Fascinating forests
THE NEXT DAY SOPHIE AND SAM got up early and helped with
breakfast and other chores so that everyone would be ready to go on the guided
hike. They had a list of questions ready.
“Mom, you got the camera,
right?” Sam inquired and she nodded her head. “I have the feeling we are going
to see some really cool stuff today. And everybody keep your eyes open for
crocodiles!”
The family arrived right on time
for the hike.
“Good afternoon. My name is Mona,”
said the naturalist. “We’ll wait a little bit before we begin to see if anyone
else is joining us. It is off-season and midweek, so this may be a private
tour!”
While they waited, Sophie and
Sam looked over their questions and added a few more.
“OK, let’s get started,” Mona
said. “This hike will introduce you to the mangrove forest at the Everglades
National Park and help you appreciate this habitat’s special ecosystem. Since
we have a small group today, how about we get started walking and I can answer
your questions as we go?”
Sophie leapt at the opportunity.
“How can this place be special?” she
asked. “We walked on the boardwalk yesterday and we only saw a few birds and
short twisted trees.
Mona smiled as she recognized the
question from someone not familiar with mangrove habitats.
“OK, there are at least three
primary reasons mangrove forests are special. Let’s start with those short
twisted trees. Did you notice the prop roots on the red mangroves?”
“Yes,” said Sam. “And the
breathing tubes on the black mangrove too.”
“Good,” said Mona. “You’ve
noticed the first special thing about mangroves. No other tree can live in this
salty tidal water. Trees need oxygen and freshwater to grow, which is tricky
here. Mangroves don’t have gills, of course, but they use these roots to get
oxygen from the air. They secrete
the salt through special glands in their leaves and bark, which enables them to
use water from the ocean.
“And that tangle of roots and
branches make the perfect place to hide if you are a small fish or a turtle.
Mangrove forests are called “nurseries” because many fish and other aquatic
animals stay in these areas when they are young,” continued Mona.
“So the second special thing
about mangroves is that they provide critical homes for hundreds of species of
fish, shrimp, frogs, and other critters. And in turn that makes the mangroves
good places for wading birds, which eat the smaller aquatic animals,”
“Oh! And that’s why we saw birds
yesterday: egrets and a brown pelican,” said Sophie.
“And lots of bird poop, don’t
forget about the all the bird poop!” Sam piped up.
Sophie giggled, “Do other birds
live here too?”
“Sure,” said Mona. “The park is
a part-time home for roseate spoonbills, herons, and wood storks, too. These
birds come every season to nest in the trees and feed in the tidal flats
between mangrove islands.”
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Some of the birds that can be found in the Everglades. |
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“So what’s the third special
thing about mangroves?” Sam asked.
“Back to those roots again.
Because red
mangroves grow in the water, they trap sediment among their roots and slow
down the waves during a storm or hurricane. They protect the shoreline from
erosion.”
“So they help build the island
they live on, and then hang on to it during a storm?” asked Sam.
“You are exactly right,” said
Mona. “People have discovered that coastal areas erode much faster without
mangroves to protect them. For a long time building along the shorelines
included removing the mangroves, but now people understand how important the
mangroves are, and they are beginning to replant mangroves in areas where
development had removed them.”
“That would be much of Florida,
wouldn’t it?” asked the children’s mother.
“Unfortunately, yes,” agreed
Mona. “Mangroves used to cover the shoreline all along Florida’s coasts, but
now most of Florida’s mangroves are only in Collier, Dade, Lee, and Monroe
counties. And what is left is threatened with coastal development. People
always want a view of the water, until a hurricane comes and reminds them of
the value of mangroves.”
Still hoping to walk on the
beach, Sophie tried to figure out where that would be. “If mangroves protect
the shore, then where is the beach?” she asked.
“This part of the shoreline is
mostly muddy tidal flats,” Mona explained. There’s no sandy shoreline like on
the barrier islands. The mangroves, however, help keep the land in
place—even along the rivers and marshy areas.”
“And what about other animals?”
asked Sam, who was still hoping to see a crocodile or even a bear or panther.
“Well,” said Mona, “most of the mangrove
wildlife-- manatees, crocodiles, and otters and such--enter the mangrove forest
from the water. You saw how thick and tangled those trees are! But some
raccoons and bears also visit to dine on the fish and frogs. Bear usually find
their way to mangroves where the forest adjoins
a large park or forest because, well,” she said laughing, “bears just don’t
like to cross highways if they can help it!”
Just as Sam was getting ready to
ask about crocodiles, Mona gave them some other interesting news.
“You can visit the mangrove
forest from the water, too, by renting a canoe. Then you can paddle in and out
of several mangrove islands throughout the estuary. There’s a canoe route with
signs so you don’t get lost. Just head down to the boat launch and let the
attendant know you want a canoe. You will all fit into one.”
Sam and Sophie turned
immediately and looked at their mother and grandmother. “Can we? Please?”
The women looked at each other
and nodded. “That would be a lot of fun and a really great way to learn more
about the mangroves,” said Grandma Betty.
The family thanked Mona for her
information and headed off to rent a canoe and figure out when tide would be
high enough to give them the greatest access to mangrove areas.
