THE MANGROVES
Thriving under extreme conditions of salinity and the wavy oceans, there lies one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, ‘The Mangroves’. Mangroves are only found in the tropics and subtropics and are highly adapted species that form unique intertidal forests at the edge of land and sea.
As the country with the highest area of mangrove coverage, Indonesia accounts for about 19% of the world’s total mangroves.
Mangrove forests, also known as mangrove swamps, thickets, and mangals, are fertile wetlands found in coastal intertidal zones. As mangrove trees cannot tolerate cold temperatures, they thrive primarily in tropical and subtropical latitudes.
Why are mangroves important?
Mangrove forests were once thought to be marshy wastelands. Planners, researchers, and coastal residents have all recognised them as the incredibly diverse and essential ecosystems they are. Mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs all work together to maintain coastal zones healthy. Thousands of species rely on mangroves for survival.
Aside from being a marginal habitat, mangroves are unique in that it has varied interactions with other ecosystems. Mangroves are also distinct in that, unlike other marginal ecosystems, they are very dynamic and productive. Mangrove trees’ strong root systems serve as a natural barrier against disastrous storms and floods. The roots trap river and land silt, protecting coastlines and slowing erosion. This filtration mechanism keeps dangerous sediments from reaching coral reefs and seagrass meadows.
These remarkable ecosystems contribute to global well-being, food security, and coastal community protection. They maintain diverse biodiversity and serve as an essential nursery ground for fishes and crustaceans.
Mangroves also provide natural coastal protection against storm surges, tsunamis, increasing sea levels, and erosion. Their soils are extremely excellent carbon sinks, absorbing massive amounts of carbon.
Although mangrove forests occupy only 0.1 per cent of the planet’s surface, they store up to ten times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests. Because of their carbon-storing capacity, mangroves are an important component of the solutions to climate change.
A place for refuge
Many threatened and endangered species are native to the mangrove forests. And they provide critical habitats for diverse marine and terrestrial species, such as manatees, crab-eating monkeys, fishing cats, monitor lizards, sea turtles, Royal Bengal tigers and mud-skipper fish. Mangrove forests provide refuge and nursery grounds for juvenile fish, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, and other invertebrates.
Mangroves are prime nesting and migratory resting and feeding sites for hundreds of bird species.
A day for Mangroves
The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, established by the UNESCO General Conference in 2015 and observed annually on July 26, aims to emphasise the value of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special, and vulnerable ecosystem,” as well as to encourage solutions for their effective management, conservation, and use.
Mangrove conservation and the current status
According to historical assessments, the current global mangrove vegetation decreased below 15 million hectares, up from 19.8 million ha in 1980. Over the previous two decades, the globe has lost 5 million hectares of mangroves, or 25% of the area recorded in 1980. Between 2000 and 2016, over 3400 square kilometres (1,300 square miles) of mangrove forests were destroyed, accounting for around 2% of the worldwide mangrove area. Approximately 62% of the losses were caused by direct human sources, such as farming and aquaculture.
Fortunately, we won’t be seeing a world without mangroves anytime soon. Global mangrove deforestation rates have decreased significantly since the 1980s — we are not losing them as quickly as we used to, while certain countries continue to destroy their mangroves at an alarming rate. This is partly due to changes in industries and deforestation drivers (e.g., aquaculture intensification). Still, it is also due to stakeholders and governments recognising the true importance of mangroves and working to improve their protection and restoration.
Many devoted local communities, researchers, nongovernmental organisations, and government officials are striving to improve the conservation of this vital environment
To know more about us visit https://wegrowforest.org/ or contact us at on 9778411911 or email at us plant@wegrowforest.org
