective criteria in mangrove distribution patterns (Case study: Aviccenia marina forests)

Mangrove forests are one of the world's most productive ecosystems which have threatened due to human activities and natural events in recent years. Lack of developed criteria for selection of protected areas resulted in decrease of mangrove forest areas. The main objective of this paper was to identify of conservation criteria and indices for the Aviccenia marina species which has widely distributed through the world and provides many environmental and economic values for humans as well as other living organisms. After reviewing 23 relevant literatures, effective criteria at three global, local and structural levels as well as two global-local and local- structural levels were indentified and categorized. We identified 3 criteria, 9 sub criteria and 42 indices for selection of suitable areas for developing mangrove communities. 1.65% of identified criteria were at global, 53.2% at local, 18.18 % at structural, 10.74 % at local-global and 15.70 % at local – structural level respectively. Also the results showed that land properties criterion and land chemical features and water quality sub-criteria have the most importance in determining spatial distribution of mangrove forests and most useful criteria were in local level.