Oct 6, 2009

Mangrove swamps

Mangrove swamps are mostly found in the tropical and subtropical region where fresh-water meets salt water.
They have muddy soft soil and are a hostile environment for normal plants. This is because the soil has very low levels of oxygen and a high concentration of salt.
In addition, mangrove swamps are exposed to high intensities of sunlight and strong winds.



The root systems of mangrove plants



Buttress roots

3 comments:

Nic said...

I wan to ask bout the pneumatophores...

Is it known as cable roots?

Are pneumatophores the structure of the breathing roots? or are they the breathing roots?

rozaini said...

Pneumatophores
- specialised aerial roots that enable plants to breathe air in habitats that have waterlogged soil. The roots may grow down from the stem, or up from typical roots. Some botanists classify these as aerating roots rather than aerial roots, if they come up from soil. The surface of these roots are covered with lenticels which take up air into spongy tissue which in turn uses osmotic pathways to spread oxygen throughout the plant as needed.

Black mangrove is differentiated from other mangrove species by its pneumatophores.

NIc said...

owh...ok thx