Let’s start at the beginning, what are mangroves? Mangrove forests are biomes typical of tropical and subtropical latitudes, made up of various species of Eurihalin trees , that is to say, beings very tolerant to salts existing in the intertidal zone near the mouth of fresh water courses. They are present in more than a hundred countries, however, they only cover approximately 0.1% of the planetary surface.
Despite their small size, mangroves could save the planet, but why? The truth is that there is no single answer:
- No other biome is capable of sequestering as much atmospheric carbon as mangroves (not even the Amazon). So they could really be considered the lungs of the planet, thus limiting the adverse effects of climate change.
- Their incredible network of underwater roots acts as a sediment filter, helping the water around them to be of excellent quality. Thus avoiding bleaching events in nearby coral reefs.
- The biodiversity in these environments is unique, being able to host at least 60 endemic species, that is, they are not found anywhere else on the planet. Aside from the endemic ones, many species depend on them to complete their life cycle, such as the juvenile lemon shark.
- Lastly, they are also a good source of income for the local humane communities that live near them. In addition to protecting its coasts from floods and strong marine storms (both people and the animals that inhabit them).
Unfortunately, mangroves are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, and they are disappearing at an accelerated rate due to oil spills and their deforestation for the construction of rice, oil palm and rubber fields; in addition to the urbanization with human dwellings in these areas.
A study from the University of Singapore, published in Nature’s Scientific Reports , focused its studies on the mangroves of Myanmar, in Southeast Asia. After monitoring for more than 20 years, they found that the rate of disappearance of these forests dropped from 3-4% to 0.2-0.7%, a seemingly good thing, if it weren’t because, according to Dale Bryan-Brown, lead author of the study “some regions are now completely stripped of mangroves”.
Despite the poor prospects for the future, we must not lose hope. Increasingly, mangrove forests are becoming known around the planet, beyond the scientific community . And there are more and more international projects dedicated to the revitalization, protection and regeneration of this ecosystem, such as WWF, EcoViva and Ocean Unite, which place mangroves at the center of marine conservation.
References:
Bryan-Brown, D. N., Connolly, R. M., Richards, D. R., Adame, F., Friess, D. A., & Brown, C. J. (2020). Global trends in mangrove forest fragmentation. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63880-1
de Ferrer, M. (2021, April 26). What are mangroves and why are they the key to saving the planet? Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/04/17/what-are-mangroves-and-why-are-they-the-key-to-saving-the-planet
