BIO 469 Lecture 22: Mangrove Lecture
13 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Mangroves
● Dominated by species of mangrove trees and salt tolerant plants, common in subtropical
and tropical protected shores around the orl
● Limited to water temperatures above 20o C
● Highest Diversity tree in the Indo-Pacific
● Red Mangrove
○ Most common caribbean species
○ FOund along seaward edge of mangrove forest
○ Note extensive prop roots
■ Have little opening on them called lenticels that allows air to get pulled
into the roots below water and in the anoxic mud
■ Roots below the high water line are a substrate and are usually covered
in algae, encrusting invertebrates and mobile inverts
■ Prop root community provides feeding opportunities for many fishes at
high tide.
● Black Mangrove
○ Depends on red mangrove to protect it, in the back, away from shore
○ No prop roots so cannot survive at seaward edge of forest
○ Dominates back of swap
○ Great challenge to the black mangroves is surviving in the anoxic sediment in the
back of swamp
○ Have extensive shallow roots but also have structures that project into air called
pneumatophores that allows movement of oxygen into roots
■ Like straws
● Adaptations of leaves, fruits, and seedlings
○ Leaves tough and waxy
○ Seedlings germinate on parent plant, detach and float vertically to allow for easy
dispersal and ability to stick in mud
● Very salt tolerant
○ Release excess selt through salt glands or leaves
● Zonation of mangrove species from seawrard to shoreward along a salinity gradient
● High primary productivity, grow fast and produce alot of leaves
● Mangrove ecosystem function
○ Important source of food for marine species, terrestrial species, and seabirfs
■ Leaves, flowers, seeds
○ Hard Substrate for climbing crabs, snails, nesting birds
○ Vertical roots can support a rich assemblage of sponges, oysters, and algae
■ Mangroves obtain about 5% of their nitrogen from sponges that feed on
plankton and bacteria
● Symbiosis
■ Integration of plant vascular system and sponge tissue
■ This helps trap nutrients in the ecosystem
○ Feeding Area: many fishes invade mangrove forest to feed at high tide
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Dominated by species of mangrove trees and salt tolerant plants, common in subtropical and tropical protected shores around the orl. Limited to water temperatures above 20o c. Found along seaward edge of mangrove forest. Have little opening on them called lenticels that allows air to get pulled into the roots below water and in the anoxic mud. Roots below the high water line are a substrate and are usually covered in algae, encrusting invertebrates and mobile inverts. Prop root community provides feeding opportunities for many fishes at high tide. Depends on red mangrove to protect it, in the back, away from shore. No prop roots so cannot survive at seaward edge of forest. Great challenge to the black mangroves is surviving in the anoxic sediment in the back of swamp. Have extensive shallow roots but also have structures that project into air called pneumatophores that allows movement of oxygen into roots.
