Mangrove Tree - Species Of Mangrove Trees, Ecology Of Mangrove Forest, Mangroves And Humans
forests ecosystem tropical aid
Mangroves are trees in the family Rhizophoraceae, occurring in tropical and subtropical environments as swampy forests fringing muddy, tidal, estuarine, and oceanic shores. Mangrove forests are generally the first type of woody ecosystem that is encountered when a low-lying tropical shore is approached from the ocean.
Mangrove forests comprise a biome, that is, a distinctive ecosystem that occurs in appropriate habitats worldwide. Compared with other tropical forests, the
Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in Florida. JLM Visuals. Reproduced by permission.
mangrove ecosystem is rather poor in species. The richest mangrove forests occur closest to the equator, especially in the western Pacific Ocean. The number of man-grove species diminishes with increasing latitude in both hemispheres, with black mangrove (Avicennia spp.) generally being the last species to drop out, reaching about 32°N in Bermuda and 38°S in northern Australia.
Mangrove trees are well adapted to growing in saline water, having glands on their leaves for excreting their excess of absorbed salt, and evergreen foliage to aid in the retention of scarce nutrients. Some species have aerial roots that aid in transporting oxygen to their below-ground tissues, and seeds that are specialized for establishing in tidal mud.
Additional Topics
The family Rhizophoraceae contains about 100 species of woody plants, all of which are tropical or subtropical in distribution. The most important of the tree-sized species are in the genera Avicennia, Bruguiera, Ceriops, and Rhizophora. The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is abundant in mangrove forests of south Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This species has distinctive,…
The mangrove environment is stressful to most plants, largely because of the high salt concentrations in water, which are physiologically difficult for most species to deal with. However, mangrove trees can tolerate this stress, and as a result they are able to assemble into forests under these environmental conditions, although these are relatively species-poor ecosystems in comparison with other…
Mangrove forests are commercially important in some places. Lumber can be manufactured from all of the mangrove trees, but the most durable wood is that of Ceriops. Where it is abundant, Rhizophora may be harvested to manufacture lumber or pulp. In some places, mangroves trees are harvested and used to manufacture charcoal. The bark of mangroves is rich in tannins, and has been used for the commer…
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