Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences Vol. 47 (04), April 2018, pp. 766-772 Review Article An overview on global mangroves distribution SK Chand Basha* Department of Zoology and Aquaculture, Acharya Nagarjuna University.522 510, Andhra Pradesh, India *[E.Mail: [email protected]] Received 23 May 2016; Revised 17 November 2016 Present study assesses the Global Distribution of Mangroves, important species, Causes of degradation in different countries of the globe. Global mangroves distribution may be categorized as western and eastern zones sprawled in 112 countries of tropical and subtropical regions. Present review describes the distribution of mangroves in important mangroves nations of the aforesaid regions for instance, regarding West Africa, important mangroves nations viz... Mauritania, Nigeria, Democratic republic of Congo and others has been discussed. Keeping in view of its value of biodiversity and services, in the midst of sizeable mangroves degradation, effective conservation of mangroves in a sustainable way is the dire need. [Keywords: Mangroves, South Asian mangroves, South East Asian mangroves and Sustainable development]. Introduction embodies African coast of Atlantic, North and South The term Mangroves denotes a group of 68 woody American portions, which also comprises Galapagos halophytic plant communities1 which have the ability islands and the East zone embodies eastern part of to adapt to the extreme transitional zone, which African coast, South asian countries viz…India and embodies divergent habitats between marine and Pakistan, South east asian countries like Indonesian terrestrial environments. Mangroves are the world’s archipelago and Australia and New zealand. East zone high yielding ecosystems, adaptations of whose are found to embodies higher species richness1.With second to none. Mangroves adaptations are respect to coordinational extents location of unpalatable in terms of adapting to regular mangroves limited to 32oN and 38oS, sprawling in fluctuations in tides, higher saline conditions and 112 countries coastlines of tropical and subtropical nil/near nil oxygenic conditions. Evolving stilt roots regions for an area between 167000 and 181000 km2 2. makes mangroves to cope-up with tidal fluctuations. Bangladesh reported to possess world’s single largest Evolving xeromorphic and halophytic conditions mangrove area stretching over 600000 ha2. 35% of enables mangroves to adapt to higher saline global mangroves have lost in last two decades4. conditions and evolving pneumatophores becomes an answer to nill/near nill oxygenic conditions. Objectives of the Review Mangroves accompanies elaborated spectrum of services viz…Protection of coast, Carbon To review Global Mangroves distribution starting sequestration, Land accretion, Water quality and from Americas on West side, followed by Africa, Pollution control, Food, Timber, Dyes and others, out South asian, South east asian, ending with of these mangroves coastal protection role is Australia and New zealand mangroves on East incredible in which mangroves protects the coasts side. from tsunamis, cyclones, floods and sea inundations2. To review important mangrove nations of Three fourths of the tropical and sub tropical nations different regions and its different aspects viz… coasts has been sprawled by mangroves, but currently Size of mangroves, important mangrove species less than half of them remains, out of it more than half and causes of mangroves degradation, are in degraded conditions3. For convenience global particularly of anthropological origin. mangroves distribution are distinguished into two To review Indian Mangroves distribution, and zones1 1. West zone 2. East zone. West zone some of its important mangrove regions. SK CHAND BASHA: GLOBAL MANGROVES DISTRIBUTION 767 Discusion features like very adequate rainfall is the key for its North and Central American mangroves: flourishment. Rhizophora mangle is the dominating Well stretched Mangroves sprawls along the coastal species of bays and estuaries. South eastern mangroves areas of 34 countries and regions of North and Central of brazil has been deforested owing to the higher America, its spectrum embodies Barbados from north demand of timber and other modern developments but 7 to Panama in south, which also comprising different other areas are comparatively unaffected . Caribbean islands. Mangroves of diversified African Mangroves: community types are located viz…Estuarine 70 true mangrove species recorded across the globe8 mangroves, Saline pond mangroves, Brackish pond out of them 17 mangrove species were distributed in 26 mangroves and others. Grand Cayman’s central African countries with 8 species distributed in 19 West mangrove wetland is a notable mangrove which is the African countries and 9 species distributed in 7 East largest inland mangroves of Caribbean. Mangrove African countries. Regarding West African mangroves its biodiversity potentiality of North and Central America distribution in north to south direction sprawls along is very limited. Unlike mangrove richness of Asia, countries 1.Mauritania, 2.Senegal, 3.Gambia, 4.Guinea meager 10 native species of mangroves viz… Bissau, 5.Guinea, 6.Sierra leone, 7.Liberia, 8.Cote Acrostichum aureum, Avicennia bicolor, Laguncularia d’Ivoire, 9.Ghana, 10.Togo, 11.Benin, 12.Nigeria, racemosa and others are known from countries of north 13.Cameroon, 14.Equitorial guinea, 15.Sao tome and and central america with near even distribution across Principe (Island), 16.Gabon, 17.Congo republic, its different countries, Over 2 million hectares of 18.Democratic Republic of Congo and 19.Angola. mangroves spreads along the coastal belts of countries Regarding East African mangroves its distribution in of north and central america. Top 5 countries of north north to south direction sprawls along countries and central america reported to have highest mangrove 1.Somalia, 2.Kenya, 3.Tanzania, 4.Mozambique, size as of 2005 in descending order- Mexico-36%, 5.Madagaskar, 6.Seychelles (archipelago) and 7.South Cuba- 24%, U.S.A.-9%, Panama-8% and Bahamas- Africa8. 6%. Land conversion for varied anthropogenic factors West African mangroves embody large scale severely degrading the mangroves of north and central coverage of mangroves than East Africa owing to its America5. potential riverine base. We would discuss important South American mangroves: mangroves of western and eastern Africa in coming Mangroves sprawl along the coasts of Atlantic and deliberations8. Pacific oceans of 8 South American countries viz… West African Mangroves: Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, French Guiana, Peru, Mangroves cover in West Africa amounts to Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela totaling to 1977900 ha 20,144km2 and amongst West African mangroves as of 2005. Nearly 50% of total mangroves area of nations Nigeria embodies large scale mangrove cover South America reported from Brazil, which occupies 2 rd measuring to 7,386 km which is approximately 35% of 3 position in terms of global mangroves area. Top 5 total West African mangroves8. Some of the notable countries of South America with larger tracts of mangroves rich West African countries have been mangroves area in descending order- Brazil-50%, discussed as follows. Colombia-18%, Venezuela-11%, Ecuador-8% and Suriname-6%. Biodiversity potentiality of South Table 1 — Mangroves of Western and Eastern Africa8 America is very scanty reporting just 10 native Western African Mangroves Eastern African Mangroves mangrove species viz…Acrostichum aureum, Rhizophora harrisonii, R.mangle and others. Land 1. Acrostichum aureum 1. Avicennia marina 2. Avicennia germinans 2. Avicennia officinalis conversion severely affecting the mangroves of south 3. Conocarpus erectus 3. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza america. As an illustration we shall discuss Brazilian 4. Laguncularia racemosa 4. Ceriops tagal 6 mangroves from south america . 5. Nypa fruticans 5. Heritera littoralis Brazilian mangroves: Brazilian mangroves though 6. Rhizophora harisonii 6. Lumnitzera racemosa occupy larger tracts of area are patchily distributed along 7. Rhizophora mangle 7. Rhizophora mucronata its coasts. The well flourished mangroves are located in 8. Rhizophora racemosa 8. Sonneratia alba the northern states of Brazil embodying Amapa, 9. Xylocarpus granatum Maranhao and Para whose favourable ecological Total: 08 09 768 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 47, NO. 04, APRIL 2018 (i). Mauritania: The country Mauritania is prevailed in DCR totals to 201 km2 amounting to 0.7% of total by arid (Atlantic coast) desert nature, owing to this African cover of mangroves. 6 mangrove species are mangroves occupies a scanty proportion8 of 2.09 km2 located in democratic republic of Congo8 they are which is less than 0.1% of total African mangrove cover Acrostichum aureum, Avicennia germinans, Conocarpus located in Senegal delta and area proximity to cape erectus, Laguncularia racemosa, Rhizophora mangle , timirist. 3 Mangrove species .Avicennia germinans. Rhizophora racemosa. Mangroves of Parc marin des has Conocarpus erectus. and . Rhizophora racemosa are been demarcated as Ramsar site8. present in Mauritania and 3 Ramsar mangrove sites - .National Park Banc d’Arguin , .Diawling National Park East African Mangroves: and Chat Tboul are demarcated in Mauritania, out of In East African mangroves 3 mangrove species which National park Banc d’Arguin is a distinct 1.Avicennia marina, 2.Ceriops tagal and 3.Rhizophora transitional area in between Atlantic ocean and Sahara mucronata dominates the region. In this