Upload
mackenzie-taggart
View
96
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Mackenzie Taggart* SS 421* Wetlands* Spring 2014 Mangrove Functions and Importance Across Cultures
Adaptations To Salinity
Mangroves are specially adapted to withstand many hostile conditions, but their ability to cope with salinity make them a remarkable coastal species.
There are four main adaptations:
v Preventing influx of saline water into roots through filtering
v Absorbing large quantities of water to dilute the salts stored in leaves and tissues
v Concentrating salt in leaves and bark which are then shed
v Excreting salt through special pores of the surface of leaves
What are Mangroves?
Mangroves are a specially adapted species that thrive along coastlines where salt and freshwater converge. Mangrove forests are some of the most productive terrestrial ecosystems and are considered an important natural resource. Mangroves grow in Tropical and Subtropical climates between 30˚North and South of the Equator and are present on almost all continents except Europe and Antarctica.
Mangroves grow from a long, tubular seed called a Propagule. When the seed is ready, it falls from the tree and sticks in the mud where it will begin to grow. If the seed in unsuccessful, it will be carried away and will stay dormant until it washes ashore.
Common Species of Mangroves
There are more than 50 species of mangroves worldwide, but there are three more variations:
The White Mangrove Laguncularia racemosa
The white mangrove grows at higher elevations than both black and red
mangroves and is unique for having no visible root system. The white
mangrove has oval shaped light green leaves with glands at the base of each leaf that excrete salt taken in by the
roots.
The Black Mangrove Avicennia germinans
Easily identified thanks to the dark colored bark and roots it is named
after. Another identifiable feature are the Pneumatophores that supply oxygen for the mangrove. Black
mangrove leaves are oblong and a shiny dark green on top, light green on
bottom.
The Red Mangrove Rhizophora mangle
Easily identified by the reddish tint
to its bark and roots, the red mangrove is nicknamed the “walking tree” due to its stilt roots. The leaves are 1-‐2 inches in length with a blunt tip; they are a shiny dark green on top, and light green on the bottom
Specialized Roots
These specialized roots are adaptations that allow mangroves to grow in anaerobic conditions.
Stilt Roots: These roots grow from the trunk of the mangrove and keep the mangrove rooted and stable. They too allow the diffusion of oxygen through lenticels on the surface of the roots.
Pneumatophores: These roots extend upwards through the soil and reach around 20-‐30 cm in height. They are covered in small pores called lenticels, which allow the diffusion of oxygen when exposed at low tide.
Mackenzie Taggart * SS 421* Spring 2014
Importance of Mangroves Mangroves are crucial to sustaining coastal ecosystems around the world and have many ecological and societal benefits. Their benefits can be separated into two interconnected categories: benefits from the mangrove products, and benefits from the mangrove ecosystem as a whole. These categories are interconnected because they depend on one another; if mangrove products, such as wood harvested for fuel, are too widely used or destroyed, the mangrove ecosystem will be unable to provide the benefits it used to.
Mangrove Ecosystem As A Whole
Coastal StabilizaUon
AccumulaUon of Sediment
DissipaUon of Wind & Tide Energy
Improvement of Water Quality
Nutrient RetenUon
Carbon AccumulaUon
Wilflife Habitat
Mangrove Products
Food & Fiber
TexUles
Timber
Fuel Dye For Clothing
Tannin Used in Medicine
Fishing
Case Study: Mangrove Destruction in Indonesia
Residents depended on mangroves as a source of wood for fuel, but when farmers realized the value of the land, shrimp farming took over. Mangroves posed a problem for shrimp farmers, who wanted their ponds closer to the shore; as a result, hundreds of acres of mangroves were cut down. Without the mangroves stabilizing the coast and dissipating the energy of the wind and tides, tsunamis have caused significant damage and taken thousands of lives. The most destructive tsunami resulted from the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia and Sumatra in 2004. The tsunami destroyed the coastlines of 11 countries bordering the Indian Ocean and ravaged Indonesia.
References "The Deadliest Tsunami in History?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 7 Jan. 2005. Web. 29 May 2014. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami_2.html>.
"Uses of Mangroves." Australian Institute of Marine Science. Australian Government, n.d. Web. 28 May 2014. <http://www.aims.gov.au/docs/projectnet/mangroves-‐uses.html>.
Environmental and Socio Economic Value of Mangroves in Tsunami Affected Areas (2007): 1-‐22. The World Conservation Union, Feb. 2007. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/sri_lanka_socioeconomic_value_report.pdf>.
"What Are Mangroves?" Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, n.d. Web. 31 May 2014. <http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/mangroves.htm>.