Mangrove Ecosystems

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Mangrove Ecosystems
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What are Mangroves?

• Mangroves are plants that grow in tidal areas.
• The word mangrove can describe a single plant or
  it can refer to a whole community of plants .
• They are halophytes (salt loving). Most plants
  can not survive in salty conditions.

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Where Do Mangroves Grow?Look at the Map Showing
the World Distribution of Mangroves? Is There
Anything That You Could Infer About Mangroves by
Looking at the Map?
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Where do Mangroves Grow?

• Mangroves grow only in the tropics and
  subtropics. They do not tolerate cold
  temperatures well, and freezing temperatures will
  kill them.
• Picture of mangroves in Sarasota Bay. K Broderick

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Where do mangroves grow?

• Mangroves grow best in sheltered areas with low
  wave energies. High wave energies destroy the
  shallow root systems of Mangroves. They also
  prevent seedling establishment and the build up
  of fine sediments needed for growth.
• Picture of Longboat Key Mangroves, Florida. K.
  Broderick

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Stop and think!

• What impact do you think that hurricanes might
  have on a Mangrove community?

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Effect of hurricanes

• Hurricanes have a profound impact on Mangrove
  communities. Severe erosion and wind damage can
  severely restrict growth. In severe cases areas
  of mangroves can be destroyed. The picture shows
  damage to Florida mangroves by Hurricane Charley.
• Picture courtesy of USWF

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Did you know?

• There are about 100 types of mangrove plant
  around the world. This includes some palms and
  ferns.
• In Florida there are four main mangrove plants.
• There are approximately 47,000 acres of mangrove
  in Florida.

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Types of mangrove in Florida

• Florida mangroves include 4 tree species.
• The Red mangrove
• The Black mangrove
• The White mangrove
• The Buttonwood
• Each mangrove has its own level of salt tolerance
  and this determines its location.

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The Red Mangrove

• Tall arching roots called prop roots. These
  supply air to the underlying roots and provide
  stability.
• Found closest to the water as they have the
  highest salt tolerance.
• Dark green elliptical leaves, which are paler
  underneath.

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Red Mangroves

• The pictures show the flowers of the red mangrove
  and also its leaves, seeds and developing prop
  roots. Notice that the prop root develops from
  the seed and grows downward.

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Black Mangroves

• Black/brown bark
• Numerous breathing tubes called pneumatophores
  project from the soil beneath.
• Grows on high tide shores.

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White Mangroves

• White mangroves are usually found upland of the
  red and black mangroves. The bark is pale and
  they do not have prop roots or pneumatophores.

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Buttonwoods

• Buttonwoods occupy the same zone as white
  mangroves.

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Mangrove Adaptations

• All mangrove plants have special adaptations that
  allow them to survive in their salty environment.
• Their unusual root systems give them support and
  stability in the loose soil.
• There is little oxygen present in these soils and
  prop roots and pneumatophores allow them to get
  oxygen from the air.

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Mangrove adaptations

• Did you know that mangrove plants are unique in
  that they have live young (viviparous). The seed
  remains attached to the parents plant until it
  germinates. It then falls from the tree and
  drifts on the water until it finds somewhere to
  take root.
• Red mangrove fruits courtesy of Selby Gardens

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Mangrove adaptations

• Mangroves do not have to live in salt water. They
  tolerate the salt water and so out-compete other
  plants. They excrete salt through pores in their
  roots and leaves.

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Why are mangroves important?

• Mangrove plants form a unique ecosystem.
• An ecosystem consists of living organisms and
  non-living factors such as soil and water.
• Mangroves are essential to the first link in the
  food chain. When their leaves fall into the water
  and are decomposed by bacteria many valuable
  nutrients are released that are essential to the
  growth of plankton. Plankton are the producers in
  this and oceanic ecosystems.

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Why are mangroves important?

• The leaf detritus also provides food for animals
  such as worms, snails,mussels, oysters,shrimp,
  clams and mullet.

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The Mangrove Ecosystem

• These detritus eating animals are a source of
  food for carnivores such as crabs and fish .
  These in turn provide food for larger fish,
  reptiles and birds.
• Picture Mangrove Crab

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The Mangrove Ecosystem

• Mangrove wetlands provide habitat, feeding,
  breeding and nursery areas for a wide variety of
  plants and animals, including endangered species.
• Picture shows a Snowy Egret

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Wildlife in the Florida mangrovesPictures from
left to right horseshoe crab, sheepshead, tree
snail, mangrove water snake.
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Mangrove wildlifepictures show from left to
right blue crab, blue heron,fiddler crab,
mangrove snapper
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Mangrove wildlifeFrom left to right Florida
fighting conch, mangrove buckeye,
periwinkle,American crocodile
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Habitat

• The roots of the mangrove provide shelter for
  many fish and other animals. They also provide an
  attachment site for many creatures such as
  sponges and anemones. In addition the trees
  themselves provide nesting site for many birds.
• Picture shows a Snook.

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Habitat

• Other creatures such as bats, snakes, insects and
  frogs also live in mangrove habitats.
• Picture shows a Mangrove Cuckoo

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Breeding Grounds

• Mangroves are an important breeding ground for
  many animals, including fish and birds.
• Picture shows a roseate spoonbill

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Nursery

• The mangroves serve as a nursery to many animals,
  such as mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. The
  picture shows a juvenile Tarpon.

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Feeding grounds

• Mangroves are a vital source of food to many
  animals . Some live in the mangroves permanently,
  some only part of their lives and some just come
  to visit.
• Picture shows a young Lemon Shark courtesy of
  J.Stafford-Deitsch- Shark Foundation

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Endangered Species

• Florida mangroves support a number of endangered
  species such as
• The west Indian manatee
• The brown pelican
• The eastern indigo snake
• The hawksbill turtle

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Besides being an extremely productive ecosystem
mangroves also..

• Act as a buffer against the high winds and
  eroding waves of storms.
• The mangroves trap sediments and prevent them
  from building up further out to sea, which is
  damaging to other ecosystems like coral reefs and
  sea grasses.

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Amazing mangroves

• Did you know that mangroves can filter out
  pollutants like nitrates, phosphates and
  petroleum based products that are present in
  run-off? The microbes in the sediment break the
  pollutants down.

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Fisheries

• Mangroves contribute to our economythey have a
  big influence on our fisheries, because so many
  commercially fished species breed or develop
  there. The mangroves also provide an important
  source of food for other marine life.
• Picture shows Florida Stone crab

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Food for thought

• If mangroves were removed what impacts would this
  have? How many can you think of?

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Man and mangroves

• Mangrove communities have been significantly
  reduced as coastal areas have become more
  developed. This is especially true in Florida.
  The picture shows development encroaching on an
  area of mangroves.

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Man and Mangroves

• Dredging floods mangroves. This submerges their
  air breathing roots and they can not get enough
  oxygen and nutrients.
• Picture courtesy Army Corps of Engineers

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Pollution

• Although mangroves filter some pollutants, they
  can be irreparably damaged by oil spills and
  herbicides in particular.
• Picture shows Mangrove clean up after an oil
  spill, picture courtesy of NOAA.

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Mangrove conservation in Florida

• The Mangrove trimming and preservation act is a
  piece of legislation which protects Florida
  mangroves. It regulates the trimming and
  alteration of mangroves and bans the use of
  herbicides and other chemicals to defoliate
  mangroves.

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Mangrove conservation in Florida

• Mangroves can reestablish in 15-30 years if
  conditions are right. This can be achieved by
  planting mangrove seedlings.

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Mangroves around the world

• It is estimated that the world has lost 20 of
  its mangrove forests since 1980.
• This could have alarming effects on biodiversity,
  due to loss of habitat.
• It could also result in the silting of coral
  reefs, shipping lanes and ports.
• Picture shows mangroves destroyed by pollution.
  Photo credit T.Wilke

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Mangroves around the world

• Loss of mangroves could also severely impact
  economies that rely on tourism and fisheries.
• Without a barrier of mangroves low lying
  countries such as Bangladesh, are more
  susceptible to flooding and devastation by
  cyclones. The dark areas in the satellite image
  show mangrove areas in Bangladesh.
• Picture courtesy of NASA

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Present status of Mangroves

• Although mangroves are decreasing the rate is
  slowing down as more countries pass laws to
  protect them. More projects to replant mangroves
  are underway around the world, but there is still
  along way to go before this ecosystem is
  protected.

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Bibliography

• Environmental Protection Agency, (2006). Mangrove
  swamps. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from Wetlands
  Web site http//www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/types/m
  angrove.html
• U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Hurricane Charley.
  Retrieved August 5, 2008, from J.N. Ding Darling
  wildlife refuge Web site http//www.fws.gov/dingd
  arling/HurricaneCharley.htm
• Lee County government, Mangroves. Retrieved
  August 5, 2008, from Community development
• Newfound Harbor Marine Institute, (1998).
  Ecology. Retrieved August 2, 2008, from Mangroves
  Web site http//www.nhmi.org/mangroves/eco.htm
• (2007). International society for mangrove
  ecosystems. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from ISME
  Web site http//www.mangrove.or.jp/isme/english/i
  ndex.htm

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Bibliography

• (2006). Facts about mangroves in Florida.
  Retrieved August 5, 2008, from Florida department
  of environmental protection Web site
  http//www.dep.state.fl.us/southwest/erp/mangroves
  .htm
• Importance of mangroves. Retrieved August 5,
  2008, from Florida Museum of natural History Web
  site http//www.flmnh.ufl.edu/FISH/southflorida/m
  angrove/Importance.htmlthreat
• Riley, Robert W. (2001). Ecological importance.
  Retrieved August 5, 2008, from Mangrove.org Web
  site http//www.mangrove.org/sect1.htm