IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVE FORESTS

BY – PRISHA , ANGEL , HARSH , PRARTHANA AND NAMRATA

WHAT ARE MANGROVES ?• They are trees which grow in tidal , costal

swamps and have countless tangled roots. • Mangrove trees grow between the land and the

water • There are approximately 80 different species of

mangrove trees • Mangrove trees grow in soil which are really low

in oxygen • Mangrove forests only grow at tropical and

subtropical latitudes near the equator because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures.

MANGROVE ROOTS

IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVES 1) Mangrove trees are indigenous species and majorly

contribute to the marine environment. • Mangrove trees is a halophyte and can grow where no

other tree can , significantly contributing to the environment

• Due to their proximity to the shore and costal areas they provide an irreplaceable natural habitat for different species of birds , fishes and mammals

• Mangroves protect the water quality and filter the unwanted material

• They dissolve nutrients from the soil and the water.

2) Mangroves are a major part of a food chain and the detrital food cycle • As mangrove tree leaves fall into the water they are

surrounded by marine bacteria within a few hours and convert the carbon compounds into nitrogen rich detritus material

• This material covered with microorganism is then eaten by smaller animals known as detritus eaters - EG : worms , snail , shrimp , clams , oysters ,

• These detritus eaters are then eaten by carnivores – EG : crabs and fish

• Which in turn are eaten by birds and mankind , and so the food chain continues….

THEY ACT AS A BUFFER BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA

• There is a general tendency of the sea to capture the land and global warming has increased this threat.

• Mangroves act like a barrier between the land and the sea and prevent such assaults on land by the sea.

THEY PROTECT THE LAND FROM EROSION

• Coastlines throughout the world are facing costal soil erosion

• They not only help in preventing soil erosion but help in reclaiming the land from the sea.

• Mangroves also settle the sediments present on the shore with their tangled root system

SHORELINE PROTECTION• Mangroves protect the shorelines from storm

damage , hurricane winds and floods • They maintain the water quality and also filter

the pollutants. • They trap the sediments and prevent them from

entering the water.

HABITAT• They are a habitat for many animals • In addition to this mangroves also support many

endangered species • Eg – American crocodile , hawksbill turtle ,

saltmarsh snake , bald eagle , and many more….

AMERICAN CROCODILE SALT MARSH SNAKE

HAWKSBILL TURTLE

• They improve the water and atmosphere quality • They provide shelter , security and breeding

grounds for marine life and thus if mangroves die it will affect the fishes and people who consume these fishes.

BIBILOGRAPHY • http://mangrove.org/video/Mangrove.pdf • https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/southflorida/

habitats/mangroves/importance-mangroves/ • http://www.mangroves.godrej.com/

Whyshouldweprotectmangroves.htm