THE MANGROVES ROLE IN MAINTAINING ECOSYSTEMS AND CAUSES OF MANGROVE REDUCTION

Mangroves are evergreen leafy trees and shrubs growing in the narrow inter-tidal zone of the sea coasts and estuaries. Mangroves are common in the humid tropics on the coasts of East Africa, South Asia, Australia and Oceania. Since ancient times, mangroves have been cut down to obtain wood, fuels and raw materials for dyes and leather production. Failure to understand the significance of mangroves led to the destruction of a significant part of them.