- the mangrove forest consists of a number of species of inshore, tropical shrubs and trees that can grow in salt water The forest is commonly referred to as "mangal"
any of a group of tropical trees or shrubs growing in swampy ground along river banks, with branches that spread and send down roots, thus forming more trunks and causing a thick growth Mangroves are the rainforest of the sea - unique in both the plant and animal life they support The trees have adapted special aerial roots and salt-filtering tap roots that enable them to thrive in brackish water swamp lands Mangrove ecosystems sheltered nursery and spawning grounds for much of the world's coastal marine life; vast quantities of forest detritus, ensuring rich nutrients for sea life; and needed protection of shorelines from erosion by waves and storm action The bracing roots of the mangroves protect sea grasses and coral reefs from otherwise devastating deposits of silt Mangrove forests, therefore, are essential habitats for many varieties of endangered species, such as rare birds, sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins
1 Open or closed stands of trees and bushes occurring in the tropics in intertidal zones, usually around the mouths of rivers, creeks and lagoons where soils are heavy textured and have a fluctuating salt content and soil level 2 A name used collectively for the assemblage of plants, as well as to refer to individual genera or species, for example, woody members of the Rhizophoraceae, Combretaceae and Verbenaceae These have knee-like roots that are 'pheumatophores' (roots with air spaces) Grown for wood and tannins