Biota of Mangrove

Biota of Mangrove

	Biota of Mangrove The succession of mangrove is dependent on the available seeds or propagules, their size or length and the tidal fluctuation. Seeds of grass, sedge or Excoecaria agallocha, which are minute in size, will always establish themselves at the uppermost limit of the intertidal region. At the same time, seedlings of taxa like Rhizophora, Kandelia, Ceriops or Bruguiera will be established according to their floating height.
The major ecological role of mangroves is the stabilisation of the shoreline and prevention of shore erosion. The dense network of prop roots, pneumatophores and stilt roots not only give mechanical support to the plant, but also trap the sediments. The rate of sedimentation or accretion is generally much higher in these estuaries lined with mangroves. I
The second important ecological role of the mangroves is the detritus, which helps in feeding and provides breeding and nursery grounds for the juveniles of many commercially important shrimps and fishes. Major primary fraction of this production is consumed by herbivores. The remainder enters the mangrove water as litter fall. The decomposition of this litter fall produces detritus, which in turn is colonised by heterotrophic microorganisms, thus enhancing its nutritive value. The detritus, besides forming a food source for suspension and deposit feeders, is also consumed by the juveniles of a variety of bivalves, shrimps and fishes, which migrate into the mangrove environments in their life cycle for better feeding and protection.
There is a direct correlation between the extent of mangrove forests along a coastline and the fishery as well as shrimp catches from the coastal waters adjoining the mangroves thus demonstrating the importance of mangroves for sustaining coastal fisheries. In mangrove forests, the floral elements responsible for the photosynthesis under brackish water condition are of different types, i.e. angiospermic flora, phytoplankton and marine algae.
	. These elements contribute mainly to the primary productivity. Apart from this, faunal elements like zooplankton are responsible for secondary productivity and benthic animals for tertiary productivity. The primary productivity of phytoplankton or plankton production in mangrove environment represents only that of surrounding waters, i.e. the estuarine water flowing in and out of the mangrove area.

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Marine Ecosystem Downwelling General Characteristics of Sea Biota Marine Microbes Bacterial Flora of the Sea Functions of Marine Flora Estuarine Ecosystem Biota of Estuaries Mangrove Ecosystem Characteristic Features of Mangroves Zonation Biota of Mangrove Other Interrelated Ecosystems

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