Sg Buloh and its many implications

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[Picture (1) knee roots of Bruguiera species trees, (2) Forest ginger. Tastes good with rojak. (3) Prop roots of Rhizophora species. (4) Spider hanging over some mangrove trees. (5) More prop roots. (6) Prop roots during low tide. Notice Johor in the background? (7) Large mudskipper. Well adapted for both underwater and above-water vision (can you see underwater without goggles?!) + dual modes of gaseous exchange (skin and gills)]. Photos made possible with Melissa's camera and my SD card!

Hello all,
Sungei Buloh means Bamboo River in malay and is a wetland reserve protected by law. It's a migratory stopover for many seasonal birds that fly from as faraway as China and Siberia.

Sg Buloh isn't the most healthy mangrove forest. A healthy one should be really muddy and silty. But why? marine biologists have discovered that the pretty coral fishes (like Nemo, yes) breed their young fishes in the safety of the space between the roots of the mangrove trees (like the Rhizophora species).

Those prop roots does a few things:
(1) They keep the tree upright and stable in muddy soil.
(2) They are breathing roots, since muddy soil is lacking in gaseous oxygen.

How do they benefit the living world?
(1) Do you know your BBQ charcoal comes mainly from mangrove trees? In Malaysia and Indonesia, the charcoal is derived from the Rhizophora species since these trees are of high energy content for its weight.

(2) Mangrove trees prevent wave action from eroding land.

(3) Mangroves can absorb energy from high waves, potentially saving lives during a tropical storm or tsunami.

(4) Through studies of isotopic carbon movement, marine biologists found that energy and nutrients are exported and imported between coral reefs and mangroves and are interdependent. In other words, if you want a healthy (and pretty coral reef), you have to maintain healthy mangroves at the coast.

However, mangroves often give way to coastal development and is unavoidable in many developing/developed countries. How do we weigh the pros and cons of these habitats?