11
larvae of the mosquitoes e.g., a pyrethrin like compound in stilt roots of
Rhizophora apiculata shows strong mosquito larvicidal activity (Thangam
1990).
15. Bioactive compound (ecteinascidin) extracted from the mangrove ascidian
Ecteinascidia turbinata have shown strong in vivo activity against a variety of
cancer cells.
16. Phenols and flavonoids in mangroves leaves serve as UV-screening compounds.
Hence, mangroves can tolerate solar UV radiation and create a UV-free, undercanopy environment (Moorthy 1995).
17. Bark of Ceriops sp. is an excellent source of tannin and a decoction of it is used
to stop haemorrhage and as an application to malignant ulcers. Flowers of this
plant are a rich source of honey and bee wax.
18. Mangrove ecosystem affords recreation to hunters, fishermen, bird-watchers,
photographers and others who treasure natural areas. However, the intrusive
actions of noisy jet-skis, happy campers and others, which disturb nesting and
breeding areas, chop down mangroves and otherwise damage this fragile environment, threaten its existence.
19. Mangroves are potential vegetation from the point of carbon storage and
sequestration. Despite the large number of case studies dealing with various
aspects of organic matter cycling in mangrove systems (Kristensen 2008), there
is very limited consensus on the carbon sequestering potential of mangroves.
Not only the vegetative and reproductive parts of the mangrove tree species, but
the soil below on which the mangroves thrive is also a unique carbon reservoir.
The term blue carbon encompasses this carbon pool in the biotic and abiotic
components in the mangrove forests (Fig. 1.5).
20. Oxygen production is one of the most common but under-researched benefits of
mangroves. Most of the mangrove forests are usually oxygen-neutral or oxygen-negative system as they produce equal or less oxygen compared to what
they consume. The dead mangrove trees and the mangrove litter along with
detritus consume oxygen to carry out the process of decomposition, which
pushes the mangrove system toward oxygen-negative. In order to make the system oxygen- positive, it is essential to retard the process of decomposition. An
in-depth study conducted on the oxygen production potential of mangroves
shows that the dominant mangrove species in Indian Sundarbans can release on
an averge about 7.7 tonnes of oxygen per hecatre in 1 year, which amounts to
INR 841533 for filling 1295 cylinders of 6 litre capacity. The net oxygen release
(tonnes/ha/yr) of mangroves is a function of carbon sequestration (10 years
considered in this study) and Table 1.5 presents the net oxygen release (tonnes/
ha/yr) of five dominant species namely Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia marina,
Avicennia alba, Avicennia officinalis, and Exocecaria agallocha. The values
are average of five species (for each of the three sectors in Indian Sundarbans.
21. Mangrove based fungi degrade the vegetation and play major roles in ecological and biogeochemical processes. They contribute significantly to the degradation process of mangrove –derived organic matter and thereby generate food/
nutrients for benthic fauna. The major phyla under fungi are Basidiomycota,
1 Ecosystem Services of Mangroves: An Overview
larvae of the mosquitoes e.g., a pyrethrin like compound in stilt roots of
Rhizophora apiculata shows strong mosquito larvicidal activity (Thangam
1990).
15. Bioactive compound (ecteinascidin) extracted from the mangrove ascidian
Ecteinascidia turbinata have shown strong in vivo activity against a variety of
cancer cells.
16. Phenols and flavonoids in mangroves leaves serve as UV-screening compounds.
Hence, mangroves can tolerate solar UV radiation and create a UV-free, undercanopy environment (Moorthy 1995).
17. Bark of Ceriops sp. is an excellent source of tannin and a decoction of it is used
to stop haemorrhage and as an application to malignant ulcers. Flowers of this
plant are a rich source of honey and bee wax.
18. Mangrove ecosystem affords recreation to hunters, fishermen, bird-watchers,
photographers and others who treasure natural areas. However, the intrusive
actions of noisy jet-skis, happy campers and others, which disturb nesting and
breeding areas, chop down mangroves and otherwise damage this fragile environment, threaten its existence.
19. Mangroves are potential vegetation from the point of carbon storage and
sequestration. Despite the large number of case studies dealing with various
aspects of organic matter cycling in mangrove systems (Kristensen 2008), there
is very limited consensus on the carbon sequestering potential of mangroves.
Not only the vegetative and reproductive parts of the mangrove tree species, but
the soil below on which the mangroves thrive is also a unique carbon reservoir.
The term blue carbon encompasses this carbon pool in the biotic and abiotic
components in the mangrove forests (Fig. 1.5).
20. Oxygen production is one of the most common but under-researched benefits of
mangroves. Most of the mangrove forests are usually oxygen-neutral or oxygen-negative system as they produce equal or less oxygen compared to what
they consume. The dead mangrove trees and the mangrove litter along with
detritus consume oxygen to carry out the process of decomposition, which
pushes the mangrove system toward oxygen-negative. In order to make the system oxygen- positive, it is essential to retard the process of decomposition. An
in-depth study conducted on the oxygen production potential of mangroves
shows that the dominant mangrove species in Indian Sundarbans can release on
an averge about 7.7 tonnes of oxygen per hecatre in 1 year, which amounts to
INR 841533 for filling 1295 cylinders of 6 litre capacity. The net oxygen release
(tonnes/ha/yr) of mangroves is a function of carbon sequestration (10 years
considered in this study) and Table 1.5 presents the net oxygen release (tonnes/
ha/yr) of five dominant species namely Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia marina,
Avicennia alba, Avicennia officinalis, and Exocecaria agallocha. The values
are average of five species (for each of the three sectors in Indian Sundarbans.
21. Mangrove based fungi degrade the vegetation and play major roles in ecological and biogeochemical processes. They contribute significantly to the degradation process of mangrove –derived organic matter and thereby generate food/
nutrients for benthic fauna. The major phyla under fungi are Basidiomycota,
1 Ecosystem Services of Mangroves: An Overview