Mangrove Forests | The world’s protector against climate change
(2021)
by Jan Lee
Saving Earth Magazine
Winter 2020 Issue
Mangrove Forests
“From the tropical bays of Indonesia to the embattled intertidal shorelines of the disappearing Amazon, mangroves were once emblematic of an ecosystem that could adapt its survival to just about any crisis. Their broad, leafy trunks and complex root systems gave them the ability to survive in conditions that most terrestrial plant systems cannot endure: the brackish waters and muddy coastlines that frame the world’s densest tropical regions. Their adaptability also made them one of the most prolific ecosystems in the world. Mangroves can still be found on almost every continent on Earth.
Today however, the mangroves are in decline. Half of the world’s mangrove forests have disappeared in the last half century, driven chiefly by human expansion in commercial development. Just as concerning, tropical and subtropical regions have seen a staggering loss of the wildlife that depend upon mangroves for survival. The Bengal tiger, pygmy three-toed sloth, mangrove finch and roughnose Stingray are all examples of endangered species that rely upon this ecosystem.”
Read the full story in SAVING EARTH MAGAZINE on pg.46:
