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E. Kouhgardi et al. 2010. Values of mangroves and its interaction with marine ecosystem
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Values of mangroves and its interaction with marine ecosystem
E. Kouhgardi 1* , E. Shakerdargah 1 & M. Akbarzadeh 2
1 Islamic Azad University, Boushehr Branch, Boushehr, Iran.
2 Islamic Azad University, Myianeh Branch, East Azarbaijan, Iran
Abstract
Mangrove forests have been traditionally utilized by the local people for a variety of purposes in
Nayband national park. Values of mangroves are recognized as various benefits: Lumber or
similar construction wood; Poles, fuel wood, fishing gear; Raw materials for the wood-based
industry of various nature and including board mills, rayon mills, match factories and charcoal
products; Non-timber products including tannin to supply raw materials for leather tanning
industries, fishing net processing units, thatching material for roofing and raw materials for
indigenous medicine; Edible products including honey and wax, game animals, meat and fish,
fruits, drinks and sugar, natural spawning ground for fish and crustaceans, especially for
shrimps and prawns; Contribution to mud flat formation and control of erosion; Capability to
check inland salinity intrusion; Enhanced capability to combat the impact of cyclone and tidal
surge; Enhanced capability to function as a shelter belt during storms and cyclones. So in view
point of these various use and benefits for human and marine ecosystem, conservation of
mangrove forests would be a main strategy in the area.
Keywords: Marine ecosystem, Benefits, Restoration, Yield, Strategy, Impact
1. Introduction
Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in Intertidal region along tropical and
subtropical coasts. With favorable geomorphic conditions, mangroves commonly form
extensive tidal forests in moist, humid equatorial climates. Under these conditions, individual
trees may attain heights of 40-45 meters and have stem diameters of more than 1 meter. Tidal
mangrove forests under the favorable conditions of humid production climates and low to
moderate soil salinity commonly have high rates of primary production and growth that are
equivalent to those of the best terrestrial forests. On the other hand, under less favorable
conditions, such as high soil salinity or arid climates, rates of primary production and growth
are generally somewhat less. There are approximately 60 species of mangroves World-wide.
About 45 of these occur in the South-east Asian/Western Pacific region, commonly referred to
as the New World. The Old World region of Central and South America has 45-species, while
there are about 10-12 species of Africa and Arabia. Asia and the Western Pacific are thus rich in
terms of mangrove flora.
In addition to differences in species richness between major continental regions, their is also a
marked reduction in the number of species with increasing latitude. Thus, while there are about
35 species on the North-eastern tip of Cape York Peninsula, only 4-5 species of mangrove occur
near Brisbane, reducing to a solitary species, Avicennia marina, at the Southernmost limit of
distribution of mangroves at Corner Inlet on the Southern coastline of mainland Australia. There
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +98 917 775 9894 - Fax: +98 771 568 3700
Email address: kouhgardi@iaubushehr.ac.ir
Forest Landscapes and Global Change-New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology
Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)
2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.