E-Weekly-4/34
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
PROTECT
MANGROVES
Mangroves are one of the coastal natural phenomena
seen in river mouth zones in subtropical areas. They can
been found on muddy "wetlands" of loose and moist soil.
They are among the richest eco-systems in terms of
natural resources.
Mangroves are buffers
between the land and the
sea. Coastlines
throughout the world are
facing serious problems
of coastal erosion and
threat of rising sea levels due to global warming
have increased the threats by several folds. To
control such assault of the sea on land the nature
has provided what is called as mangroves, a
tropical littoral ecosystem which is more dynamic
than the sea itself.
Mangroves are unique because they are able to thrive in
areas where the water is poor in oxygen content, in salt
water, in fresh water and in brackish water (a mixture of
salt and fresh water). Mangroves are fast-growing trees
taking several years to reach up to 25 meters when they
are fully grown. Of the seven types of mangroves, three
are most dominant, the black, red and white types.
Black Mangroves
Easily identified by its roots which are specialized to
take in oxygen. Roots look like tubular bristles which
stick out vertically and trap oxygen for its oxygenstarved root systems. The Black Mangrove is
tolerant of high saline conditions and the trees grow
in isolated groups or woodland formations. Individual
trees are fairly large
and may grow up to
20-25 meters in
height and 40
centimetres in diameter
at breast height.
Red Mangrove
This is an evergreen tree, which
grows to about 25 meters in height
and 40 centimetres in diameter at
breast height.
These are immediately recognized
by their elaborate prop and aerial root
system which stabilizes the trees. The
roots contain a waxy substance that
helps keep salt out. Where salt gets
through, salt is deposited in older
leaves and the tree then sheds
them. The wood can be converted
into good quality charcoal and the bark produces high quality
tannin which is suitable for leatherwork.
White Mangrove
These are the shortest of the three species (reaches 5.6
meters and a diameter of 30 centimetres) and have unbuttressed roots. This species normally grows in the back
portion of mangrove swamps, which remains unaffected by
tidal inundation, except during spring tides. The bark is light
brown to reddish dark brown, and the leaves are ovate. The
leaves have adapted to their
salty environment by developing
special openings (glands) that
allow salt to pass from inside the
tree to the outside. The leaves are
then coated with speckled white
salt crystals which are what gives
this species its name- white mangrove.
Intrinsic Values of Mangroves
1] Coastal Resilience
Mangrove forests provide protection and shelter against
extreme weather events, such as storm winds and
floods, as well as tsunamis. Mangroves absorb and
disperse tidal surges associated with these events – as
indicated by Hirashi and Harada (2003), a mangrove
stand of 30 trees
per 0.01 hectare
with a depth of
100 m can reduce
the destructive
force of a tsunami
by up to 90%.
2] Biodiversity
Mangrove forests are rich
in biodiversity providing a
habitat for wide varieties of
animal and plant species.
They are dynamic areas,
Rich in food. Live and
decaying mangrove leaves
and roots provide nutrients that nourish plankton, algae,
fish and shellfish. Many of the fish caught commercially
in tropical regions reproduce and spend time in the
mangroves as juveniles or adults. Mangroves are also
home to many birds and mammals – such as mangrove
monkeys in South Asia.
3] Economic value
Traditional economic activities vary from fishing and gathering of
crustaceans to usages of the trees for timber or tannin production.
Research by Barbier (2007) concluded that the economic annual
value of just one hectare of mangrove forest (by adding the values
of collected wood and non-wood forest products, fishery, nursery
and coastal protection against storms) is $12,392. In many coastal
areas including Gulf of Kutch, mangroves are a substitute for fodder.
Thus mangroves reduce pressures from the scarce pasturelands.
Honey collection from the mangrove forest
is a promising business in India. It has been
estimated that Sundarbans mangrove
alone produce 111 tons of honey annually.
Honey collected from Cynometra ramiflora
and Aegialitis rotundifolia has a good
market value and is in demand.
4] Tourism:
Given the diversity of life
inhabiting mangrove systems,
and their proximity in many
cases to other tourist attractions
such as coral reefs and sandy
beaches, it is perhaps surprising
that only a few countries have
started to tap into the tourism potential of their mangrove
forests. Places as diverse as Bonaire and offer snorkelling
expeditions in and around mangroves to witness a
marvellous variety of baby fish, jellyfish, and urchins against
a magical background of interwoven roots delving deep into
the sandy substrate. Great potential exists elsewhere for
revenue generation in this manner, which values the
mangroves intact and as they stand.
5] cultural value
Next to economic
value, mangroves
also bear great
cultural significance
for communities,
such as the
Concheras (shellfish-gatherers) in
South America, as their identity is strongly
related to the ecosystem they live in.
6] Carbon Storage
Storage of carbon in mangroves takes place through
accumulation in living biomass and through burial in
sediment deposits. With living biomass typically ranging
between 100-400 tonnes/ha, and significant quantities of
organic matter being stored in the sediments,
mangroves rival the sequestration potential of
rainforests.
Worldwide distribution of mangroves
Mangroves are found along many of the coasts in the
tropics and subtropics, but the total area of mangroves
in the world is not well known. Recent estimates range
from 16.5 million hectares (FAO, 1994, based on figures
from the early and mid-1980s) to 16.9 million hectares
(IUCN, 1983), 18.1 million hectares (Spalding, Blasco
and Field, 1997) and 19.9
million hectares (Fisher
And Spalding, 1993, cited
In Spalding, Blasco and
Field, 1997). In many of
these studies, countries
with small areas of
mangroves have been excluded.
Mangroves under threat
Globally, half of all
mangrove forests have
been lost since the
mid-twentieth century,
with one-fifth since
1980 (Spalding et al. 2010). Conversion into shrimp
farms causes 25% of the total destruction, according
to UNEP (Botkin and Keller, 2003), happening mostly
in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Other drivers of
mangrove destruction are wood extraction, climate
change and industrial development such as harbours
and tourism.
Mangroves in India
Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the
Bay of Bengal, India has over 7,500 kilometers of coastline
that spans 13 maritime mainland States and Union Territories
(UTs). India is home to a variety of coastal and marine
ecosystems that are storehouses for biodiversity. From an
economic perspective, these coastal and marine ecosystems
are of great importance in that they provide a wide range of
ecosystem goods and services.
India has a long
tradition of mangrove
Forest Management.
The concern of the
Government of India for
the conservation of
forests and wildlife was
clearly demonstrated
by a 1976 amendment to the Indian Constitution,
which states that it shall be the duty of every
citizen of India to protect and improve the natural
environment including forests, lakes, rivers and
wildlife.
On the basis of the National
Mangrove Committee's
recommendation, 15 mangrove areas
were identified for conservation. The
Government of India has provided
guidance and financial assistance to
States and Union territories for the
preparation and implementation of
Management Action plans for the
conservation and development of
these mangrove ecosystems. Most of these plans are
now being implemented. The plans broadly cover survey
and demarcation, natural regeneration in selected areas,
afforestation, protection measures, fencing and
awareness programmes.
To protect the mangrove ecosystem, government of
India has passed various legislations like The Forest
Conservation Act, 1980, the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986 etc. These acts prohibits the diversion of forest
areas for non-forestry purpose and prohibits the
industrial and other activities such as discharge of
untreated water and effluents, dumping of waste, land
reclamation and
bunding are restricted
in order to protect the
coastal environment.
Mangroves are
included in the most
ecologically sensitive
category.
Mangrove conservation and development efforts
undertaken by the Government of India, the
Government of Goa and the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands Administration have so far been
successful in reducing the degree of problems,
but there is scope for further improvement.
Some suggested actions include the following:
1] People's involvement in mangrove management on public
lands and related benefits
2] Programmes to raise people's awareness of the importance of
mangroves, e.g. through films, exhibitions, newspapers,
magazines, posters, stickers, brochures, banners, seminars,
nature camps etc
3] Bird watching and study tours in the mangrove forests.
4] Establishment of mangrove parks in the mangrove areas close
to towns
5] Celebration of Mangrove Conservation Day, with essay
competitions, debates and drawing competitions
6] Incentives for sustainable management of mangroves on
private and village community land
7] Enforcement of environmental protection laws
8] Research on problems related to pests and diseases and on
appropriate management of the mangrove ecosystem
9] Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded mangrove areas.
This educational PowerPoint Presentation (editable)
is prepared by GEM Team
(courtesy: internet).
For other similar GEM PowerPoint Presentations on
various environmental issues see next slide.
These PPTs may be downloaded from our website
www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in
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