Environment

Deepen comprehension of Indian mangrove ecosystems, says mangrove scientist

·        Mangroves are the plant communities occurring in inter-tidal zones on the coasts of tropical and subtropical countries.

·        mangrove forests perform multiple ecological functions like production of woody trees; provision of habitat, food, and spawning grounds for fin-fish and shellfish; provision of habitat for birds and different valuable fauna; protection of coastlines and accretion of sediment to create new land.

·        Mangrove plants have many distinctive adaptations that permit them to survive in harsh atmosphere.

·        Mangroves are very vital to the coastal ecosystems they inhabit. Physically, they function as a buffer between marine and terrestrial communities.

·        They defend coastlines from damaging winds, waves, and floods. mangrove has a very important role in rising water quality by filtering pollutants and trapping sediments from the land.

·        They reduce coastal erosion. Ecologically, they supply habitat for a various array of terrestrial and marine organisms.

·        The area of mangroves has greater species diversity because it is that the junction of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

·        they need very high salt tolerance and then some species that need this atmosphere conjointly thrive upon mangroves.

·        According to 1 of its oft-quoted definition, “Mangroves represent a characteristic littoral (near the ocean shore) forest ecosystem and that they are mainly evergreen forests that grow in protected  low lying coasts, estuaries, mudflats, tidal creeks backwaters (coastal waters control back on land), marshes and lagoons of tropical and subtropical regions”.

·        Mangrove Forests trees project differing types of roots: Prop – theyre down into the water Air – theyre vertically configured up from the mud Stilt – These roots emerge from the most trunk of the tree; conjointly known as adventitious roots.

·        According to the Forest Survey of india, 2019, Mangroves’ cover within the country increased by fifty four sq kilometer (91.10 percent) as compared to the 2017 assessment. mangrove cover in india is 4975 sq kilometer (0.15 % of the full geographic area.)

·        The protection or restoration of blue carbon — organic carbon sequestered and stored over long timescales by coastal vegetated ecosystems like mangrove forests, seagrasses, and saltmarshes — is steadily gaining prominence as a key natural climate answer. mangrove cover is divided as: very Dense – 1476 sq kilometer (29.66 percent) Moderately Dense – 1479 sq kilometer (29.73 percent) Open Mangroves – 2020 sq kilometer (40.61 percent)

·        There are 3 vital varieties of mangroves:

·        Red mangroves: They grow on coastlines and are the hardiest of the 3 major mangrove plant varieties.

·        Black mangroves: theyre named therefore due to their dark bark. they typically grow at slightly higher elevations than red mangroves.

·        They have access to additional oxygen as a result of the roots are more exposed.

·        White mangroves: They grow at higher altitude than red and black mangroves.

·        Generally they are doing not have aerial roots.

·        But generally theres distinctive growth of peg roots once oxygen is depleted because of flood.