“Adaptation of mangroves vegetation to the effects of environmental stress”

1. “Adaptation of mangroves vegetation to the effects of environmental stress”
Presented by:
Mr. Sangram Sahoo
(DST-Inspire Fellow)
Registration No.: 10BB24J64004
AcSIR-64-BS-AD-003
Advanced Course Palaeobiology and Biogeography, Megafloral Study and Coastal Ecology Mangroves

2. Introduction
What is a mangrove forest?
• Mangroves are a group of trees and shrubs that live in
the coastal intertidal zone.
• Halophytes – high salt-tolerant.
• The trees that grow in Mangrove Forests are generally 8-20
meters high. trees have thick leaves.
• Mangrove forests only grow at tropical and subtropical
latitudes.
• They require high solar radiation to filter saline water
through their roots.
• They grow in area between latitudes of 25 degrees north
and 25 degrees south.
• Mangroves grow below the high water level of spring
tides.
• These are mostly evergreen forests. Sources: Pixbay

3. Sources: Deltares, 2014
Where Are Mangroves Found?

4. Important types of mangroves:
Red mangroves: They grow along coastlines and are
the hardiest among the three major mangrove plant
types.
Black mangroves: They are named so because they
consist of dark bark. They usually grow at higher
elevations than red mangroves. They have access to
more oxygen as their roots are more exposed.
White mangroves: They grow at higher elevations
than the red and black mangroves. Generally, they do
not have aerial roots. But sometimes there is unique
growth of peg roots when oxygen is depleted due to
wood.
Sources: Pixbay

5. Why are mangroves important?
• Most productive and biologically
complex ecosystems.
• Blue Carbon Store.
• They serve as a buffer between
marine and terrestrial
communities.
• Prevent seawater pollution.
• Improve water quality
• It also avoids or reduces soil
erosion
• Enhances fishery productivity
• Act as habitats for wildlife.
• Mangrove forests stabilize the
coastline.
• Providing recreation and
environmental education site.
• Mangroves enhance the
natural recycling of nutrients.

6. Sources:Ulf Mehlig via Wikimedia Commons
• The mangrove is uniquely adapted to intertidal salty soils, which
most woody plants cannot tolerate.
• These changes allow mangroves to grow in 75 parts per thousand,
two-times ocean water salinity soils.
• Mostly Red mangroves stop 90% of seawater salt from entering
their arteries. Osmosis cannot move water from low to high salt
concentrations through the barrier.
• If the mangrove didn’t have such a barrier, the salty ocean water
would suck the mangrove dry.
• Excess salt from the water by excreting it through their leaves. The
salt can form crystals on the leaf surface.
Salt Excretion Adaptations

7. • The soil where mangroves are rooted poses a second
challenge for plants as it is severely lacking in
oxygen.
• This unique environment allowed for the evolution of
a variety of special structures that help the
underground roots gain access to air, even when
submerged by the tide.
• Pneumatophores have small pores called lenticels that
cover their surface and allow oxygen to enter the root
system.
• Mangroves have special root structures called
pneumatophores that help their roots access air, even
when submerged by the tide.
• Arching mangrove roots help keep trunks upright in
soft sediments at water’s edge. Sources:Ulf Mehlig via Wikimedia Commons
Root Aeration
Sources: Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution

8. Source: Brian Gratwicke, Flickr
• Life by the ocean has its perks—
for mangroves, proximity to the
waves and tides helps with
reproduction.
• Saline water, unconsolidated saline
soil with little or no oxygen is not
a conducive environment for seeds
to germinate and establish.
• To overcome this, mangrove
species have unique way of
reproduction, which is generally
known as vivipary.
Reproduction

9. Threats
• The biggest threat to mangroves is the
emergence of shrimp farms, which have
caused at least 35 percent of the overall
loss of mangrove forests.
• As global temperatures rise so will sea
level.
• Some of these invasive species are
encroaching upon the habitats of
mangroves.
(Ilka C. Feller/Smithsonian Institution, made possible by LightHawk)
(USDA)

10. References
1. Kim, K., Seo, E., Chang, S. K., Park, T. J., & Lee, S. J. (2016). Novel water filtration of saline water in the outermost layer of mangrove roots. Scientific reports,
6(1), 20426.
2. Wang, B., Zhang, H., He, N., Wang, H., Jiang, B., Tang, D., & Li, L. (2023). Mangrove root-inspired evaporator enables high-rate salt-resistant solar
desalination. Separation and Purification Technology, 314, 123490.
3. Puspaningrum, T. C., & Titah, H. S. (2020). The removal of salinity in a reed bed system using mangroves and bacteria in a continuous flow series reactor.
Journal of Ecological Engineering, 21(6).
4. Kim KiWoong, K. K., Seo EunSeok, S. E., Chang SukKyu, C. S., Park TaeJung, P. T., & Lee SangJoon, L. S. (2016). Novel water filtration of saline water in the
outermost layer of mangrove roots.
5. Hastuti, E. D., Izzati, M., & Prihastanti, E. (2023). Water uptake and salt accumulation under Rhizophora stylosa seedling planted in controlled salinity and
inundation levels. AACL Bioflux, 16(2), 1069-1076.

11. Suggestions
Source: Bradley Huchteman, Flickr