What Are Mangroves?

Mangroves of Florida 

Introduction

Though just a minute percentage of land around the world, and are steadily declining, the mangroves of Florida provide some of the most vital mechanisms for the marine and estuarine environments surrounding them. Defined as, “a tree, shrub, palm or ground fern, generally exceeding one half meter in height, that normally grows above mean sea level in the intertidal zone of marine coastal environments and estuarine margins “mangroves impact Earth’s ecosystems considerably despite their small size. (1)Ranging from the Cedar Keys of North Western Florida, down to the Florida Keys and Bahamas, the mangroves of Florida are approximated to constitute 225,000 Ha or 555,000 acres. Specifically in Southern Florida, mangroves provide some of the best species, nutrient, and biodiversity support making this ecosystem one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world(1).   Housing over 1300 species world wide, many of which endemic to those locations, mangroves limited intertidal and saltwater mix making this ecosystem even more unique and important.

Majority of distribution is between 30 degrees North and 30 degrees South 

 History 

 Going back to ancient Greece and biblical times, one of the first mangroves ever identified, the Red Sea, mangroves has been abundant, but steadily decling on  planet Earth. According to www.mangrovewatch.org., Over the past 100 years, Tampa Bay [Florida]  has lost over 44 percent of its coastal wetlands acreage” which includes mangroves. While there is no wide-ranging explanation for mangroves or how exactly they formed, about, “40 percent of assessed mangrove- endemic species are threatened”.        

Florida Mangroves Biomass Distribtion (Mg/ha) d caption

Florida Mangroves Height Distribution (meters) 

 While there are aprroximatly 80 species of mangrove plants, (http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/fieldcourses04/PapersMarineEcologyArticles/EcologyofMangroves.html) there are only 3 native to Southern Florida: