RED MANGROVE More Life
Video: Watch a venus flytrap catch flies.
Interact: Explore the anatomy of a venus flytrap. HowStuffWorks: How tall can a tree grow? Imagine being such a vital part of the ecosystem that it's named after you. That's the case with mangroves and the mangal ecosystems where they set down roots. Perhaps that honor is because the extensive root systems of these trees help to stabilize coastal areas by building up deposits of mud and silt and preventing erosion. Or maybe it's because the tangled root areas are favorite feeding and breeding haunts for fish and birds.
SALT OF THE EARTH
Mangroves have a talent for withstanding salty water, so they are often found in brackish waters: areas with a mix of saltwater and freshwater. The red mangrove is particularly hardy, living in conditions that would kill other trees. In the "Plants" episode of Life, one majestic red mangrove situated on the coast of Australia sits on dry land, but survives and even thrives in the twice daily blast of saltwater, compliments of high tide. How?
As the water recedes, the mangrove's extensive root system becomes visible, and viewers can see that the tree is covered with hard, round formations, or "warty growths," as Life's narrator calls them. These useful growths protect pores that, when the tree's roots are exposed to the air, absorb oxygen. But when the tide rises and the roots are underwater again, those same growths act as filters, allowing water in but removing nearly all of its salt. If any salt does manage to sneak in, the tree directs it toward a few unlucky leaves, which soon turn yellow and die. A few leaves serve as a small price to pay for the overall health of the red mangrove.
DON'T TOUCH THAT TREE
Their important role in the ecosystem means that the destruction or removal of mangroves can have far-reaching consequences, damaging animal habitats and encouraging soil erosion. In coastal regions, removing the trees eliminates an important buffer from hurricanes and other severe storms.
These trees will not go quietly though. They are tough, with good survival skills. As a viviparous plant, the red mangrove's fruit begins germinating while still on the tree and sends a root toward the ground. Once the fruit falls off the tree, it's ready to plant itself and start growing right away. Sometimes, the fruit will wash away, potentially traveling many miles, before settling and establishing a new mangrove tree far from its home. And with that, the red mangrove's cycle of sea and salt begins anew.
Written by Jacob Silverman, HowStuffWorks
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