October 2010 Home Subscribe Archive Contact Thematic Focus: Ecosystem Management, Disaster and Conflicts, and Climate Change Global Mangrove Extent Much Smaller than Previously Estimated
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@MISC{_october2010,
author = {},
title = {October 2010 Home Subscribe Archive Contact Thematic Focus: Ecosystem Management, Disaster and Conflicts, and Climate Change Global Mangrove Extent Much Smaller than Previously Estimated},
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}
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Abstract
Why is this issue important? As confirmed by the impacts of the December 2004 Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, intact mangroves help stabilize shorelines and thus protect lives and property from such natural disasters. They also provide other ecosystem services, such as breeding and nursing grounds for marine species and sources of food, medicine, fuel, and building materials for local communities. In addition, living mangroves store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere. It is possible that mangroves and the soils they grow in could sequester about 22.8 million metric tonnes of carbon each year. Mangrove forests occur between the sea and land and are thought to cover about a quarter of the world’s tropical and subtropical intertidal zones, mostly between 5 ° N and 5 ° S latitude. Research reveals that the forests have been declining at an alarming rate, however— perhaps even faster than inland tropical forests—and much of what is left is degraded. From 1980 to 2000, mangroves around the world declined by an estimated 35 per cent. Remaining mangrove forests are under immense pressure from clear cutting, especially for farming and aquaculture; encroachment; hydrological alterations; chemical spills; storms; and climate change. Until encroachment; hydrological alterations; chemical spills; storms; and climate change. Until
Keyphrases
ecosystem management chemical spill hydrological alteration natural disaster protect life clear cutting mangrove forest intact mangrove asian tsunami metric tonne subtropical intertidal zone ecosystem service nursing ground immense pressure hurricane katrina local community marine specie building material tropical forest
