Mangals
‘Mangrove’ is a general term for a variety of
mainly tropical and subtropical salt-tolerant trees
and shrubs inhabiting low inter-tidal areas.
Mangals are communities of mangroves – shrubs
and long-lived trees and with associated lianas,
palms, and ferns – that colonize tidal flats in
the tropics, and occur in river-dominated, tidedominated,
and wave-dominated coastal environ -
ments (Woodroffe 1990). They specifically favour
tidal shorelines with low wave energy, and
in particular brackish waters of estuaries and
deltas (Figure 13.20). Some mangrove species are
tolerant of more frequent flooding than salt marsh
species, and so mangals extend from around the
high spring-tide level to a little above mean sea level. They often contain lagoons and pools, but
not the pans of salt marshes. Like salt marshes,
mangals have creek systems, although their banks
are often formed of tree roots.