BIODATA
Name : Khevandurai A/L Padmanathan.
School : Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan
Rapat Setia.
Age : 16 years old.
Form : Form 4.
Class : 4ST.
Hobby : Playing computer games,reading
watching television .
Ambition : Engineer.
IC number : 940322-06-5553
Contact : 0124344221
INTRODUCTION
ECOLOGY is the scientific study of the
interaction of living organisms with other livig
organisms and with the physical environment .
Every living organisms and every component of
an environment cannot exist as a separate
entity .Instead, they are interrelated and form a
complex system .
Ecology studies on dynamic ecosystem provide
us with the understanding and knowledge of
how to manage,preserve,and conserve the
diverse ecosystem.
Mangrove Swamps
Found in tropical and subtropical regions where fresh water
meets salt water .
Soft ,muddy soil with a high concentration of salt and very low
levels of oxygen
Exposed to a high intensity of light .
Plants that grow here are well adapted to harsh condition.
[Avicennia,Rhizophora}
The leaves of mangrove have thick cuticles that help them reduce
transpiration during hot wheather .Beside , the leaves are
succulent and able to store water .
The root cells of mangrove have a higher osmotic pressure than
he surrounding salt water.
Mangrove seed are able to germinate while still being attached to
the parent cell.[viviparity]
Mangrove swamps along tropical bays characteristically show
zonation .the seaweed zone is fully exposed to high tides twice a
day.[Avicennia,Sonneratia]
Explaination
Mangrove swamps are found in tropical and subtropical
regons where fresh water meets salt water .They are
characterized by soft.muddy soil with a high concentration of salt
and very low levels of oxygen .In addition, mangrove swamp are
exposed to high intensity of sunlight.
Plants that can grow here are well adapted to there harsh
condition .Mangrove trees such as Aicennia have long
underground cable roots that support them in the soft and muddy
soil and protect them from strong coastal winds.these roots also
produce hundreds of thin ,vertical breathing roots called
pneumatophores which project above the water around the tree.
Another types of mangrove tree ,the Rizhophora, have prop roots.
These are aerial roots that not only anchor the plant to the mud ,
but also pay an important role in aeration .Aeration can also take
place through lenticels found on the tree bark of Rhizophora.
The leaves of mangrove have thick cuticles that help them
reduce transpiration during hot wheather .Besidea,the leaves are
succulent and able to store water. The root cell of mangrove have
a higher osmotic pressure then the surrounding salt
water.Thus,the cell sap of the roots does not loose water by
osmosis.Instead,salt water that enters the roots cells is excreted
through hydathodes,the pores in the epidermis of the
leaves.Mangrove seeds are able to germinate while still being
attached to the parent trees.This phenomena is called viviparity.
Viviparity increases the chances of survival of the seedling as they
can float on the water and be washed up on sand or mudfalts
where they settle to establish new population.
Mangrove swamps along tropicals bays characterically
shows zonation.the seaweed zone is fully exposed to high tides
twice a day. The species of mangrove that inhabitat in this zone
included Avicennia and Sonneratia.The middle zone is inhabited
by Rhizophora.the inland zone is less frequently covered by
seawater.This is where Bruguier grows.the pioneer species in a
mangrove swamp are the Avicennia and Someratia.the extensive
roots systems of these mangrove trees collect sediments
,including organic matter from decaying plant.
As time passes, the soil becomes more compact and
firm.This condition favours the growth of Rhizophora.Gradually,
Rhizophora replaces the pioneer species. The arching roots of
Rhizophora traps slit and mud,creating a firmer soil structure over
time.This ground becomes higher and the soil becomes drier.The
condition now becomes more suitable for other species of
mangrove such as Bruguiera, which replaces Rhizophora.
The buttress roots of Bruguiera form loops which
protrude from the soil to trap more silt and mud.This modified
the soil structure gradually. Over time,terrestrial plants such as
Nypa fruticans and Pandanus begin to replace Bruguiera.The
transition from a mangrove swamps to a terrestrial forest and
eventually to a tropical rainforest which is aclimax community
takes a long time.
MANGROVE COMMUNITY
Mangroves play a role both on land and in the water. In one way in
which this plant species is a terrestrial tool is by stabilizing shorelines.
The mangrove "wall" between the land and the sea protects the
shoreline from erosion and minimizes destruction from powerful
waves. Due to mangroves being a naturally flexible plant, they are able
to withstand severe damage of winds, waves, and changing tides for
thousands of years. Mangroves minimize the loss of property and
human lives throughout the globe. Mangroves are such an abundant
species that in some areas they form their own islands called mangles.
A mangle is, "a term for an assemblage of mangroves interlocked to
form patches, which can further extend seaward as a fringe around the
shoreline or as a distinct island"
MANGROVE AS HABITAT
Mangroves provide a home for many organisms, not only aquatic.
All of the different organisms that are found in the mangrove
areas are all labeled as being euryhaline-able to withstand wide
variations of salinity. Oysters are abundant in these areas. They
attach themselves to the roots of the mangroves by hook-like
projections from their shells. The raccoons of the Florida
Everglades and the crown conch shell eat these oysters. Fiddler
crabs run around the mangrove areas during low tide eating plant
debris. When the tide returns, they run back to their burrows that
they make in the mud. The males have a large claw that they use
for communication and defense. The opposite partner has a
relatively small claw.
There are many species of birds that live in the mangrove
areas. This is an ideal area for these birds to live in due to the easy
access to both food and resting area. Many birds have developed
special characteristics to their beaks and feet to help them adapt
to this environment living off of certain prey. Pelicans and other
seabirds live in the canopies of the mangrove swamps.
Conservation of Mangroves
Significant steps are being taken to conserve mangroves. The legal status
of Indonesia's mangroves is such that commercial harvest of the trees is
regulated and requires harvesters to leave an undisturbed protection zone
100 times wider than the tidal range along the seaward margin and 50
metres (160 feet) wide along rivers In other areas of the world there are
projects being developed to improve management of mangrove forests.
Some of these projects involve replanting by local communities, and
developing sustainable use systems. Certain areas are being claimed as a
protected area, such as the Florida Everglades, to help improve the
conservation of mangroves. There is still much to be done, but we are
off to a good start.
Picture
avicennia rhizophora
CONCLUSION
Mangroves are an interesting species to study, and are very important
to many organisms-including ourselves. These organisms use this tree
for their life support. The three main species of mangroves discussed
herein are considered to be the most abundant. And, each of these
species has their own unique characteristics. Approximately 80 plant
species have been labeled as mangroves, so there is much more
research that can be done to document the variety of mangrove
species throughout the world. I look forward to the opportunity to
learn more about the fundamentals of the contributions that
mangroves make to our environment.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Text book: Biology form 4
Writers - Gan Wan Yeat
Manoharan a/l Subramaniam
Azmah Binti Bajion
Editors – Ng Lee Lean
Azman Azlina Azmar
Internet: www.wikipedia.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_swamp
CONTENT
1.FRONT PAGE : pg 1
2.CONTENT : pg 2
3.BIODATA : pg 3
4.CHAPTER CHOOSE : pg 4
5.INTRODUCTION : pg 5
6.SUBTOPIC CHOOSE : pg 6
POINT : pg 7
EXPLAINATION : pg(8-13)
PICTURE : pg 14
7.CONCLUSION : pg 15
8.BIBLIOGRAPHY : pg 16
9.APPENDIX : pg (17-22)
