Although we think of forests as trees on land, some of the most important trees grow in water, or more precisely, marshland. Mangrove forests, like this one in Saloum Delta National Park in Senegal, are vital components of the world"s coastal ecosystems. Mangroves survive where no other trees can, in salty, low-oxygen coastal waters exposed to tides and storms. They grow up to 30 feet high primarily in tropical and subtropical regions and are able to store vast amounts of carbon, making them crucial to moderating our climate. Mangroves also act as nurseries for fish and aquatic life. And with their complex, interwoven root systems, they protect coastlines from erosion. Today we join the UN in shining a light on the necessity and fragility of mangroves: July 26 is the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
Mangrove Conservation Day
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
World Environment Day
-
The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
-
Rooftops in the walled city of Urbino, Italy
-
Teacher Appreciation Day
-
International Jazz Day
-
30 years after Exxon Valdez
-
Cheers! It’s National Wine Day
-
Look before you leap
-
A predator at risk
-
Winter solstice
-
Rock of ages
-
Cape Town at dusk
-
Bryce Canyon National Park turns 100
-
Things are looking up
-
Floating market, Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh
-
Cheetah mother and cub
-
Composite image of a lunar eclipse
-
Zion National Park turns 103
-
Atlantic puffin, Iceland
-
Baltic Sea, Estonia
-
Relationship status: It s complicated
-
A ‘Superior’ paddle
-
In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
-
Did it see its shadow?
-
Western Monarch Day
-
Falling for Tennessee
-
Let s ride! It s Roller Coaster Day
-
Norway s Kjeragbolten boulder
-
Reflecting on fall
-
Innerdalsvatna Lake, near Ålvundeidet, Norway