These roots can also keep the mangroves stable inside the loose mud that the plants and trees lives in as ocean tides go in and out. Pretty cool, huh?
Most mangroves grow near the sea, so they are often the first plants and trees to experience storms that develop in the sea. Like many parts of the natural environment, mangroves can be harmed by climate change, especially rising sea levels and water becoming saltier. If water levels in the areas where mangroves live are too high, these plants and trees will not be able to reach the mud where they plant their roots or access oxygen from the air. Humans present the greatest threats to mangroves: mangrove forests continue to be cleared to make room for farming, homes and tourism. In Vietnam and Cambodia too, the recent wars that happened in both countries saw serious damages to the local environment. In particular, the chemical weapons used during these wars, mainly by the United States military, have destroyed portions of mangrove forests in both countries.
Mangrove forests around the world faces these and other threats. Mangroves are really important to their local ecosystems. Mangroves prevent saltwater from going too far inland into rivers that people and animals use to survive. These plants and trees also provide a place to live for animals and other kinds of plants too. That is why scientists, environmentalists, farmers and other people who understand how important mangroves are to the world are worried that they may not be around much longer. Some people, like the folks who organized the mangrove replanting project in Cambodia, are trying to grow more and protect mangroves there.
