Hydroperiod and Salinity Interactions Control Mangrove Root Dynamics in a Karstic Oceanic Island in the Caribbean Sea (San Andres, Colombia)
January 14, 2021
Global sea levels are on the rise and this means coastal regions and ecosystems are at risk. One such ecosystem are the coastal mangroves. To better understand how mangroves will be affected by high sea levels, researchers evaluated three mangrove ecotypes in the San Andreas Island located in the Caribbean Sea. The main focus was looking at how the root system can lose nutrients with increased amounts of salinity. It was found that the mangrove roots require a balance of freshwater from the ground to maintain its nutrient efficiency. These results can assist coastal resource managers in regulating water use and coastal development in the short term to avoid loss of mangrove ecosystems.