Analysis of the Responses of Mangrove Ecosystems to Climate Change

The Response of Mangrove Ecosystems to Climate Change
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Analysis of the Response of Mangrove Ecosystems to Climate Change
Human factors such as deforestation and the continued use of fossil fuels have played a significant role in the adverse climatic changes in today’s world. With rapid emission of a myriad of greenhouse gases, the Earth’s surface temperature has risen to a hazardous level today. Irrespective of growing global efforts towards environmental conservation, humans are still engaging in harmful activities that have made it difficult for natural ecosystems to tolerate the consequences of climate change. Notably, mangroves, which benefit both humans and other species have been the worst affected over the past few decades. In this report, the authors review the effect of climate change on the mangrove ecosystem based on a variety of environmental factors. Specifically, they focus on the impact of temperature change, sea-level rise, storminess, precipitation changes, and related climatic changes. Since human activities are responsible for the rapid climate change in the modern world, interventions associated with population control, neo-ecological measures, and increased nutrient sources will only slow down highly vulnerable areas. Environmental sustainability can just be realized if human beings stop engaging in environmentally-degrading activities.
Human beings encroach mangroves to access freshwater wetlands and swamp environments.

It is vital to note that such encroachments result in sea-level rises, which eventually reduce swampy freshwater coverage in mangrove environments (Anonymous, n.d). Likewise, wind patterns and hydrodynamic changes affect coastal currents by increasing or decreasing both the strength and frequency of shoreline upwelling. Such unpredictable patterns modify the salinity and temperature of coastal waters. Nearshore changes affect the mangrove ecosystem through the migration of different species. Storms affect mangroves through shoreline erosion, which is typically linked to extreme winds (Anonymous, n.d). Such conditions not only cause flooding in this ecosystem but also affect its salinity. Similar to storminess, slight changes in temperature often create substantial impacts on many species in the mangrove environment. Besides decreasing the level of survival, temperature changes result in uneven oxygen supply. Finally, precipitation changes affect the distribution of organisms in mangrove environments by shifting the estuarine gradient.
Mangrove ecosystems respond to such adverse environmental factors by compensating for the growing salinity of both the sea and freshwater run-off. With increased climate change, the mangrove environment is expected to shrink significantly. All these factors coupled with the decreasing supply of freshwater from precipitation will encourage salinity invasion (Anonymous, n.d). Mangroves are expected to lose their productivity due to alterations in the residence time of contaminants and nutrients. Humans have developed mitigation measures such as population control, neo-ecological actions, and minimizing nutrient sources. Population explosion has aggravated the issue of mangrove intrusion due to the increased demand for freshwater. By advocating for population reduction, humans intend to minimize the competition for freshwater with mangrove forests. Similarly, as opposed to relying on chemical supplements such as fertilizers that have adverse effects on mangroves, humans are embracing organic inputs to enhance their yields (Anonymous, n.d). Despite these efforts, it is critical to note that protection and conservation of mangroves rely entirely on human goodwill and non-engagement in environmentally-degrading activities.
Overall, precipitation changes have played the most significant role in the degradation of the mangrove ecosystem. Since climatic shifts decrease or intensify the concentration and frequency of precipitation in sea environments, they cause a broad range of effects to the supply of freshwater to mangrove environments. When there is extreme precipitation, mangrove forests shrink as they have to compensate for high levels of salinity. Mangroves rely entirely on freshwater from precipitation. When there is decreased rainfall, the level of productivity in these forests decreases due to reduced upstream input.
Reference
Anonymous, (n.d). Analysis of the responses of mangrove ecosystems to climate change.