MANGROVE

SWAMP
Are mostly found in the
tropical and subtropical
regions where freshwater
meets salt water.
Have muddy soil and are a
hostile environment for
normal plants.
This is because the soil has
very low levels of oxygen and a
high concentration of salt.
Exposed to high
intensities of
sunlight and
strong winds.
Well adapted to
the harsh
 Problems
and
adaptations
faced by the
mangrove
1. Soft muddy soil and strong coastal
winds pose support problems.
 To support themselves such as the
Avicennia sp. which have long, highly
branched underground cable roots.
 Another species is the Rhizophora sp.,
have prop roots or also known as aerial
roots. It anchor the plants onto the
muddy soil.
2. Waterlogged conditions of the soil
reduce the amount of oxygen available
and lead to an anaerobic environment
 The Avicennia sp. has breathing roots
called pneumatophores which grow
vertically upwards. Each pneumatophore
has numerous pores through which
gaseous exchange takes place during
low tides.
 Gaseous exchange also occurs through
pores called lenticels found on the bark
of the mangrove trees.
3. Direst exposure to the sun leads to a
high rate of transpiration in the
mangrove plants
 The leaves of the mangrove are covered
by a thick layer of cuticle which reduces
transpiration during hot days. In addition,
1.The high salinity of the sea water
makes the surrounding water in the soil
hypertonic when compared to the cell
sap of the root cells.
 The cell sap in the root cells of the
mangrove trees has a higher osmotic
pressure than the soil water that
surrounds them. This ensures that the
roots do not lose water by osmosis.
Instead, the excess salt in the
hypertonic solution of the soil enter the
roots and is then excreted as crystalline
salt from the hydathodes, the pores one
1.Seeds which fall onto the ground die
because they are submerged in the soft
and waterlogged soil
 Mangrove seeds are able to germinate
while still attached to the mother plant.
This phenomenon is viviparity.
 Viviparity increases the chances of
survival of the mangrove as the
seedlings can float horizontally on the
water and subsequently get washed up
on the sand or mudflats where they
settle to establish a new population.
 Colonisation and succession in a
mangrove swamp.
The pioneer species of a mangrove
swamp are the Sonneratia sp. and
Avicennia sp.
the presence of these species gradually
changes the physical environment of
the habitat. The extensive root systems
of these plants trap and collect
sediments, including organic matter
from decaying plant parts.
As time passes, the soil becomes more
compact and firm. This condition
favours the growth of the Rhizophora
sp.
Gradually, the Rhizophora sp. Replaces
the pioneer species. The seeds of the
Rhizophora sp. show distinct viriparity.
The prop root system of the Rhizophora
sp. traps silt and mud, creating a firmer
soil structure over time.
The ground becomes higher. As a
result, the soil is dries because it is less
submerged by sea water.
the condition now becomes more
suitable for another mangrove species,
the Bruguiera sp. Which replaces the
Rhizophora sp.
the buttress root system of the
Bruguiera sp. Forms loops which extend
from the soil to trap more silt and mud.
As more sediments are deposited, the
shore extends further to the sea. The
old shore is now further away from the
sea and is like terrestrial ground.
over time, terrestrial plants like the
nipah palm (Nypa fruticans) and
1. the gradual transition and succession
from a mangrove swamp to a terrestrial
forest and eventually to a tropical
rainforest which is a climax community
takes a long time. That is why we need
to conserve and preserve our mangrove
forest.