Mangroves

Mangroves are trees or shrubs adapted to saline and brackish environments. They are found in the intertidal zone of tropical and sub-tropical coastlines. Mangrove forests are among the most productive ecosystems on earth. They serve many important functions, including water filtration, prevention of coastal erosion, carbon storage, food, timber and livelihood provision, and biodiversity protection (as they provide habitat, nurseries, and feeding grounds for a vast array of organisms). Despite their incredible value, mangrove forests are destroyed and degraded at a rate of about 1% per year as a result of land use change, exploitation, coastal development and climate change. This layer shows the change in mangrove extent -either stable, gain or loss- between 1996 and 2016.