How many mangroves are there in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is an island with a great diversity of lagoons, and estuaries. There is a well-developed mangrove ecosystem throughout the coastal belt. About 28 species of true mangroves and 18 mangrove associates have been recorded and many of them are shrubs, shorter than 10 m.
Where are mangroves found in Sri Lanka?
In Sri Lanka mangroves occur along the sheltered inertial coastlines associated with estuaries and lagoons [1] (Figure 1). The largest tracts of mangrove habitats in Sri Lanka are found in Puttlam Lagoon, Kala Oya basin and Trincomalee. Mangroves are associated with woody, seed bearing and highly specialized plants.
Are there mangroves in Sri Lanka?
Mangrove forests in Sri Lanka are mainly found in the northern coast along Jaffna, Vadamarchchi and Thondiamannar lagoons, Trincomalee, Kathiraveli, Valaichenai, Batticaloa and Pothuvil in the Eastern coast.
What is special about mangroves?
In addition to being a marginal ecosystem, a mangrove is unique in that, as an ecosystem it has various interactions with other ecosystems, both adjoining and remote in space and time. Another unique feature of mangroves is that, unlike most marginal ecosystems, they are highly productive and dynamic.
Which type of trees are found in mangrove forest?
mangrove, any of certain shrubs and trees that belong primarily to the families Rhizophoraceae, Acanthaceae, Lythraceae, Combretaceae, and Arecaceae; that grow in dense thickets or forests along tidal estuaries, in salt marshes, and on muddy coasts; and that characteristically have prop roots—i.e., exposed supporting …
What are mangrove forests?
Mangroves are a group of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone. Mangrove forest in Loxahatchee, Florida. There are about 80 different species of mangrove trees. All of these trees grow in areas with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate.
How Sri Lanka’s mangrove forests can save lives?
Conserving Sri Lanka’s mangrove forests will provide a buffer against coastal flooding and will help to prevent deaths, increase food security, and reduce property damage from natural disasters.
What mangrove means?
Definition of mangrove 1 : any of a genus (Rhizophora, especially R. mangle of the family Rhizophoraceae) of tropical maritime trees or shrubs that send out many prop roots and form dense masses important in coastal land building and as foundations of unique ecosystems.
What is mangrove habitat?
Mangrove trees grow in intertidal or estuarine areas. They are found in warmer areas between the latitudes of 32 degrees north and 38 degrees south, as they need to live in areas where the average annual temperature is above 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where mangroves are found?
They are most often found straddling the equator between 25° North and South latitude. About 42 percent of the world’s mangroves are found in Asia, with 21 percent in Africa, 15 percent in North and Central America, 12 percent in Australia and the islands of Oceania, and 11 percent in South America.
What is mangrove land?
Mangrove swamps are coastal wetlands found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are characterized by halophytic (salt loving) trees, shrubs and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters.
What is the Sri Lanka mangrove protection scheme?
The scheme, which will cost US $3.4m over five years, aims to protect all 8,800 hectares (21,800 acres) of existing mangrove forests by providing alternative job training, funding microloans to people in exchange for protecting local mangroves forests.
What are the 3 types of mangrove?
Three species of tropical wetland trees that grow along the shoreline of many estuaries in central and southern Florida are classified as mangroves. The three species are native to Florida: red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and White mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa).
What is another name for mangrove?
Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to live in harsh coastal conditions.
Which country has largest mangrove?
Indonesia has the highest area of mangrove coverage (19%), followed by Australia (10%) and Brazil and Nigeria (each with 7%). More countries are listed in Figure 3, page 12. Asia has experienced the greatest amount of mangrove forest change (Fig. 4, 12).
What type of forest is mangrove?
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
Which tree is mangrove?
How are mangroves formed?
Mangroves aid soil formation by trapping debris. Plank roots and pneumatophores accumulate sediments in protected sites and form mangrove peats; sediment trapping is a function of the volume of aboveground roots (Du et al., 2021).
Which state is mangrove forest?
Mangrove Forests in India are found in the following states: West Bengal. Gujarat. Tamil Nadu.
Why are Sri Lanka’s mangrove forests in danger?
Sri Lanka’s mangrove forests, small trees that grow in coastal water, have been decreased by 70% since 1915. The size of mangrove ecosystems is being reduced because of the implementation of agriculture and aquaculture systems like fisheries. Shrimp aquaculture projects are one of the biggest threats.
What is a mangrove in geography?
Mangroves are shrubs or small trees that normally grow in varied regions of tropical and subtropical coastal waters, where saline water and freshwater normally meets. The zone is typically known as brackish water.
How many species of mangroves are there in Sri Lanka?
About 28 species of true mangroves and 18 mangrove associates have been recorded and many of them are shrubs, shorter than 10m. Most of the mangroves of Sri Lanka belongs to family Rhizophoraceae and Avicenniaceae. Mangrove associates are largely belongs to family Acanthaceae .
How is mangrove conservation being achieved?
Over 14,500 hectares of mangrove forest have been demarcated and educational sign boards have been installed in almost 50 lagoons and estuary systems; More than 7,900 women and young people have been trained in mangrove conservation and 2,893 have received microloans to create or expand sustainable businesses and foster financial stability.