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Abstract:
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Mangrove forests are the most productive and bio-diverse wetlands on
earth. It generate a large amount of litter in the form of leaves, branches, twigs,
inflorescence and other debris and provides habitat for diverse flora and fauna of
marine and terrestrial origin such as bacteria, fungi, algae, lichens, zooplankton,
benthos, birds, reptiles and mammals. These systems act as nursery for many
fishes and shellfishes. The other sources may also provide important organic
carbon inputs; including allochthonous riverine or marine material, autochthonous
production by benthic or epiphytic micro- or macroalgae, and local water
column production by phytoplankton. Since mangrove sediments are very
complex which receives autochthonous and allochthonous organic matter inputs,
the information extracted from the analysis of mangrove sediments is the
fingerprint of both natural and human-induced changes. |