Mangroves and their Importance

News: A recent study conducted by researchers highlights the remarkable ability of Sunderban mangroves to recover from environmental stress within weeks.

About Mangroves and their Importance

• Mangroves are trees that grow in salty water near the sea. They are unique because most trees cannot survive in such conditions.
• The Sundarbans are located in the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. They get both fresh water from rivers and salty water from the Bay of Bengal.
• Why do mangroves matter?
  • They protect coastlines from cyclones and storms by acting as a natural barrier.
  • They provide a home for rare and endangered animals like the Bengal tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, and estuarine crocodile.
  • They serve as a nursery for 90% of aquatic species on India’s east coast.
  • They absorb five times more carbon than regular forests, helping in the fight against climate change.

Findings of the study

• Even after severe weather events, mangroves bounced back within 1-2 weeks.
• They continued to maintain steady productivity, even though pollution was reducing the nutrients available in the water.
• Water Pollution is a growing problem for mangroves. Scientists measured the Redfield Ratio (a balance of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in the soil).
  • Ideally, the Nitrogen to Phosphorus (N/Ph) ratio should be 16:1. However, By 2015, the ratio had increased to 75:1 (almost five times higher). This means nitrates (from pollution) increased, while essential phosphates decreased.
• Mangroves change how they interact with their surroundings based on the stress they face.
• They “remember” past stress events, like how they responded to a cyclone, and store this memory to help them react better in the future.
  • This ability is called “link strength and memory,” which helps them survive tough conditions.