Chapter 8: Dynamic

Ecosystem
Mangrove swamp

Colonization in Mangrove Swamp

Mangrove swamps are mostly found in the
tropical and subtropical regions where
freshwater meets salt water.
They have muddy soft soil and are a hostile
environment for normal plants. This is because
the soil has very low levels of oxygen and a
high concentration of salt.
In addition, mangrove swamp are exposed to
high intensities of sunlight and strong winds.

Adaptation of mangrove plants

Problems faced by
mangrove plants

Adaptations

Soft muddy soil strong

coastal winds pose
support problems

To support themselves, mangrove trees such as

the Avicennia sp. have long, highly branched
underground cable roots.
Another mangrove species, the Rhizaphora
sp., have prop roots.
Those roots, also known as aerial roots, anchor
the plants onto the muddy soil.

Waterlogged conditions
of the soil reduce the
amount of the oxygen
available and lead to an
anaerobic environment.

The Avicennia sp. Has roots called

pneumatophores which grow vertically
upwards. Each pneumatophores has numerous
pores through which gaseous exchange takes
place during low tides.
Gaseous exchange also occurs through pores
called lenticels found on the bark of the
mangrove trees.

Direct exposure to the The leaves of the mangroves are covered

sun leads to a high
by a thick layer of cuticle which reduces
rate of transpiration in
transpiration during hot days. In addition,
the mangrove plants.
the leaves are thick and succulent, and
able to store water.
The high salinity of
the sea water makes
the surrounding water
in the soil hypertonic
when compared to the
cell sap of the root
cells.

The cell sap in the roots cells of the

mangrove trees has higher osmotic
pressure than the soil water that
surrounds them.

Seeds which fall onto

the ground die
because they are
submerged in the soft
and water logged soil.

Mangrove seeds are able to germinate

while still attached to the mother plant.
This phenomenon is called viviparity.

Colonisation and succession in a

mangrove swamp

 The pioneer species of a mangrove swamp are the sonneratia

sp. and Avicennia sp.
The presence of these species gradually changes the physical
environment of the habitat. The extensive root system of these
plants traps and collects sediments, including organic matter
from decaying plant parts.
As time passes, the soil becomes more compact and firm.
This condition favors the growth of the Rhizaphora sp.
Gradually the Rhizaphora sp, replaces the pioneer species.
The prop root system of the Rhizaphora sp. traps silt and
mud, creating a firmer soil structure over time.
The condition now becomes higher. As a result, the soil is
drier become it is less submerged by sea water.

 The condition now becomes more suitable for another

mangrove species, the Bruguiera sp., which replaces the
Rhizaphora sp.
The buttress root system of the Bruguira sp. forms loops
which extend from the soil to trap more silt and mud.
As more sediments are deposited, the shore extends further to
the sea. The old shore is now further away from the sea and is
like terrestrial ground.
Overtime, terrestrial plants like the nipah palm and
Pandanus sp. begin to replace the Bruguiera sp.
The gradual transition and succession from a mangrove
swamp to a terrestrial forest and eventually to a tropical
rainforest, which is a climax community, takes a long time.

The distribution of mangrove in an area near the Straits of Malacca

The End