Restoring Mangroves May Prove Cheap Way to Cool Climate

[RobertEarl]

17. We've killed half (?) the world's mangroves

There are three species of mangroves. White, Black and Red.

Reds are where the name mangrove comes from. The root and stump structure of the reds that exists above ground is a twisted mass that can resemble a man's body.

A tropical specie, it is improbable that you will find one in places where freezes occur.

The reds grow in salt water in the tidal zone. Whites and blacks grow on ground at the top of the tidal zone.

As global warming proceeds the mangrove zone may move north and south. Rising sea levels should not harm the reds and in fact may hasten their expansion.

Mangroves when left alone provide habitat for a great number of other species, from snails and juvenile fish up to the largest of water birds. Losing as much of the mangrove as we have has caused these other species to die off in great numbers.

Anything we can do to preserve and increase mangrove forests will benefit everyone.