Tree-ring–based diameter growth data for Rhizophora mangle in the Colombian Caribbean

Cispatá Bay, located in the Colombian Caribbean, hosts the country’s only mangrove under a regulated sustainable use model. Yet, current management guidelines rely on generalized silvicultural criteria, which do not reflect species-specific growth dynamics, potentially compromising sustainability. This study aims to improve sustainable forest management in Cispatá Bay by developing species-specific growth models for Rhizophora mangle, a dominant and heavily harvested species. We used tree-ring data from 26 dead individuals to evaluate diameter growth, and applied nonlinear mixed- effects modeling, accounting for autocorrelation and growth eccentricity. The resulting models yielded biologically meaningful ontogenetic traits and silvicultural parameters, including a maximum mean diameter, a weighted average growth rate, a lifespan, and a halflife.