THERMAL ENVIRONMENT IN TIDAL FLAT AND MANGROVE AREAS BASED ON FIELD MEASUREMENTS OF WATER AND SOIL TEMPERATURES

摘要

The present study aims to clarify the thermal function of tidal flat and mangrove areas in the summer and winter. We conducted long-term field measurements for water and soil temperatures in Sumiyo Bay, Amami Oshima Is., known as a habitat of the fish species Ryukyu-ayu. The results showed that the water temperature of tidal flat and mangrove areas was close to that of the outer sea in the summer and the rivers in the winter, showing the heat fluxes from the water surface and the bottom were dominant in tidal flat and mangrove areas. A heat budget analysis indicated that the sensible heat flux from the bottom of the tidal flat and mangrove areas significantly cooled water column in the winter.