- Mangroves make 1 percent of the tropical forests of the world.
- A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water
- These extra ordinary ecosystems contribute to the well being, food security, and protection of coastal communities worldwide.
- Mangroves contain a complex salt filtration system and complex root system to cope with salt water immersion and wave action. They are adapted to the low oxygen conditions of waterlogged mud.
- They support a rich biodiversity and provide a valuable nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans.
It act as a form of natural coastal defense against storm surges, tsunamis, rising sea levels and erosion. Their soils are highly effective carbon sinks, sequestering vast amounts of carbon
- The seeds of Mangrove Forests trees germinate in the trees itself before falling – This is called Vivipari mode of reproduction
- They have specialized above ground roots called breathing roots or pneumatophores.
- India has 3 percent of the total mangrove cover in South Asia.
- West Bengal has 42.45 percent of India’s mangrove cover (highest in the country.)
The major mangroves in India
- Sundarban Mangrves
- Pichavaram Mangrove Forests
- Mahanadi Mangroves
- Krishna Godavari Mangroves
- Mangroves of Gujarat
- Ratnagiri Mangroves
- Goa Mangroves
- Cauvery Deltaic Mangroves
- Krishan-Godavari Mangroves
- Andaman Nicobar Mangroves
- The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2015 and celebrated each year on 26 July, aims to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem" and to promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses.
Sundarban Mangrove Forests are the largest mangroves in the world.
Pichavaram Mangrove Forests, located in Tamil Nadu, are the second largest in the world.
- Which UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest single block mangrove forest in the world? Sundarban