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Environmental Issue - Mangrove Swamps

The following is an article written on mangrove swamps and their importance to the

environment. The article also outlines their uses, the wildlife and plants, they support

and their recreational functions.

One of the most productive and bio-diverse wetlands areas in the world is the

mangrove swamps. These unique the coastal tropical forests are also the habitats that

are most threatened in the world. They are disappearing faster than inland tropical

forests and are during so without much notice from the public.

Mangrove swamps are ecosystems that are found along the muddy coastlines

like river mouths, lagoons, deltas and bays, which are sheltered from the open seas. A

quarter of the tropical beaches of the world are mangrove swamps. They roughly cover

15.5 millions hectares worldwide. In Malaysia, they cover an area of about 650,000

hectares.

Mangrove swamps are influenced by the tides - low and high. They are covered

with water during high tides but the trees are not submerged completely. Mangrove

swamps have trees that can tolerate the salty seawater, soil that has less oxygen, sea

waves and land that is always changing its appearance.

Mangrove swamps are very important to the ecosystem. They are the main

barriers of erosion by big waves and strong currents as the trees here have great roots

that dig deep into the soil. These roots trap sediment and stabilize the coastlines. They

are also windbreakers of wind that blows in from the sea. Besides that, they are home

to many fish and prawns. Forty-two per cent of the fish caught along the west coast

have ties to the mangrove swamps. They are also the habitat of many mammals, fish,

crustaceans, birds and reptiles.

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Mangrove swamps have high economic values as these areas produce products

like food, paper, furniture, firewood and piling for buildings. Every hectare of mangrove

swamps can produce RM 8,000 worth of firewood and piling and RM 20,00 worth of

charcoal. They also help the environment by using up toxic substances like nitrogen and

phosphorus. Every hectare of swampland can collect 219 kilograms of nitrogen and 20

kilograms of phosphorus.

Mangrove swamps are fast becoming popular as ecotourism sites in Malaysia.

There are many sites throughout Malaysia like the Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Kuala

Gula in Perak and the Bako National Park in Sarawak. Walkways and high towers are

some of the facilities provided for tourists to get closer to nature, the unique ecosystem

of the mangrove swamp. Mangrove swamps have a great variety of bird species. They

are stopover for migratory birds from Siberia to Australia. Besides that, tourists can fish,

go jungle tracking, visit forestry and aquaculture areas or just have leisure cruise.

We have to preserve this important area, as it is our heritage. Currently, there are

many laws to protect the mangrove swamps and to control development in the area.

They are the Environment Quality Act 1974, Wildlife Preservation Act 1972, Fisheries

Act 1985 and the National Forestation Act 1984, just to name a few. We have to ensure

that the mangrove swamps are manages properly to ensure the preservation of the

wildlife and plants in the area. We have to ensure that we preserve the ecosystem here

and not repair the damage when it has been done. We should use strip felling when

cutting down trees in this area as it only cuts down selected trees and leaves the rest

around it. This allows fast regeneration. Indirectly, other plants that would have been

destroyed if normal felling were carried out would have a place of shelter. When we

preserve the trees, we ensure the well being of the wildlife in the area.

We must save the mangrove swamps for the future of our children and mankind.