Mangroven

Mangroves are a group of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that form dense forests in tropical and subtropical coastal areas. They grow along intertidal zones, estuaries, and river mouths where regular tidal inundation provides nutrients but poses physiological challenges for land plants. Mangrove ecosystems occur in warm regions worldwide, including Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Americas, and parts of Oceania.

Most mangroves belong to several genera, notably Rhizophora, Avicennia, Laguncularia, and Sonneratia. They display adaptations to waterlogged, saline soils, such as breathing roots (pneumatophores or stilt roots) for gas exchange, salt-excreting glands, and viviparous propagules that germinate while still attached to the parent tree.

Ecologically, mangroves provide habitat and nurseries for numerous fish, crustaceans, and bird species. They stabilize shorelines by trapping sediments and reducing erosion, help filter pollutants, and contribute to coastal resilience against storms. They also store substantial carbon in biomass and sediments, a form of blue carbon important for climate regulation.

Threats include conversion for aquaculture (notably shrimp farming), coastal development, logging, pollution, and climate-change impacts such as sea-level rise and changing salinity. Conservation approaches emphasize protected areas, sustainable management, community involvement, and restoration projects designed to reestablish natural hydrology and plant communities.