Mangrove Swamp

Range
In the U.S. they are found along the coast from southwestern Florida, in the Everglades,
up all along the Gulf of Mexico coast around to Texas. Mangroves can live in both fresh
and salt water. They are also found in the coastal tropics of Africa, Asia, Australia and
South America.
Habitat Description
Mangrove swamps are found along the coasts in tropical and subtropical locations. The
plants there have to be able to live in salty water. This is called halophytic, which means
salt-loving. Because mangroves often line estuaries, where freshwater rivers flow into
the ocean, the water is often brackish a mix of fresh and salt water. As the water rises
and falls every day with the changing tides, the saltiness (salinity) also changes.
Because of this the mangroves have to be adapted to the changing salinity. Their leaves
have specially adapted glands that give off (secrete) the salt they take in plus a waxy
covering (cuticle) that keeps their own water from being lost. This allows them to live in
a salty environment without drying out.
Mangroves are threatened by habitat destruction as they were once cleared for beach
front development. Their loss is marked by increased erosion, animal species loss, and
increased storm damage and it is now illegal in Florida to cut down a mangrove tree.
Animals Found in This Habitat
Mangrove swamps are rich habitats full of animals like the snowy egret, white
ibis, brown pelican, frigatebirds, cormorants, mangrove cuckoos, herons, manatees,
monkeys, turtles, lizards like anoles, red-tailed hawks, eagles,sea turtles, American
alligators and crocodiles. The mangrove roots house smaller animals like
the mangrove tree crab, spotted mangrove crab, snails, barnacles, oysters,
mussels, anemones, and sponges. Because they have thick vegetation for hiding and
are rich in organic matter (dropped leaves, buds, seeds, bark, etc.) which provides food,
they act as a nursery habitat for many species of larval shrimps and crabs. Many species
of fish also feed there including: bonefish, tarpon, sheepshead, jacks, snappers, gar,
mullet and moles. Other invertebrates (no backbone) are also found there like worms,
protozoa, bacteria. The bacteria in mangroves are very important, acting as
decomposers and breaking down organic matter making it is available to the food web.
Plants Found in This Habitat
There is not a lot of plant diversity (number of species) in mangrove swamps. There are
three kinds of mangroves: black, red and white.
The most common species of mangrove found in the inland swamps is the black
mangrove. Black mangroves have roots that stick straight out of the water to reach the
air. This is important for the plant, which is rooted in underwater soil where gas
exchange is poor. These roots are called pneumatophores.
Red mangroves are the most common coastal mangroves. They are the mangroves
that have the strange, arching roots called prop roots that most people think of
when they hear of mangroves. Prop roots grow down on the trunk of the mangrove until
they reach the surface of the water where they will branch over and over forming a thick
web of roots. These roots do the plant's gas exchange when out of the water. They also
provide shelter for many animal species. The red mangroves located on the ocean side of
their habitat are vitally important because they trap sand. This slows coastal erosion and
builds a foundation for other plants to grow like sea grape, buttonwood, pines, ferns,
black and white mangroves. Red mangroves also protect the coast from storm damage
by slowing storm surges and tidal waves.
White mangroves grow further inland out of the water, so do not need arching roots or
special structures for reaching the air.























Mangrove Adaptations
Mangrove plants live in hostile environmental conditions such as high salinity, hypoxic (oxygen deficient)
waterlogged soil strata, tidal pressures, strong winds and sea waves. To cope up with such a hostile environment
mangroves exhibit highly evolved morphological and physiological adaptations to extreme conditions.
Do mangroves need salt?

The answer is no. Mangroves are facultative halophytes, i.e., the presence of salt in the environment is not
necessary for the growth of mangroves and they can grow very well in freshwater. One particular advantage to
growing in a salty environment is the lack of competition! Only a limited number of plants have invested
evolutionary energy into adapting to intertidal conditions. In the optimum conditions of a tropical rainforest,
diversity is great and competition fierce.
Top


How do Mangroves cope with salt

Coping with salt

The first line of defense for many mangroves is to prevent much of the
salt from entering by filtering it out at root level. Some species can
exclude more than 90 percent of salt in seawaters (Rhizophora, Ceriops,
Bruguiera species are all salt-excluders.)

Another method is the retention of water in the leaves giving rise to leaf
succulence in many species, viz., Sonneratia apetala, S. alba,
Lumnitzera recemosa, Salvadora persica etc. These species show
remarkably high concentration of salts stored in their tissue. To avoid the
toxic effects of salts, these plants absorb a large quantity of water for dilution of salt.
The leaves of many mangroves have special salt glands, which are among the most active salt-secreting
systems known. It is quite possible to see and/or taste the salt on the leaf surfaces of species, which choose this
method. (Examples of salt-secretors include Avicennia, Sonneratia and Acanthus).

Fourth method of coping with salt is to concentrate it in bark or in older leaves which carry it with them when
they drop. (Lumnitzera, Avicennia, Ceriops and Sonneratia species all use this) .
Specialized Root System in Mangroves
Specialized Root System

The major plant species forming the mangrove
ecosystem have aerial roots, commonly prop roots or
even stilt roots (Example: Rhizhophora spp). Stilt roots
serve, of course, to anchor the plants, but also are
important in aeration, because the mangrove mud
tends to be anaerobic.

Rhizophora spp (Red mangroves) have prop roots
descending from the trunk and branches, providing a
stable support system. Other mangrove species,
including the white mangroves (A. marina) obtain
stability with an extensive system of shallow,
underground cable roots that radiate out from the
central trunk for a considerable distance in all
directions: pneumatophores extend from these cable
roots.
Breathing Roots (Pneumatophores) : Special
vertical roots, called pneumatophores, form from
lateral roots in the mud, often projecting above soil (to
a height of 20-30 cms, e.g. Avicennia, Sonneratia )
permitting some oxygen to reach the oxygen-starved
submerged roots. Roots also can exhibit development
of air cavities in root tissues, designs that aid
oxygenation of the tissues. The density, size and
number of pneumatophores vary per tree. They are
green and contain chlorophyll.


Stilt roots are the main organs for breathing especially
during the high tide. They are very common in many
species of Rhizophora and Avicennia (Avicennia
marina and Avicennia offficinalis). The stilt roots of
Rhizophora mucronata extend more than a meter
above the soil surface and contain many small pores
(lenticels) which at low tide allow oxygen to diffuse into


the plant and down to the underground roots by means
of open passages called aerenchyma. The lenticels are
highly hydrophobic and prevent water penetration into
the aerenchyma system during the high tide. In
Brugeira and Ceriops they become hollow and
malfunctional after some stage.

Aeration occurs also through lenticels in the bark of
mangrove species, e.g., species of Rhizophora.
Reproductive Strategies of Mangroves
Reproductive Strategies:
Virtually all mangroves share two common reproductive strategies: dispersal by means of water and vivipary.

Members of the Rhizophoraceae family (Rhizophora, Bruguiera and Ceriops species) have an intriguing
viviparous method for successfully reproducing themselves. Vivipary means that the embryo develops
continuously while attached to the parent tree and during dispersal. They may grow in place, attached to the
parent tree, for one to three years, reaching lengths of up to one meter, before breaking off from the parent and
falling into the water.

These seedlings (propagule) then travel in an intriguing way. In buoyant sea water they lie horizontally and move
quickly. On reaching fresher (brackish) water however, they turn vertically, roots down and lead buds up, making
it easier for them to lodge in the mud at a suitable, less salty. Once lodged in the mud they quickly produce
additional roots and begin to grow.

Some other species (Avicennia and Aegiceras) also produce live seedlings but these are still contained within the
seed coat when it drops from the plant. The seed of Avicennia floats until this coat drops.


Top