Tropical mangrove forests are the bridge builders among ecosystems: They grow where land meets sea and fresh water meets salt water. To achieve this balancing act, mangrove trees have developed a number of special adaptations, including high salt tolerance and stilt-like root systems that allow them to find support even on muddy ground. And mangrove forests are real superheroes in other ways too. They serve as nurseries for numerous species of fish and birds, filter the water and store three to five times as much carbon as trees on land. In addition, mangroves around the world serve as a kind of buffer zone, protecting coastlines and their inhabitants from floods, storms and erosion.
Despite all these benefits for people and nature, deforestation and coastal development have significantly decimated mangrove forests worldwide. They are often simply overlooked in conservation efforts. In order to make the mangroves’ need for protection clear, researchers led by Alvise Dabalà from the University of Queensland have now put numbers on them for the first time. Assuming that 30 percent of the world’s mangroves were protected, this would have the following positive effects: coastal property would increase in value by $16.3 billion, 6.1 million people worldwide would be protected from flooding, one billion Tons of carbon could be sequestered and fisheries would gain 50.7 million days of fishing per year.
“We know that the long-term benefits of protecting biodiversity are often greater than the short-term benefits of human activities. Therefore, a rethink must take place soon,” emphasizes senior author Anthony Richardson, also from the University of Queensland. “The implementation of these plans should then employ a variety of conservation practices specific to the needs of local communities.”