Mangroves Structure Functions Ecology And Biodiversity

Marine ecosystems are diverse habitats, endowed with physical, chemical, and geographical variations in the ecosystems, where the gradation from highly productive organisms to highly specialized organisms exists. India has almost 7,517 km long coast, of which 5,423 km belongs to the peninsular India, and around 2,094 km to the Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The mainland coast of India consists of 43% sandy beaches; 11% rocky coast including cliffs; and 46% mudflats or marshy coast. This massive coastline of India supports the human population tremendously through marine resources. Nearly 250 million people live within the fringe of 50 km from the coastline of India. Hence, a vital role in India’s economic growth is played by the ecological services that the marine and coastal ecosystems provide. The MPAN (Marine Protected Area Network) in India regulates the natural marine resources to conserve the depleting biodiversity for the betterment of people that are dependent on these coastal resources. Moreover, Gujarat State is bestowed with one of the longest coastline of India (1,650 km). The Gulf of Kachchh (Gujarat) is India’s first Marine National Park (MNP) contributing to the ecological importance of the state’s coastal ecosystem; exhibiting the most vulnerable biological diversity in intertidal mudflats, gulfs, bays wetlands, mangroves, salt marshes, coral reefs, beaches, dunes, and estuaries. The book Mangroves: Structure, Functions, Ecology and Biodiversity focuses on environmental and ecological studies of Gulf of Kachchh, Western Gujarat, India, in relation to eutrophication, biotic components, structure and functions of mangroves, and biomonitoring of metals. The book covers an in-depth study of surface water and bottom sediment quality, diversity, density, abundance, commonness, rarity of shells, ecological structure and functions of mangrove environment including composition, population dynamics, community structure of floral and faunal species, phytochemical constituents of selected mangrove tree species, and biomonitoring of nutrients in Avicennia marina. The book would unquestionably be the need of an hour for mangroves managers, marine conservationists, and policy makers or decision authorities to prevent the unrestrained exploitation of marine biodiversity, destruction of potential mangrove habitats, and uncontrolled interactions of man and technology with mangrove ecosystems around the world.

The book presents an account of mangrove forest ecosystem, its structure and function. Mangroves are littoral plant formation found in tropical and sub-tropical countries and occurs on the margins of oceans and estuaries. In this book all the aspects of mangrove forest have been discussed. The biodiversity, floristic composition and taxonomy have been enumerated very nicely. The loss of mangrove forest and its conservation and management aspects have been given in details. A case study of mangrove forests of Andaman islands and South Japan has been documented in details. This is very good book for those who are working on mangrove ecology, taxonomy, physiology and coastal ecology.

Protection of the environment has nowadays become a major challenge and a condi tion for survival of future human generations and life on Earth in general. Yet it is still far too much of a dream or hope rather than a reality in the policy of our societies. Presently we are experiencing an unprecedented exponential growth of demography combined with a race for profit, resulting in excessive consumption particularly of en ergy, and a serious impact on the world ecosystems. Various types of pollutants and emerging new diseases not only disrupt the normal course of life, but also above this some of the atmospheric pollutants are most likely involved in the changing climate. We fear and literally shiver at the thought that the "changing climate" would ultimately disrupt the fragile thermodynamic equilibrium between the atmosphere and the oceans. Are we insensitive to these facts to the point of pushing our descendants, some genera tions ahead, into a new glacial period after a first period of warming up, at least, in northern Europe, like the one that took place 13 to 14 millennia ago? Surely the planet's nature is not prepared to be dominated by man and will go its way, whether humanity will be alive or dead.

This book presents a comprehensive overview and analysis of mangrove ecological processes, structure, and function at the local, biogeographic, and global scales and how these properties interact to provide key ecosystem services to society. The analysis is based on an international collaborative effort that focuses on regions and countries holding the largest mangrove resources and encompasses the major biogeographic and socio-economic settings of mangrove distribution. Given the economic and ecological importance of mangrove wetlands at the global scale, the chapters aim to integrate ecological and socio-economic perspectives on mangrove function and management using a system-level hierarchical analysis framework. The book explores the nexus between mangrove ecology and the capacity for ecosystem services, with an emphasis on thresholds, multiple stressors, and local conditions that determine this capacity. The interdisciplinary approach and illustrative study cases included in the book will provide valuable resources in data, information, and knowledge about the current status of one of the most productive coastal ecosystem in the world.

Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology and Function deals with several aspects of mangrove science, as well as conservation, management, and related policies. The book is divided into six sections and structured into 10 chapters. The first section discusses mangrove ecology, structure, and function; the second section explains mangrove physiology related to salt accumulation; the third section focuses on mangrove polychaetes; the fourth section talks about the bioprospect of mangrove microbes; the fifth section discusses soil geochemistry; and the sixth section elucidates mangrove management and conservation. Researchers from different countries and fields of mangrove ecosystem exploration have contributed their findings. This book would be an ideal source of scientific information to graduate students, advanced students, researchers, scientists, and stakeholders involved in mangrove ecosystem research.

Mangroves are one of the most productive and biologically important blue-carbon ecosystems across the coastal intertidal zone of earth. In the current scenario of serious environmental changes like global warming, climate change, extreme natural disasters, mangrove forests play a vital role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining ecosystem balance. Mangroves are unique ecosystems with rich biological diversity of different taxonomic groups exhibiting great ecological and commercial importance. The book consolidates existing and emerging information on ecology of mangroves, with a special reference to their biodiversity and management. It emphasizes on the role of mangroves in providing various ecological services. The book is a comprehensive compilation covering all aspects of mangrove ecology. It is useful for students and researchers in ecology, plants sciences and environmental sciences.

Mangrove trees flourish even when regularly flooded by seawater. Their unique environment is of biological interest and also of economic importance. This is an overview of the biology of mangrove systems.