Mangroves and the UAE

About

Mangrove; a 'shrub or tree', which grows in tropical and subtropical regions, close to the equator, to avoid cold climate and can be recognised by its pneumatophore, a 'complex aerial root system'.

These plants are halophytes (salt-loving) which explains their habitat. Like many other plants, they are photosynthetic, autotrophic, primary producers. That means they take in water, air and sunlight to produce their food. They are adapted with unique features which enable them to cope with the habitat in which they are found, and help us identify them.

First spotted during the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene epochs, mangroves became widely dispersed due to the motion of tectonic plates. The oldest fossils found, date back to 75 000 000 years ago.

Habitat and harsh conditions

A mangrove tree or shrub is found in places with warm climates, nearer to the equator. With the greatest plant biodiversity occurring in Southeast Asia, a mangrove plant generally has low plant biodiversity. It grows in particularly harsh conditions, to which it is adapted. These conditions include:

• waterlogged, anoxic 'oxygen free' soil
• brackish, saline waters
• elevated temperatures
• drastic UV exposure

In these rough conditions, a mangrove is aided by its visible and well-known pneumatophore, along with many other features.

Dr Friis: “Mangroves are the only evergreen forest in the Gulf and their unique ability to survive in this habitat makes them what we know as an "ecosystem engineer", providing shelter and foraging to many marine and terrestrial species. In addition, different biological, chemical and physical processes connect mangroves to adjacent ecosystems including coral reefs or seagrass meadows.”

A mangrove ecosystem in the UAE

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi uses high-resolution satellites to map the mangroves in the country, putting their area at about 155 square kilometres. That figure is believed to have nearly doubled over the past 20-30 years as a result of plantation and rehabilitation projects first initiated by Sheikh Zayed.

“To name a few of the species we can find, in the UAE there are reports of six different families of crabs; 49 mollusc species including clams and marine snails; examples of both residents and migratory birds like the Western Reef Heron or the Greater Flamingo; and numerous roving fish populations.”

Set between the open water and shorelines, mangroves sustain high levels of biodiversity even in the UAE.

Dr Friis also spoke about how relatively fewer studies have been conducted demonstrating the UAE mangrove wildlife, and further research was needed.

The symbiotic relationship

Mangroves have symbiotic relationships to other species in the 'ecosystem' to which they belong. A symbiotic relationship is a close relationship between two species in which at least one species benefits. Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. The relationship is mutual and symbiotic, mangroves rely on the species they support to support them back. For example, microbes live on the roots of mangroves, and one of the main elements provided to a mangrove plant by microbes is nitrogen, which aids a plant in making genetic material and proteins.

“No organism on earth lives in isolation and all these microbes, the mangrove and other higher organisms like algae and crabs are interacting with each other,” Dr Amin said. “It is these interactions that truly form a healthy ecosystem”.

How do they benefit us?

We've all understood how plants benefit us and the environment. They support life on earth through various means and are known to elevate moods and overall mental health. They absorb CO2 and release O2 into the atmosphere, serve as habitats, provide food to many living organisms, and regulate the water cycle.

While having many common benefits, mangroves are adjusted to flourish in conditions where most other plants would perish. This encourages the presence of plants where there might've not been any plants resulting in a poor environment.

How are we risking mangroves and mangrove ecosystems?

How can we protect them?

Over the past few decades, human activities have had a major impact on the environment. Deforestation, urbanization, limited freshwater resources, pollution and the list goes on.

A lot of us don't realize the consequences of our actions, but knowing this and keeping it in mind can help an individual benefit the environment.

Scientists consent that ecotourism activities, like kayaking, are a sound manner of enjoying the mangroves without causing any harm. They believe, that when rules are followed and certain restrictions are made, the place can be pleasing for us and the nesting birds, and benign for the plants as well.

“The diversity of wildlife in mangroves is amazing and is worth exploring. But we must be careful not to tread too heavily as to destroy it,” Dr Amin

author's note