Functional Traits of Terrestrial Plants in the Intertidal: A Review on Mangrove Trees
Aline Quadros, Véronique Helfer, Inga Nordhaus, Hauke Reuter, Martin Zimmer
Abstract
exhibit low wood density and do not grow taller than 20 m. Some leaf traits of true mangroves are more like those of plants from drier environments, reflecting the perception that a saline environment creates physiological drought stress. Along the same line, most true mangrove species exhibit sclerophyllous leaf traits. The few major mangrove tree species of the Atlantic-East Pacific are as distinct from each other, with regard to some traits, as are the many mangrove species of the Indo-West Pacific. We hypothesize that this phenomenon explains the similarly high biomass of mangrove forests in both the species-rich Indo-West Pacific and the species-poor Atlantic-East Pacific.