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Mangroves

Coastal superheroes in danger

Mangroves thrive where conditions would be deadly for most other plant species and provide vital ecosystem services. However, they are disappearing at alarming rates. NABU is working to protect and restore mangroves in Africa and Southeast Asia.


Mangroves are bridges between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. - photo: damedias/ stock.adobe.com

Mangroves are bridges between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. - photo: damedias/ stock.adobe.com

Trees, forests or ecosystems?

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees or shrubs that grow along tropical and subtropical coastlines and river deltas. They are famous for their branched root systems that provide stability in muddy soils and brackish waters. The term “mangrove” not only belongs to one singular species, but rather a whole plant community encompassing around 80 different species of trees and shrubs worldwide. Together with various evergreen palms, shrubs and ferns, and a variety of animal species, mangrove trees form distinct ecosystems. Those ecosystems also carry the name “mangrove” or “mangrove forest”.

Mangrove species are true survival artists. As they grow along shores and river deltas, they are constantly exposed to extreme heat, salinity, anaerobic soil conditions, storm surges, coastal erosion and many other factors that limit plant growth. Over millions of years, mangrove species have developed sophisticated adaptations to withstand these difficult environments.


Species distribution

Mangroves can be found along the tropical and subtropical coasts near the equator on nearly all continents. A distinction is made between the western and eastern mangrove families. While the western mangroves thrive on the coasts of the Americas and western Africa, the eastern mangroves occur on the coasts of eastern Africa and South to Southeast Asia. The largest occurrence of mangroves is found in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia. The archipelago encompasses the largest mangrove area in the world, accounting to around 22% of all mangrove forests worldwide.


Ecosystem services provided by mangroves

Mangrove biomes are bridges between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and are true all-rounders. They provide many vital ecosystem services, such as:

  • Habitats and breeding grounds: Mangrove forests are structurally complex and provide habitats for a wide range of species from different taxonomic groups. While seabirds and monkey species raise their young in the treetops, tigers hunt for prey on the forest floor between mudskippers and crabs, and dolphins search for young fish only a few metres away. Additionally, mangroves are breeding grounds for many species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and birds.

  • Carbon storage: Mangroves store enormous amounts of carbon in biomass and, more importantly, in soil sediments. Therefore, they are important allies in the fight against the climate crisis.

  • Coastal protection: Mangroves help people in tropical coastal areas as a natural coastal protection against rising sea levels, erosion and more frequent storm surges.

  • Water filtration: Mangroves filter sediments and nutrients from inland sources that would otherwise suffocate coral reefs offshore.

  • Natural resources: Mangroves secure the livelihoods for millions of people, especially in coastal communities, by providing fishing grounds and natural resources like wood.


    • Mangrove conservation and restoration benefit millions of people and help fight the climate crisis. - photo: haddadToni

    • The salt-tolerant mangroves thrive where conditions would be deadly for most other plant species.- photo: NABU/ Martin Baumann

    • Mangrove species are diverse. For example, they form very different seeds. Here, our partners from ASITY Madagascar hold two different types of mangrove seeds found in one of our project regions. - photo: haddadToni

    • Mangroves grow aerial roots in different variations. - photo: jalvarezg/ stock.adobe.com

    • Mangroves are disappearing at alarming rates: In many places they are being cleared, for example for aquaculture ponds in Indonesia. - photo: NABU/ Martin Baumann

    • Together with its international partners, NABU protects and restores mangroves in Africa and Southeast Asia. - photo: NABU/ Martin Baumann

    Why mangrove forests are disappearing

    Globally, mangroves are diminishing at an alarming rate. Historically, wherever humans settled along tropical coasts in large numbers, mangroves were logged to make space for farmland, ports and other infrastructure, or to fulfil needs for timber and charcoal. In recent decades, the rise of fish and shrimp aquacultures has led to extensive destruction and degradation of mangroves. Some countries and regions already lost more than half of their mangroves. Although this trend has slowed down slightly in recent years, the climate crisis and its many consequences, such as rising sea levels and more severe tropical cyclones, add to the list of threats to these unique ecosystems. Tragically, mangroves would be important allies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as they store enormous amounts of carbon and reduce the damage by extreme climate events like hurricanes.


    What we do to protect mangroves

    NABU is joining hands with coastal communities, NGOs, academia, local stakeholders and government agencies to ensure the protection of remaining mangroves, identify areas suitable for restoration and develop concepts for the sustainable use of natural resources from mangroves to secure livelihoods.


    our projects

    Mangroves and their ecosystem services are indispensable for Indonesia/'s coastal communities. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

    Mangrove conservation in Indonesia

    Southeast Asia’s natural coast guards need our help

    Mangroves and their ecosystem services are indispensable for Indonesia's coastal communities. However, the country experiences alarming rates of mangrove loss. In Sulawesi, we support mangrove conservation and identify areas suitable for restoration. more →

    Mangroves in Madagascar - Photo: Adobe Stock / Punchthanun

    Green coasts for Madagascar

    Nature conservation and sustainable resource use

    The protected area Mahavavy-Kinkony in Madagascar suffers from degradation of its coastal ecosystems. NABU and ASITY Madagascar joined forces supporting communities for restoring ecosystems, improving livelihoods and responding to the impacts of climate change. more →

    FAQ

    Learn more about mangroves


    How can mangroves survive under extreme conditions?

    Mangrove trees developed specific adaptations to survive the salinity of seawater, the scorching tropical heat of the sun and the constant cycle of the tides. To prevent the harmful effects of salt water on their metabolic processes, large parts of the salt ions are already filtered through the roots. Further, salt is stored in the vacuoles of the cells or excreted through salt glands in the leaves. As the water-saturated mud soils are very poor in oxygen, above-ground aeration systems in the form of stilt roots ensure the oxygen supply to belowground plant tissue. Furthermore, the seeds of many mangrove species already germinate on the mother tree till the tree sheds the seedlings and float upright on the water surface for up to a year until they get stuck in the mud and take root.

    Why do we need to protect and restore mangroves?

    Mangrove trees can grow for up to 100 years, protecting the coasts from erosion, waves, tidal currents, and storms, providing food and shelter for a plethora of species and supporting the livelihood of around 120 million of people. However, climate change, logging and extensive agri- and aquaculture threaten the survival artists. Around a quarter of the world's mangroves have already been destroyed - an alarming development that must be stopped and reversed. Conserving and restoring mangroves is crucial to protect livelihoods and fight the global biodiversity and climate crisis.

    How much carbon do mangroves store?

    Just like the trees in any forest, mangrove trees take up CO₂ from the atmosphere and use the carbon to build up leaves, stems, and roots. Depending on geographical region, structure and age of the mangrove forest, the amount of carbon stored in biomass above and below the ground can vary widely, but is usually in the range of 100-200 tonnes of carbon per hectare. This is comparable to most forest types in temperate climates.

    What makes mangrove ecosystems such important allies in our efforts to mitigate the climate crisis, however, is their ability to lock away enormous amounts of carbon in their soils. Fallen leaves and branches are constantly buried by crabs or other animals and covered by sediments from rivers and the sea. Due to the (mostly) waterlogged, i.e. oxygen-poor and saline conditions, the buried plant tissue decomposes very slowly. When new organic material is added quicker than old material is decomposed, soil carbon can accumulate over long periods. This soil carbon stock usually surpasses the biomass carbon stock by a factor of three to five, and values of more than 1000 tonnes of carbon per hectare locked away in mangrove biomass and soil have been measured in several mangrove ecosystems around the globe. When mangroves are destroyed, for example by converting them into aquaculture ponds, most of this carbon is mobilized and released as CO₂ back into the atmosphere. The numbers are truly mind-boggling: destroying only one hectare of carbon-rich mangroves can cause the same CO₂ emissions as driving a mid-size gasoline car 500 times (!) around the entire planet.


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our work

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NABU's International Work for Ecosystems and Biodiversity PDF (10.5 MB)

Focus regions

Tarsier in Indonesia - Foto: Lara Shirin Bienkowski

Asia

Mountains, deserts, rainforests: Central Asia und South East Asia have an incredible range of ecosystems and species. Since the 1990s Asia is one of the focus regions of NABU.

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landscape in Ethiopia - photo: Bruno D'Amicis

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forests

Fighting deforestation is a key component of preserving biodiversity. - photo: Davide Bonaldo/stock.adobe.com

Forests - Biodiversity frontline

Forests are on the frontline of the biodiversity crisis. NABU and its partners work to save, restore and sustainably manage forests worldwide.

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