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The surface of these roots is covered with porous lenticels, which lead to air-filled spongy tissue called aerenchyma. This tissue facilitates the diffusion of gases throughout the plant, as oxygen diffusion coefficient in air is four orders of magnitude greater than in water. [2] Pneumatophores of mangrove plant
The unique ecosystem found in the intricate mesh of mangrove roots offers a quiet marine habitat for young organisms. [30] In areas where roots are permanently submerged, the organisms they host include algae , barnacles , oysters , sponges , and bryozoa , which all require a hard surface for anchoring while they filter-feed.
The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) survives in the most inundated areas, props itself above the water level with stilt or prop roots and then absorbs air through lenticels in its bark. [21] The black mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ) lives on higher ground and develops many specialized root-like structures called pneumatophores , which stick ...
The prop roots of a red mangrove suspend it over the water, thereby giving it extra support and protection. They also help the tree to combat hypoxia by allowing it a direct intake of oxygen through its root structure. A mangrove can reach up to 80 ft (24 m) in height in ideal conditions, but it is commonly found at a more modest 20 ft (6.1 m).
Adventitious roots arise out-of-sequence from the more usual root formation of branches of a primary root, and instead originate from the stem, branches, leaves, or old woody roots. They commonly occur in monocots and pteridophytes, but also in many dicots , such as clover ( Trifolium ), ivy ( Hedera ), strawberry ( Fragaria ) and willow ( Salix ).
The red mangrove grows closest to open water. It has multiple prop roots, which may help to stabilize the soil around its roots. Further inland is the black mangrove lacking prop roots, but does have pneumatophores, which grow up from the roots to above the water level. The white mangrove grows further inland.
Avicennia germinans, the black mangrove, [3] is a shrub or small tree growing up to 12 meters (39 feet) in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae.It grows in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and on the Atlantic Coast of tropical Africa, where it thrives on the sandy and muddy shores where seawater reaches.
Bruguiera gymnorhiza, the large-leafed orange mangrove or oriental mangrove, [3]) is a mangrove tree that grows usually to 7–20 metres (23–66 ft) high, but sometimes up to 35m, that belongs to the family Rhizophoraceae.