Lesser Antilles mangroves

Last updated
Lesser Antilles mangroves
TiFoX-reserve protegee-2.jpg
Ecoregion NT1416.png
Ecoregion territory (coastal lowlands on islands in box)
Ecology
Realm Neotropic
Biome Mangroves
Geography
Area777 km2 (300 sq mi)
Country Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada
Coordinates 14°45′N61°00′W / 14.75°N 61°W / 14.75; -61

The Lesser Antilles mangroves ecoregion (WWF ID: NT1416) covers the salt-water habitats along the coasts of the islands on the divide between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. the included islands stretch from Anguilla in the north to the island of Grenada in the south. The species diversity of these small islands is less than that of the larger islands of the Greater Antilles with to the west, but endemism is high due to the relative isolation of the different islands. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Location and description

The primary islands in this ecoregion with mangrove forests are Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. The mangroves are found on coastal lowlands where salt-water wetlands penetrate. This is commonly on river deltas, on the margins on protected lagoons, and behind protective beaches. [4]

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is Tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification (Af)). This climate is characterized as hot, humid, and having at least 60 mm of precipitation every month. [5] [6]

Flora and fauna

Differences in mangrove character among the islands is affected by salinity and nutrient levels. The southernmost islands are in the offshore currents of fresh water flowing out of the Orinoco River and Amazon River. As a result, they have more developed mangrove systems. The more northerly islands have higher salinity levels, and more diverse reefs and sea grass beds associated with mangroves. [3]

The two most common mangrove species in the ecoregion are red mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle ) and white mangrove ( Laguncularia racemosa ). Other characteristic mangrove species are black mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ), Avicennia schaueriana , and button mangrove ( Conocarpus erectus ). [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belizean Coast mangroves</span> Ecoregion in the mangrove biome along the coast of Belize and Amatique Bay in Guatemala

The Belizean Coast mangroves ecoregion covers the brackish and salt-water habitats along the Caribbean Sea coast of Belize, and of Amatique Bay in Guatemala; small parts in the border with Mexico are also present on this ecoregion. The mangroves are partially protected from the open sea by the Belize Barrier Reef, and this ecoregion is distinct from the reef-based Belizean Reef mangroves ecoregion offshore. There is a large population of the vulnerable West Indian manatee in the area. It covers an area of around 2850 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guianan mangroves</span> Coastal ecoregion of southeastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana

The Guianan mangroves (NT1411) is a coastal ecoregion of southeastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil. The mangroves provide an important habitat for migrating birds that winter in the area. Large areas are intact, although they are threatened by destruction of the trees for timber and to make way for agriculture, and from upstream agricultural and industrial pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesoamerican Gulf–Caribbean mangroves</span>

The Mesoamerican Gulf-Caribbean mangroves ecoregion covers the series of disconnected mangrove habitats along the eastern coast of Central America. These salt-water wetlands are found in river deltas, lagoons, and low-lying areas facing the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, from Tampico, Mexico to central Panama. The mangroves are areas of high biodiversity and endemism. Many of the sites are protected as national parks or nature reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bocas del Toro–San Bastimentos Island–San Blas mangroves</span>

The Bocas del Toro-San Bastimentos Island-San Blas mangroves ecoregion covers the mangrove habitats along the Caribbean Sea coast of Costa Rica and across the northern coast of Panama. An offshore reef and barrier islands of the region help protect the mangroves from destructive waves. The ecoregion has a high number of endangered and threatened species, including the loggerhead sea turtle, green sea turtle, and hawk's bill sea turtle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal Venezuelan mangroves</span>

The Coastal Venezuelan mangroves ecoregion covers the salt-water mangrove forests along the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean coast of Venezuela, from Cocinetas Basin to the edge of the Caño Manamo River and the Orinoco Delta in the east. It is one of the largest mangrove ecoregions in South America, with an area of 5,698 km2, and stretching across over 400 km of Venezuelan coastline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf of Fonseca mangroves</span> Ecoregion in Central America

The Gulf of Fonseca mangroves ecoregion covers the brackish mangrove forests around the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pacific Ocean. The Gulf is the meeting point El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The Gulf is one of the two primary nesting sites of the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle in the eastern Pacific. In the Honduras portion, there are seven nature reserves that collectively make up a RAMSAR wetland of international importance, providing protection for migratory birds, sea turtle, and fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilha Grande mangroves</span> Mangrove forest region in Brazil

The Ilha Grande mangroves ecoregion covers a series of disconnected salt-water and brackish mangrove forests along the southeastern coast of Brazil on the South Atlantic Ocean. The ecoregion is defined as covering the mangroves found between the Paraíba do Sul River in the north to Florianópolis in the south. This coastal region is the most densely population region of Brazil, and many of the mangroves are in close proximity to ports and industrial cities. A number of ecological reserves have been established to protect the high biodiversity of the mangroves, recognizing their importance to migratory birds, and as nursery habitat for juvenile fish, crabs, shrimp, and mollusks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magdalena–Santa Marta mangroves</span>

The Magdalena-Santa Marta mangroves ecoregion covers the mangrove forests along the coast of Colombia on the Caribbean Sea, from Gulf of Urabá in the west at the Colombia-Panama border to the Guajira Peninsula in the east. The region is relatively dry, with low precipitation and high evapotranspiration, so the mangroves depend for water and nutrients on the rivers flowing across the estuarine plain from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains to the east. Efforts are currently underway to restore mangroves degraded by development and road building from the 1950s to 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican South Pacific Coast mangroves</span>

The Mexican South Pacific Coast mangroves ecoregion covers the mangrove sites along the coast of the Pacific Ocean coast of Mexico, across the states of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. These mangrove forests are mostly around lagoons, typically those fed by rivers from the interior in the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains. The ecoregion is small: collectively, it covers only 1,295 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moist Pacific Coast mangroves</span> Ecoregion in Costa Rica and Panama

The Moist Pacific Coast mangroves ecoregion covers a series of disconnected mangrove sites along the Pacific Ocean coast of Costa Rica and Panama. These sites occur mostly on coastal flatlands around lagoons, particularly where rivers from the inland mountains reach the sea, bringing fresh water to the coastal forests. The area is in a transition zone from the drier coastline to the north; rainfall in this ecoregions is over 2,000 mm/year, and reaches over 3,600 mm/year at the southern end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Dry Pacific Coast mangroves</span>

The Northern Dry Pacific Coast mangroves ecoregion covers the mangrove habitats in a series of sites along the Pacific Ocean coast of Guatemala and El Salvador. This part of Central America is relatively dry compared to higher elevations or more southerly areas, so the wetland mangroves serve as a refuge for animals of the interior during the winter dry season. The mangroves only extend a few kilometers inland to where the salt water influence is gone; the ecoregion surrounding the mangroves is the Central American dry forests ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayan Corridor mangroves</span>

The Mayan Corridor mangroves ecoregion covers the mangrove habitats along the Caribbean Sea coast of the state of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico and a narrow strip on the north of Belize. The region is named for the Maya Civilization archeological sites along the coast. Biodiversity in the area high due to the interactions of different environments - coastal lagoons, river estuaries, coral reefs, and barrier beaches. The ecoregion supports Mexico's largest population of crocodiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petenes mangroves</span>

The Petenes mangroves ecoregion covers mangrove habitat along the Gulf of Mexico coast of southern Mexico, where Campeche state and Yucatan state meet, centering on the Celestun Lagoon inland from the barrier-island town of Celestún. Because the region has relatively little rainfall and no rivers feeding the lagoons, the freshwater to support the mangrove ecosystem springs from underground aquifers. The area is important for migratory birds, and as a nesting area for sea turtles. The area around the Celestun Lagoon is protected by the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve in Campeche.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Negro–Rio San Sun mangroves</span>

The Rio Negro-Rio San Sun mangroves ecoregion covers a series of small of discontinuous mangrove forests on the Caribbean Sea coast of Costa Rica, from a small portion inside the border with Nicaragua in the west to the border with Panama in the east. The coast on this stretch is a flat, alluvial plain, and mangroves are only a small part of a diverse patchwork of local habitats including swamps, mixed rainforests, coastal lagoons, sea grass beds, and sandy beaches. Much of the territory is "blackwater river" in character - slow-moving channels in wooded swamps with water stained by decayed matter. These mangroves are periodically damaged by hurricanes, such as in 1988 from Hurricane Joan, but are able to regenerate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Piranhas mangroves</span> 350-km-long forest ecosystem of Brazils Atlantic coast

The Rio Piranhas mangroves ecoregion covers a series of mangrove forests along the Atlantic Ocean coast of the eastern tip of Brazil. The mangrove sections are spread across 350 km, from the mouth of the Mamanguape River in the north, to the vicinity of Maceió in the south. This coast is centered on the city of Recife, and the mangrove sections often surround industrial ports and cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Dry Pacific Coast mangroves</span>

The Southern Dry Pacific Coast mangroves ecoregion covers a series of mangrove forests along the Pacific Ocean coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, from the southern margin of the Gulf of Fonseca to the Gulf of Nicoya near the border with Panama. Because the area is drier than the mangroves further south, evapotranspiration leaves some areas with higher salinity and even salt pans in the internal areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad mangroves</span> Ecoregion in Trinidad

The Trinidad mangroves ecoregion covers the separate mangrove forest areas on the coast of the island of Trinidad, in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The character of the mangroves is affected by the large amount of fresh water flowing out of the Orinoco River and Amazon River to the south, which flow northwest around the island. The mangroves of Trinidad are found on all coasts, and are usually in the estuaries of rivers, but also found in coastal lagoons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usumacinta mangroves</span>

The Usumacinta mangroves ecoregion covers the mangrove forests ont the Gulf Coast of Mexico, around the margins of the Laguna de Términos. The "Ends" in the name refer to the mouths of the rivers that empty into the lagoon, including the Usumacinta River. This region, which is due south of the mouth of the Mississippi River across the Gulf of Mexico, receives an estimated one-third of the wintering birds migrating on the Mississippi Flyway. It is estimated that the lagoon supports 90 endangered species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvarado mangroves</span> Mangroves ecoregion of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, Mexico

The Alvarado mangroves ecoregion covers a series of mangrove forest areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast of the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz in Mexico. they are the most northerly mangroves in the western Gulf. The largest tracts of mangrove swamps occur at the mouths of rivers, and nearby coastal lagoon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser Antillean dry forests</span>

The Lesser Antillean dry forests ecoregion covers the dry forests of the coastal lowlands of the Lesser Antilles, where the eastern Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. These forests generally form a band around the interior wet forests of higher elevations, and because they are often flat, they are under the most pressure for human settlement and agriculture.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lesser Antilles mangroves". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  2. "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Lesser Antilles mangroves". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  4. "Mankòtè Mangrove". RAMSAR Sites Information Service. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  5. Kottek, M.; Grieser, J.; Beck, C.; Rudolf, B.; Rubel, F. (2006). "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  6. "Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.