EE BIOL 109 Lecture 13: Lecture 12 – mangroves and coral reefs
31 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Most common in tropics, some temperate regions. Reduce erosion, increase sedimentation, increase water clarity. Adapted to warm, saline waters with anoxic/waterlogged soils, estuarine environments. Aerial roots allow for breathing, oxygen storage when submerged. Arenchymal tissue sponge for air, tissue allows for storage of oxygen, aerial roots. Viviparous seedlings germinate while on tree to avoid suboptimal water conditions. Propagule dispersal drop off when matured, buoyancy, photosynthesis while floating: dispersal depends on tides, predation, water currents, canopy cover. Increases as you go further inland (evaporation: adaptation: salt glands excrete salt from leaves, ultrafilteration in roots (energetically expensive) to maintain osmotic balance. Anoxic sediments: adaptation = aerial roots. Frequent tidal inundation: change in water levels, adaptations = arenchymal tissue, pneumatophores. Inundation, soil instability, sedimentation increases towards sea while salinity increases towards land. Would naturally retreat inland if space available. Act as natural walls for hurricane protection. Coral reefs relatives of jelly and anemones found around equator soft corals.
