74
WILLIAM MACNAE
VIII. Uses Made by Man of the Mangal and Its Products
. .
..
. . 233
A .
Uses of the Timber . .
..
..
..
..
..
.. 233
B.
Pond Culture of Fish and Prawns . . . .
..
. .
. . 238
C.
Reclamation . .
..
..
..
..
. .
. .
. . 240
D.
Salt Production
. .
..
. .
..
..
. .
. . 241
IX. Acknowledgements
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
. .
..
. . 241
X. Bibliography and References . .
..
..
..
..
. .
.. 241
Tissue of no seam and skin
of no scale .she weuves this:
Dream of a huntsman pale
That in his antlered
Mangrove waits
Knsn ared ;
And I cannot touch him.
From Virginia R. Noreno, " Batik Maker ". Asia Magazine, Hong Kong,
23 January 1967.
It has been said of many ecological papers that since there is no theory of
ecology it does not really matter whether they were written five years ago
or five years hence. Much descriptive ecology certainly comes under this
censure and so may the review which follows. Yet the association of trees
and of animals which constitutes a mangrove swamp is an association of
which little has been written. We know what trees grow there and what
forms the shrub layer ; we do not know the whole story of how these plants
cope with the variables in the environment. We know something of some of
the animals which are associated with mangroves but we know practically
nothing about most of them. We do not know why they are there, unless it
be that they seek shade. We do not know how most of them live. We do
not know why some genera have undergone a very wide degree of local
speciation often almost parochial, nor why others have maintained a
singleness of species which is remarkably widespread. What we do know
is summarized below and pointers are given to where more research would
be useful.
I. INTRODUCTION
Mangroves are trees or bushes growing between the level of high
water of spring tides and a level close t o but above mean sea-level.
They range all round the oceans of the tropics, only on sheltered shores,
and they penetrate into the estuaries of rivers where salt water
penetrates.
Mangrove forests reach their maximum development and greatest
luxuriance in parts of South East Asia, Malaya, Sumatra and parts of
Borneo where rainfall is high and not seasonal, b u t they occur as scrub
thickets even on desert shores.
Within these forests live a host of animals, often many individuals
of a small range of species and genera. Some of these are derived from
WILLIAM MACNAE
VIII. Uses Made by Man of the Mangal and Its Products
. .
..
. . 233
A .
Uses of the Timber . .
..
..
..
..
..
.. 233
B.
Pond Culture of Fish and Prawns . . . .
..
. .
. . 238
C.
Reclamation . .
..
..
..
..
. .
. .
. . 240
D.
Salt Production
. .
..
. .
..
..
. .
. . 241
IX. Acknowledgements
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
. .
..
. . 241
X. Bibliography and References . .
..
..
..
..
. .
.. 241
Tissue of no seam and skin
of no scale .she weuves this:
Dream of a huntsman pale
That in his antlered
Mangrove waits
Knsn ared ;
And I cannot touch him.
From Virginia R. Noreno, " Batik Maker ". Asia Magazine, Hong Kong,
23 January 1967.
It has been said of many ecological papers that since there is no theory of
ecology it does not really matter whether they were written five years ago
or five years hence. Much descriptive ecology certainly comes under this
censure and so may the review which follows. Yet the association of trees
and of animals which constitutes a mangrove swamp is an association of
which little has been written. We know what trees grow there and what
forms the shrub layer ; we do not know the whole story of how these plants
cope with the variables in the environment. We know something of some of
the animals which are associated with mangroves but we know practically
nothing about most of them. We do not know why they are there, unless it
be that they seek shade. We do not know how most of them live. We do
not know why some genera have undergone a very wide degree of local
speciation often almost parochial, nor why others have maintained a
singleness of species which is remarkably widespread. What we do know
is summarized below and pointers are given to where more research would
be useful.
I. INTRODUCTION
Mangroves are trees or bushes growing between the level of high
water of spring tides and a level close t o but above mean sea-level.
They range all round the oceans of the tropics, only on sheltered shores,
and they penetrate into the estuaries of rivers where salt water
penetrates.
Mangrove forests reach their maximum development and greatest
luxuriance in parts of South East Asia, Malaya, Sumatra and parts of
Borneo where rainfall is high and not seasonal, b u t they occur as scrub
thickets even on desert shores.
Within these forests live a host of animals, often many individuals
of a small range of species and genera. Some of these are derived from