Southern Africa mangroves
Encyclopedia
The Southern Africa mangroves are an ecoregion
of mangrove
swamps in rivers and estuaries on the eastern coast of South Africa
.
coast of South Africa, where the sea is warmed by the Mozambique Current
, in many cases they are further sheltered from the ocean by sandbanks. The largest areas are in the estuaries of the Mhlathuze and St Lucia Rivers and mangroves can be found as far south as the Nahoon River
, the most southerly occurrence of mangroves in Africa and therefore an important ecoregion.
s. Sea life includes fiddler crabs, mud crab (Scylla serrata
), mudskipper
s, (Periophthalmus kalolo) and many species of sea snails and sea slugs. Resident species of birds including the endangered Mangrove kingfisher (Halcyon senegaloides). The mangroves are also visited by large numbers of migratory bird species. Fish also use this for mating grounds.
and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
swamps in rivers and estuaries on the eastern coast of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Location and description
These mangroves grow in the mouths of rivers on the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
coast of South Africa, where the sea is warmed by the Mozambique Current
Mozambique Current
The Mozambique Current is an ocean current in the Indian Ocean, usually defined as warm surface waters flowing south along the African east coast in the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar....
, in many cases they are further sheltered from the ocean by sandbanks. The largest areas are in the estuaries of the Mhlathuze and St Lucia Rivers and mangroves can be found as far south as the Nahoon River
Nahoon River
The Nahoon River is situated in the city East London on the East Coast of South Africa. It is to the east of the Buffalo river harbour, and is to the west of Gonubie River. The suburb of Nahoon is on its west bank and Beacon Bay is on the east bank. The Nahoon Dam supplies some of the water for...
, the most southerly occurrence of mangroves in Africa and therefore an important ecoregion.
Fauna
The mangroves are an important habitat for sea life, birds and animals such as turtles and crocodileCrocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s. Sea life includes fiddler crabs, mud crab (Scylla serrata
Scylla serrata
Scylla serrata is an economically important crab species found in the estuaries and mangroves of Africa, Australia and Asia. In their most common form, the shell colour varies from a deep, mottled green to very dark brown...
), mudskipper
Mudskipper
Mudskippers are members of the subfamily Oxudercinae , within the family Gobiidae . They are completely amphibious fish, fish that can use their pectoral fins to walk on land...
s, (Periophthalmus kalolo) and many species of sea snails and sea slugs. Resident species of birds including the endangered Mangrove kingfisher (Halcyon senegaloides). The mangroves are also visited by large numbers of migratory bird species. Fish also use this for mating grounds.
Threats and preservation
Many areas of mangrove in southern Africa have been cleared for timber, urban and industrial development, including tourist facilities, and this is ongoing. Further damage to habitats is caused by pollution of rivers, while forest clearance inland causes rivers to bring down larger quantities of soils and the rivers and estuaries to be blocked. Protected areas include Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve near DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).