I recently had the opportunity to go to Belize to help with research on mangrove deforestation. Mangroves around the world are being depleted at an astonishing rate, as well as seagrass, both of which provide crucial erosion barriers. A healthy mangrove forest looks something like this:
But after this guy comes through, dredging away 4-6 feet of sea floor, you have "the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean" (you can see a color difference in water it's already been to).
By now, what happens when the mangroves are removed is known. There is loss of beach, heightened hurricane damage, and loss of habitat to name only a few.
This was an entire site of ours, completely removed. In some locations of large clearing, such as in the Philippines, the damage has been done and the toll taken, so now people are looking for ways to re-establish mangroves. Unfortunately, no one knows a great way to do it. The common myth is, "they're mangroves, they grow like weeds." But when you try to just stick them in the soil after the area has been cleared, often there are not enough nutrients anymore to support the seedlings, or the seedlings are wiped out by waves without protection. Or in some places, they become "dwarfed", unable to get large.
The research we did focused on the effects of adding nutrients and wave protections to seedlings both regrowing in previously cleared areas, and growing in normal, intact areas. There are definite and visible benefits of both of these factors.
I helped a family living there plant seedlings in buckets with nutrients so that they can get larger and one day be replanted in the front of the house to help stop the erosion that has already taken away 10+ feet of land.
There has not been a lot of research on effects of mangrove clearing, but some is being done currently. Once research is published, Belize (and hopefully other places), is likely to use it in mangrove regrowth. Unfortunately, clearing will continue, but it is possible that the more knowledge they have, more sustainable ways to clear will be developed along with more ways to help seedlings survive.
But after this guy comes through, dredging away 4-6 feet of sea floor, you have "the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean" (you can see a color difference in water it's already been to).
By now, what happens when the mangroves are removed is known. There is loss of beach, heightened hurricane damage, and loss of habitat to name only a few.
This was an entire site of ours, completely removed. In some locations of large clearing, such as in the Philippines, the damage has been done and the toll taken, so now people are looking for ways to re-establish mangroves. Unfortunately, no one knows a great way to do it. The common myth is, "they're mangroves, they grow like weeds." But when you try to just stick them in the soil after the area has been cleared, often there are not enough nutrients anymore to support the seedlings, or the seedlings are wiped out by waves without protection. Or in some places, they become "dwarfed", unable to get large.
The research we did focused on the effects of adding nutrients and wave protections to seedlings both regrowing in previously cleared areas, and growing in normal, intact areas. There are definite and visible benefits of both of these factors.
I helped a family living there plant seedlings in buckets with nutrients so that they can get larger and one day be replanted in the front of the house to help stop the erosion that has already taken away 10+ feet of land.
There has not been a lot of research on effects of mangrove clearing, but some is being done currently. Once research is published, Belize (and hopefully other places), is likely to use it in mangrove regrowth. Unfortunately, clearing will continue, but it is possible that the more knowledge they have, more sustainable ways to clear will be developed along with more ways to help seedlings survive.
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