Mangrove Forests of the Minato River in Kunigami and the Adake River, Tanegashima

The Northern Limit of Mangroves in Asia

The Mangrove Forests of the Minato River in Kunigami and the Adake River, Tanegashima (種子島国上湊川・阿嶽川のマングローブ林) is mangrove forests of Kandelia on river mouths in Nishinoomote City and Nakatane Town, Kagoshima Prefecture, designated a Natural Monument in 2015 and enlarged in 2022.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criteria for representative primeval forests and rare forest flora, and for notable limits of plant distribution.

The Kagoshima Prefectural Museum notes that it was first designated as the mangrove forest of the Adake River.

Characteristics

According to the Agency, mangroves are forests of tropical and subtropical tidal waters where seawater mixes with fresh, plant communities with unusual forms and ways of life. Tanegashima is said to be the northern limit of their natural range in Asia, and at this limit only the cold-tolerant Kandelia grows.

Kandelia grows in six rivers on the east side of the island. The trees are about 1 to 1.5 metres tall near the middle of the rivers and around 4 metres at the edges. In low ground exposed to strong winds, they spread outward rather than growing tall, taking a distinctive form.

What to Look For

The Agency values the forests as well-preserved mangroves of distinctive form at their northern limit. The Adake River stand is relatively large and in good condition.

The prefectural museum notes that Kandelia thickets flourish at the mouth of the Adake River in Nakatane, surrounded by ubame oak and yew plum pine, with many brackish-water plants such as Pentacoelium, yellow hibiscus and Cladium.

Visiting the Mangrove Forests of the Minato River in Kunigami and the Adake River, Tanegashima

The mangroves spread over brackish river mouths. As a Natural Monument, plants must not be taken or the forest damaged.

The prefectural museum directs questions about current conditions to the owners or managers. No official visitor information was found.