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Where are mangroves located?
Mangroves are largely confined to the coasts between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
as they generally grow under tropical climate conditions.
Mangroves are located in shallow waters near to the coast
because low-lying coasts with muddy, waterlogged land are ideal locations for their growth.
360 virtual learning journey @Sungei Buloh
http://kindred.silvrcraft.sg/Sungai%20Buloh/
How does Mangrove adapt to its environment?
The following photos were taken by me.
Aerial roots of the Mangrove on Pulau Konet, Malacca in Malaysia
Sonneratia mangrove near the jetty at Pulau Ubin. It has a more rounded breathing root sticking out of the ground.
Aerial roots (Avicennia) of the Mangrove in Sugei Buloh - many mudskippers.
knee like aerial roots of the Bruguiera
Snake on the Rhizophora tree in Sungei Buloh
Prop roots of the Rhizophora
The seed of Rhizophora is very heavy with sharp point that help it anchor onto the soil. Here you can see the how the plant germinate from the seed. Taken at Tanjong Piai, Johor in Malaysia 2017.
• Mangrove plants have special breathing roots to take in oxygen despite the waterlogged soil conditions.
• The larger trees are supported by stilt roots and do not fall over in the soft mud.
• The mangrove plant system is salt-tolerant. Leaves of mangrove plants secrete excess salt through the underside of their leaves.
• Fruits of the mangrove are javelin shaped, increasing their chances of germinating when they fall into the waterlogged sediments.
• Other fruits of the mangrove float away and germinate elsewhere.
Mangrove - guardian of the coast
Importance of Mangrove:
Watch this video on how the community restored the mangroves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n8wF_HN6m0&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL8816A31ED654E195
Mangrove cleared for fish farms in Langkawi, Malaysia
Source: ST 12 May 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_most_effective_way_to_save_mangrove
Use of Mangrove for coastal protection
Importance of mangrove to Singapore
Threats faced by mangrove system
Benefits clearing mangroves Benefits
Mangroves have been destroyed to be converted into
paddy fields and fish farms. This benefits the local
economy as it provides job opportunities and is an
important source of income for farmers. For example,
in Vietnam and Thailand, thousands of hectares of
mangroves have been converted for aquaculture
purposes.
Mangroves have also been destroyed to reclaim land
for housing, industry and recreational uses. For
example, at Bimini island, one of the Caribbean Islands,
mangroves have been cleared and land is reclaimed for
development of the tourism industry. The shorelines
have been extended to build resorts, hotels, golf
courses and marinas. This attracts wealthy tourists to
the area, so tourism expenditure has increased
significantly, benefiting the local economy.
Problems:
One problem caused by the destruction of mangroves
is that coasts become more vulnerable when
mangroves are destroyed. Mangroves play a key role
in stabilising shorelines. Their dense network of roots
absorb the energy of waves, thus slowing down the flow
of water. This network allows the sediments that are
washed down by rivers and washed up on coasts to
build up amongst mangrove roots. When mangroves
are destroyed, coastal areas are less protected from
erosion by tides, storm waves and tsunamis. For
example, during the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, a
southern village in Sri Lanka which had degraded
mangroves suffered devastating impacts with over
5000 deaths, while its neighbouring village had two
deaths because it had 200 hectares of dense
mangroves, which absorbed much of the wave energy
and protected the shoreline.destroyed
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