Mangrove forests throughout the world cover about 10 million acres and are a proper place for water birds because they disperse in the shores of rivers and seas in semi-equatorial areas.
This species of plant has grown in the Persian Gulf near the coasts of Hormozgan and Bushehr as well as Sistan and Baluchestan provinces.
The trees have roots in the air as one might think that they don’t touch the earth and are floating on the water. But when the water level goes up in high tides, the trees sunk in water.
Globally, there are 107 species of mangroves. Two species called Harra (Avicenna Marina) and Chandal (Rhizophora Mucronata) exist in Iran.
Every single acre of mangrove forest can sequestrate 6 to 8 tons of carbon. Moreover, these forests protect coasts from floods and tsunamis, prevent coastal erosion, support cycle of nutrition in water, provide plants and animals with proper habitat and have uses in biotechnology and medicine.
Because of the importance of these forests in ecosystem, July 26 has been globally named the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem or simply Mangrove Day.
Most marine ecosystems can’t stand the high acidity of water, but mangroves increase alkaline in surrounding waters to neutralize low levels of pH.
Since the pH level in waters is globally dropping, the world has become more and more aware of the protective role mangrove forests. But the thing is that these forests have a capacity and can’t remedy the whole harm.
Iran has taken some measures to protect mangrove forests. Manual plantation of Harra trees is one of these measures.
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