Mangrove Forest

Mangroves are found in over 120 countries and territories, primarily within tropical and subtropical regions where they are protected from freezing temperatures. While they cover less than one percent of all tropical forests globally, they are highly concentrated in specific areas. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the global extent of mangroves in 2020 was 14.8 million hectares. The most extensive areas are located in South and Southeast Asia, followed by South America, Western and Central Africa, North and Central America, and Oceania. These ecosystems are renowned for their role in coastal protection. Their dense, complex root systems act as natural barriers that stabilize shorelines by anchoring sediment and reducing the impact of waves, storm surges, and flooding. By slowing the movement of tidal waters, mangroves help prevent erosion and can even facilitate the accumulation of new land. Mangroves are also vital for climate change mitigation due to their exceptional capacity for carbon sequestration. They function as significant blue carbon sinks, capturing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and storing it in their biomass and, most importantly, in deep, oxygen-poor soils. Because these waterlogged conditions slow the decomposition of organic matter, carbon can remain trapped in the sediment for centuries or even millennia.