The changing pressures on neotropical mangroves

Abstract

The term “mangrove” is used both to define the plants that occur in tidal forests and to describe the ecological communities themselves. Bridging land and sea, mangroves provide millions of people with vital sources of income and protect them from storms and floods. Mangroves serve as nurseries for fish, build up soils, protect against storms, store large amounts of carbon, and provide timber and medical plants. More than 60% of coastal wetlands, including mangroves, are severely degraded, however (Wetlands International 2017). Mangrove forests are under threat from development pressures, such as overharvesting; pollution; conversion to agriculture, aquaculture and urbanization; the oil and gas industry; and infrastructure development. The loss of mangroves and other coastal ecosystems, coastal erosion, coastal flooding and saline intrusion increasingly threaten the resilience of coastal populations.[...]