Mangrove
Above and below water view at the edge of the'' mangal
are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or
mangal (Hogarth, 1999). The mangrove is often considered a type of
biome. Mangrove habitat is exclusively
tropical and
tidal, and therefore having
soil or
sediment that is water-logged and
saline or of variable salinity. Areas where
mangal occurs includes
estuaries and marine shorelines. A wide variety of plant species can be found in mangrove habitat, but some 54 species in 20 genera, belonging to 16 families constitute the "true mangroves" — species that occur exclusively in mangrove habitats and rarely elsewhere (Hogarth, 1999).
The roots of the mangrove plants stabilize the sand and mud. In areas of the world where mangroves have been removed for development purposes, the coastline has been subject to rapid erosion. They also provide a habitat for wildlife.
The mangrove species, Sonneratia, growing on the landward margin of the reef flat on [[Yap
and showing abundant pneumatophores]]
Species of mangroves
The following listing (after Tomlinson, 1986) gives the number of species of mangroves in each listed plant genus and family.
Major components
- Family Avicenniaceae
- Family Combretaceae
- Lumnitzera – 2
- Family Arecaceae
- Family Rhizophoraceae
- Ceriops – 2
- Kandelia – 1
- Rhizophora – 8
- Family Sonneratiaceae
Minor components
- Family Bombacaceae
- Family Euphorbiaceae
- Family Lythraceae
- Family Meliaceae
- Family Myrsinaceae
- Family Myrtaceae
- Family Pellicieraceae
- Family Plumbaginaceae
- Family Pteridaceae
- Family Rubiaceae
- Family Sterculiaceae
Reference
- Hogarth, Peter J. 1999. The Biology of Mangroves. Oxford Univ. Press. 228 p. ISBN 0198502222
- Tomlinson, P. B. 1986. The Botany of Mangroves. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge.
External link