Mangrove Ecosystems

• Intertidal coastal wetland ecosystem in sheltered tropical /

subtropical shores.
• marks the transition between the sea or an estuary and the
land
• relatively gentle gradient, high temperature, fluctuated salinity,
alternating aerobic and anaerobic conditions, periodic wet and
dry soils, and unstable and shifting substratum.
• is a woody plant or plant community which lives between the
sea and the land in areas which are inundated by tides.
• Hong Kong has about 60 mangrove stands which cover a
total area of about 510 ha.
They are distributed in six districts: Sai Kung, Northeast New
Territories, Tolo Harbour, Deep Bay, Lantau Island and Hong
Kong Island.
Study Of Mangrove Ecosystem
 Background
• Mangrove habitat is a swampy mud flat
which marks the transition between the
sea or an estuary and the land .It is
alternately exposed and covered by the
tides and is inhabited by special ecological
groups of tropical plants and animals
which are adapted to living in intertidal
regions of muddy shores
• In HK which lies in the sub-tropical zone
and the temperature is therefore low in
winter. Mangroves here are rather small
and not very extensive and they are
considerable human interference
 Abiotic factors (Problems in
Mangrove)
Unstable substratum
slow water movement allows fine sediment particles to
settle and accumulate to form mud
→soft unstable mudflat
Fluctuating salinity
High : input of seawater at high tides which bring salt
and nutrients
Low : input of freshwater at low tides which remove salt
Tidal movement
ebb and flow twice a day
→ substratum unstable
→ affects salinity
Anaerobic environment
fine soil particles
→ easily waterlogged
→ low oxygen content in soil
Fluctuating temperature
fluctuate with tidal movement
→ high due to exposure to sunlight at low tides
Water
dehydration under intense exposure to the sun at low
tides
 Adaptations of Plants
• 1) Adapt to Unstable substratum -prop roots ( 柱根 )
└ supply air to underlying roots
-branched, looping aerial roots ( 氣根 ) └ provide stability for plant by
└ arise from trunk/ lower branched
└ trap mud during tidal movement broadening the base
└↑amount of soil
 Adaptations of Plants
• -buttress roots ( 板根 )
└ aerial branch roots: provides support
└ thicken unevenly
└ flattened blade-like structures
-cable roots ( 纜狀根 )
└ spread horizontally+ laterally just
below soil surface
└ anchor the plant firmly in soil
 Adaptations of Plants
• 2) Adapt to Anaerobic Condition

• -pneumatophores ( 呼吸根 )
└ erected aerial roots
└ extend upwards into air at intervals from
cable roots
└ facilitate gas exchange between
submerged roots and atmosphere
└↑lenticels on root surface →↑efficiency
of gas exchange

• -knee joints ( 根膝 )
└ arches of prop roots
└ grow above soil surface for gas
exchange

• ↑lenticels on pneumatophores , knee

joints and prop roots
→↑efficiency of gas exchange
 Adaptations of Plants
• 3) Adapt to High Salinity

• -halophytic properties
└ accumulate low molecular carbohydrates
└ keepΨof root cells< surrounding water
└ overcome difficulty of water absorption
└ draw water in

• -store excess salts in leaves

└ leaves shed when old
└ reduce salt content inside plant

• -salt glands in leaves

└ secret excess salts

• -active pump mechanism

└ prevent salts from entering root xylem
 Adaptations of Plants
• 4) Adapt to Reproduction

• -droppers
└ seeds will germinate inside this fruit
└ when droppers detach from plants
└ roots already in the early stage of
development
└ establish rapidly in substratum
└ elongated+ heavier at lower tip→ stick to
substratum in upright position
└ hypocotyls of droppers: help dropper float+
disperse+ carried by H2O
└ until reaching a region that H2O is shallow
enough to contact substratum

• -produce ↑amount of seeds

└ enhance reproductive success

• - spongy outer layers on seeds

└ for floating + dispersal
 Adaptations of Plants
• 5) Adaptation to dehydration
• Leaves
└ thick cuticle epidermal hairs
and sunken stomata
└ reduce transpiration
└ reduce water loss
• store water in special
multilayered water storage
tissues
 Animals in Mangrove
• We can find them in

Water pools
Prop roots
creek

canopy Mud surface

 Invertebrates
• Soft substratum :
small ground-dwelling invertebrates
digging / boring holes

• Feed on:
detritus in mud
 Invertebrates---- diff Groups
Dominant gps:
• Molluscs
→ gastropod
→ bivalves
• Crustaceans
 Invertebrates---- where to live?
• Attach on mangrove plants / stones

• Gastropods:
roots, trunks of trees
e.g. Littoraria

• Bivalves : mangrove root/stone

e.g. Gafrarium
 Invertebrates---- where to live?
• Crustaceans (relatively large-sized)
• E.g. Uca (fiddler crab)
Alpheus (snapping shrimp)
→ hollow up mud
→ live in large open burrows

√ O2 to enter deeply into subs.

√ changes in temp.
√ changes in salinity
√ refuges from predation
√ breeding places
 Vertebrates
• Mudskipper (Periophthalmus)
- bony fish
√ diff. tidal levels:
exposed to air / complete submersion
- pectral fins
√ walk / hop on mud surface
- When hold up body, tail fin = gill
√ gas exchange
 Vertebrates
• Reptiles
- snakes, lizards

• Amphibians
- Frogs
 Vertebrates
• Mammals
- nocturnal
e.g. Civet cats
- live in thick scrub,
densely wooded area
 Vertebrates
• Birds – over 400 species
- nest-breeding (in colonies on trees
- migrating birds
- food: from gei wai / mudflats of Mai Po
-detritus : consist of fallen leaves, twigs & dead trees 
provide food to support a large variety of mangroves animals

-↑productivity refuge & nursery grounds for juvenile fishes,

crabs, shrimps & mollusks nesting & migratory sites for
birds

-retain nutrients  cycling of materials

-refines waste water (e.g. heavy metal)  natural water &

waste water treatment plants
-maintain stability & ecological balance of coastal &
marine ecosystems

-Mangrove plants: land-builders roots ~ trap

sediment build up & extend mangrove habitats

-Protect shorelines from erosion due to currents,

waves ,wind & storms

-Sustainable for food production (for man)

1.Species diversity
2.Species rarity
3.Representativeness (typicalness)
4. Current protection
5.Protection disturbance and hazard
Other Values:
-Recreational
-Scientific
-Educational
-Aesthetic
-Historical/ geographical
-Naturalness
-legally protected under Marine Park Ordinance and Country

Park Ordinance
-44 mangroves in HK— 5 categories:
-1.Extremely important and must be conserved immediately
-2. Very important and should be conserved
-3. Important and worth to conserve
-4. Can be conserved
-5. Relatively low priority for conservation
1. Enforcement of existing ordinances
2. Designation of new SSSIs
3. Set up buffer zones
4. Good Management for SSSIs
Mangrove Ecosystems
The End