Ecosystem of Mangroves

Mangrove forests, like many tidal wetlands, accumulate nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, and trace elements that are deposited in estuarine waters from terrestrial sources, and thus act as nutrient "sinks" for these materials. Mangroves recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other elements extracted from dead and decomposing components turning these into dissolved, particulate, and gaseous forms. The inflow and outflow of water from this habitat assists in the distribution of those materials to areas where other organisms may utilize them.

The major primary production within the mangrove ecosystem is courtesy of the trees The detached parts of the mangrove plants are called litterfall. These include leaves, stems roots, flowers, and fruits. Most of this enters the waters as litterfall. The seeds of Aruna terminus and Rhizophora species account for 25 percent of the whole  litterfall of the mangrove habitat The latter tall is heaviest during summer. this is often a typical trait exhibited by mangrove vegetation to cut back water loss by transpiration.

Microorganisms found within the soil decompose the fallen plant parts. During this process, nutrients are released which enrich the encompassing waters. The decomposed organic matter together with microbial biomass is thought of as detritus. this can be a very important product produced within the mangrove ecosystems. it's rich in protein and it is a nutritious food for a range of organisms, which can also filter the detritus particles from the water column. Detritus-feeding fishes are preyed upon by larger carnivorous forms. The influx of nutrients generated by the mangroves supports other sensitive habitats just like the coral reefs, seaweeds, and seagrass beds.

The consequence of heavy litter fall followed by more freshwater input during the season is that there's a rise within the nutrient supply. The decomposition of litterfall produces detritus Action of microbes on this detritus enhances its nutritive value for the juveniles of a spread of shrimps and fishes, which migrate into this environment trying to find food. the amount of litterfall and production appears to rely on local conditions, species composition, and productivity of the individual mangal.

Food cycle in Mangrove

 Ecosystems

Flowering plants, phytoplankton, and marine algae are liable for primary productivity within the mangrove ecosystems. The faunal elements like zooplanktons are answerable for secondary productivity and benthic communities of life forms are accountable for tertiary productivity. Bacteria and fungi act as decomposers. there's an ideal sequential energy flow between the producers to decomposers and these cycles manifest naturally. The energy export and import are perfectly balanced. This confers stability to the mangrove ecosystem

The mangrove forest may be a rich source of nutrients. It supports a sizable amount of benthic organisms. This includes mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, flatworms or planarians, nematodes, and larval styles of several other organisms. Since this habitat is rich in detritus food, it provides resources for detritivorous species of fishes, crabs, crustaceans, and mollusks. In India alone, it's estimated that about 60% of coastal marine fish species depend on the mangrove habitat.

 

Mangrove forests are major feeding grounds for several life forms. These are effective nutrient recyclers, supporting the ecosystem and keeping it healthy. Acting as a buffer zone between land and sea, mangroves also help create the proper conditions for reef growth by filtering sediments and pollutants that may otherwise choke or poison the coral. Were it not for mangroves, coral reefs would be even more stressed than they already are thanks to a range of other pressures impacting them. Mangroves perform a protective function for the coastline, saving scores of dollars annually in coastal erosion damage.