Magic of the mangrove plant
Mangroves are trees or shrubs that are able to live in the brackish waters of
estuaries in tropical and sub-tropical climates. They have a myriad of benefits, including the ability to sequester four times the amount of CO2 as that
of rainforests.
The leaves on mangrove plants are well adapted to their warm and
often humid habitats. They always have waxy surfaces that reduce
the amount of water lost through evaporation. And on sunny days, the plant is able to adjust the angle of
the leaves to position it in the shade.
To cope with the saline conditions in their natural habitat, some mangrove species, such as the prevalent grey mangrove (Avicennia marina), are able to excrete excess salts through their leaves, just like sweat. You'll often see salt crystals clustered on the underside of the leaves of these plants.
Mangrove forests create habitats that support a range of different plants, insects and animals. In Saudi Arabia for example, there's a species of bees that feeds exclusively off mangrove forests. And as these forests are free of pesticides, these bees are one of
a few species that are not in decline.
One major benefit mangroves have over other types of forests is that they don't need any special water resources to grow. They're also never in danger of forest fires. However, they can only grow in the intertidal zone - land that's above water at low tide and submerged at high tide.
As well as providing a source of income for coastal communities, mangroves have been shown to be a first line of defence against extreme weather phenomenon, such as cyclones and tsunamis. As these are happening with increasing regularity due to climate change, mangroves will become more important than ever.
Mangroves wouldn't be able to survive in salty waters without
their unique roots, which contain multiple layers of material that
helps to filter out salts - some by
as much as 90 per cent. It's a feature that could be adapted for use in commercial desalination plants to produce drinking water.
Like other plants, mangroves sequester CO2 as they grow. But the microbial mats growing around their roots, which suck in CO2 from the air to produce oxygen, make them even more efficient. Their roots also release acids that break down limestone to create carbonates, which effectively locks away carbon.
Mangroves are able to protect
the coastline against erosion and
clarify the water around them by trapping any sediments - including microplastics - in their roots as they grow. Over time, the plants create pristine nursery habitats for fish and shellfish that in turn help to support the marine environment at large.
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