Rise Against Mangling The Groves

Mihisara Asna Phase 02

Have you ever had the chance to venture through a mangrove forest? If you have, you may reminisce a scenery of groves standing on thick tangles of roots in shallow waters, in muddy water-logged soils, atmosphere reeking the aroma of rich silt and mosquito-ridden and the vibrant biodiversity; wading egrets, ibis feeding on crabs, mudskippers skipping out of the water, shrimps nibbling on leaf scraps and so on. These eye-catching forests are truly amazing and you might be astonished by their attributes regarding biodiversity conservation.

What are mangrove forests?

Mangrove forests grow in the Paleotropical Kingdom, extending from 32 ֯N to 38 ֯S straddling the equator. Growing between the interface of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, mangroves own unique structural characteristics influenced by the temperature patterns of both sea-surface and air temperatures, rainfall and freshwater run-off, and soils in mangrove forests. In Sri Lanka, the largest mangrove tracts are found in Puttalam Lagoon, Trincomalee, and Kala Oya basin.

Mangroves are adapted to exist under harsh conditions, in fact, mangroves are the only woody plants that have the ability to grow in soil or waters of salinity; brackish water. As mangroves grow along the coastline, they are in constant contact with ocean waves, and these areas are affected by tidal waves as well. Also, the roots of mangroves have to endure the lack of oxygen as they are anchored in muddy, water-logged soils. Due to these stressful, hostile environmental characteristics, mangroves have specialized to cope with and survive. To survive hypersalinity, they shed leaves and bark while some mangrove species remove excess salt via excretion and transpiration and others form salt crystals under leaves when they shed salt accumulated. The roots of mangroves are formed as stilts or buttress shaped and are adapted for respiration just like snorkels under anaerobic conditions. Also, these roots allow mangroves to bear the pressures of tides and waves by absorbing them or fastening the trees to the waterlogged soil firmly.

Mangrove restoration and its significance

Mangrove restoration is the rehabilitation of mangrove plants in areas where previous ecosystems have been degraded or destroyed. Restoring a complete mangrove ecosystem is complex and it declines the degradation of coastal ecosystems. Yet, these restoration events are mostly failing due to certain elements. In Sri Lanka, mangrove restoration projects have had a high average failure rate. The commonly recognized mistake is that the ill-assorted link between the procedure of restoration and the real situation in that environment. Also, the lack of planning and long-term monitoring without addressing the necessary needs are apparently causes which fuel failure. And not to mention the impact of industries like shrimp farming, lack of support, and limited resources which are continuing to drive these ecosystems’ downfall. Another cause here is the lack of knowledge about the previous ecosystem as in not selecting the suitable species for the ecosystem. If mangroves were planted in areas where they were not found previously, the saplings would not meet their ideal conditions to build up well. Planting in areas where the original cause of destruction was not resolved, planting in places where mangroves are slowly settling naturally is more causes that lead to lack of success.

Biodiversity boosts ecosystems as a rich diversity of species ensures sustainability. Therefore the restoration programs that rear only one kind of species of plants become low in the potential to host diverse biodiversity like fish, crabs, wading birds, etc. Not meeting the long-term involvement can be considered a key error in the restoration process of mangroves.

With simple and accessible instructions, The Mangrove Action Project (MAP) has introduced a guide named Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) emphasizing the involvement of the community. CBEMR possesses a better approach in methodology than traditional reforestation. Therefore it has a high rate of success and the process can be less expensive as well.

The basic principles of the CBEMR includes 7 steps.

1. Understand the mangrove’s autecology
2. Understand the normal hydrology patterns
3. Assess disturbances
4. Develop your hydrological rehabilitation on strategy
5. Implementation
6. Planting mangrove – only of necessary
7. Monitoring

“Monitoring is the key to the long-term restoration success and helps identifying and correcting possible problems in dues time.”

For an impactful project, there are several elements you need to consider before starting. You need to acknowledge the biophysical features of the area selected. Also,

• Major climate parameters
• Dominant soil types
• Water chemistry (pH, salinity)
• Type of forest (primary, secondary, degraded)
• Species inventories are the crucial facts that need to be gathered first.

Using trained personnel who are capable of planning with the community labor and science-based methods like CBEMR, restoration of mangrove ecosystems can be established with greater success.

“If allowed to restore naturally, a higher species biodiversity and mangrove restoration closer to the original species composition is usually ensured.”

Why we need mangroves?

Mangroves contribute to the mitigation of climate change which is the most important benefit we gain from these valuable ecosystems. The main cause of climate change is the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Human activities are mainly responsible for the increase in the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Mangrove forests have the capability to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide known as ‘capture and hold’; acting as a carbon sink. The carbon sucked in like this is stored below the ground and when these ecosystems have damaged the carbon which has been stored for ages gets released and then increases the climate change. The stored carbon is known as blue carbon. Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured by the coastal ecosystems; algae, mangroves, salt marshes, seaweeds, etc. It is crystal clear that mangroves play a prominent role in providing benefits against climate change.

Mangrove forests stabilize the shorelines by reducing coastal erosion caused by tides, waves, storm surges. Also, they provide a home for a vast diversity of species, including birds, fish, crustaceans, etc. Mangroves serve as nesting areas for aquatic birds like egrets, herons, and pelicans. With their thick tangled network of roots and vegetation, mangroves can maintain the water quality by filtering sediments, heavy metals, and pollutants preventing downstream waterway contamination.

The above are just a few benefits extracted regarding mangroves and there are many more. Mangrove forests are a climacteric element in the world. Deforestation of this invaluable resource can lead to huge loss of biodiversity and salt intrusion in coastal areas, destruction of sensitive aquatic beings including coral reefs, and so on. It is our duty to protect, conserve and sustain, appraising the values and the necessity of mangroves as a responsible citizens.

“Stand together and spread the word, it is high time we conserve mangroves; one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth.”

By Rtr. Ishara Nimeshi

Image Courtesies:

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References:

• Brown B, Fadillah R, Nurdin Y, Soulsby I & Ahmad R (2014).   Case Study: Community Based Ecological Mangrove Rehabilitation in Indonesia. S.A.P.I.EN.S 7(2).
• UNEP-Nairobi Convention/USAID/WIOMSA (2020). Guidelines on Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration for the Western Indian Ocean Region. UNEP, Nairobi, 71 pp. A digital copy of this report is available at: www.nairobiconvention.org/; www.wiomn.org; www.wiomsa.org