Benefits of Mangrove Planting

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that grow in tropical and subtropical seashores. These areas are hard-hitting places for plants to grow. Mangroves can thrive in salty water and survive in harsh conditions because of their strong roots that can filter the salinity of the sea and only consume the fresh water it needs. Aside from its ability to stand against the salty water of the sea, Mangrove is also well known to contribute to the overall health of the coastal area by providing food, shelter and environmental protection for marine organisms, nest dwellers and even humans living near seashores.

This family of shrubs traps and rotates different elements, chemicals, and minerals. Their roots acts as block and provide environmental protection for some various marine organism such as fish and seashells. They also provide food for various marine species such as oyster, shrimp, tarpon, jack, and snook. Not only the marine organisms benefit in mangroves, but their branches also serve as nesting areas for some types of coastal birds.

Mangroves produce from their trunks have mid-air root that become fixed in the mud and form a tangled arrangement; this serves as a support for the tree and as a means of ventilating the root system. Because of the Mangrove’s strong woody roots, it cat also act as a buffer of strong winds and waves during intense tropical storms and hurricanes. It holds the soil and protects the shoreline during heavy periods of rainfall, stabilizing the shoreline remains, and reducing soil erosion.

Vietnam is benefiting from the environmental protection that Mangrove planting provides. The Vietnam Red Cross is dedicated in protecting and planting Mangrove forests since 1994 in Vietnam. They are cultivating four types of Mangrove species with the financial help from the Danish Red Cross and Japanese. It reaches a height of 1.5 meter after 3 years. Since Vietnam has a lot of typhoons, the mangroves provided environmental protection to its coastal inhabitants from the storms and typhoons. Mangroves act as a buffer against the sea that reduces destructive waves into undisruptive ripples. Aside from the environmental protection that Mangroves provided for Vietnam, it also adds up to their source of income. Since it harbors shrimps, mollusks and crabs, Vietnamese can sell it and earn money from it. In addition, it also provides food in their own tables for them to eat and supplement their diets. Mangrove planting has a lot of benefits not just for the environmental protection but to the economy as well.