Ecology

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Ecology

• Biomes Mangroves

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Aquatic Salt-water Biomes
Temperature
Warm
Cold
Mangrove Salt Marsh
Coral Reef Kelp Forest (submerged)/Rocky Intertidal (shoreline)
Low
Energy
High
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Geographic distribution
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General characteristics

• Similar to salt marsh in that it is
• High Productivity, but
• Low diversity (even though in tropics)
• The tropical nursery equivalent
• Strictly tropical (very sensitive to frost)
• Dominated by trees, instead of grasses, sedges,
  etc. (unlike salt marsh)

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What other adaptations would you need?

• In other words, why is this environment require
  certain adaptations?

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Vegetation is unique

• Mangrove trees have
• Stilt roots
• Pneumatophores
• Prop roots

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Mangrove structure
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Threats

• Deforestation for firewood
• Agriculture e.g. rice farming
• Shrimp farming especially in
• Ecuador
• Thailand