Mangroves and people: Lessons from a history of use and abuse in four Latin American countries

• Historical ecology improves our understanding of current mangrove forest state.
• Mangrove use dates back to pre-Columbian societies in the Americas.
• Mangrove area estimates are highly variable over time due to differing methodologies.
• Negative attitudes towards mangroves changed with demonstrated links to human wellbeing.
• Expanding human activities continue to threaten mangroves despite protection legislation.

From native pre-Columbian subsistence economies to the modern global economy, mangroves have played an important role providing goods and services to human societies for millennia. More than 90% of the world’s mangroves are located in developing countries, where rates of destruction are increasing rapidly and on large scales. In order to design effective conservation strategies, it is critical to understand the natural dynamics and anthropogenic drivers of these coastal wetland habitats. We use retrospective techniques to reconstruct mangrove forest history in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. We examine available, present day estimates of mangrove area and evaluate the representation of mangroves in the protected area systems of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, evaluating existing policies regarding mangroves. Archaeozoological evidence shows that mangroves were exploited for many thousands of years by pre-Columbian societies. Post-conquest deforestation prevailed during the next 400 years. Since 1990, despite increasingly positive attitudes towards mangroves and their inclusion in protected areas and conservation policies, mangrove cover has continued to decline due to expanding human activities (agriculture, aquaculture, coastal development), even in the presence of laws prohibiting their removal. Here we provide an historical ecology baseline of mangroves in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, from which to view current trends and map future trajectories. Given the myriad negative consequences of mangrove loss recorded worldwide, and the strong ecological connectivity of the region, developing effective strategies for mangrove management at an appropriate scale will be paramount to protect coastal livelihoods and biodiversity.