Reflective Summary

Done by: Koh Wan Xin 2E2

From all the articles I have read, I have truly learnt a lot about mangroves, eco- systems and the impact of humans on wild life. With each new passage I learnt even more. When I first stared learning about mangroves, I thought they were just smelly, muddy mosquito filled swamps. I did not think there could be much that I could learn from them. However I was wrong, I learnt that mangroves are very important wetland eco systems that have many different uses and they make significant contributions that benefit the environment.

Records dating back over 2000 years show study of mangroves proving that even then, humans noticed the usefulness of mangroves. Mangroves are useful to humans, the trunks and branches of mangroves serve as a palisade that reduces the erosive power of waves, 75% of the game fish and 90% of the commercial species rely on the mangrove system. Mangroves even out sediments, filter out pollution, cling onto nutrients, and protect the shoreline from erosion and provide nesting and food for many animals. Indeed I feel that mangroves are truly amazing plants and therefore, we must save them!

It was surprising for me when I found out that unlike when most people think, mangroves actually do not need salt to survive they can also grow in tap water. Mangroves unlike other plants can grow where no other plant can grow, in salt filled places that decrease the number of competitors. Mangroves have been grown in tap water and survived. However they still grow best in saline waters. That is why most mangroves are found in tropical coastlines like Singapore where you can visit places like Sungei Buloh wetland reserve. This means Singaporeans like me can go and learn more about mangroves easily.

More than 10 billion bacteria can be found in a teaspoon of mud from a mangrove, signalling the high productivity of these coastal forest habitats. Thus, they are an important part of the marine food chain. Marine ecologies are denied the full benefits of mangrove wetlands because human impact to these communities is worst than the natural destruction from nature. The fact that humans do a lot of harm to the environment is horrible and saddening. I hope preservation can help save these amazing marine forests.

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