Adaptations which help organisms to live in the estuaries.
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Mangroves have adapted to living in the harshest of conditions - a dunking in slat water twice a day when the tide comes in and heavy, stinky mud with no oxygen for its roots.
Mangrove adaptations
They have adapted to living in their salty environment which allows them to live while they are in the sea. The mangroves have reduced the ability of salt water to flow into its plant cells through the process known as osmosis. Osmosis tries to balance the different concentrations of the water on either side of the semi-permeable membrane. If the mangrove had a low concentration of salt in their salt, they would dehydrate because the water would leave their stems. Ironically, the mangrove would be most prone to dehydration at high tide. To stop this from happening, the mangrove has adapted to the sea water by increasing its salinity in its sap. This means that less water transfers through the semi-permeable membrane which is the trunk of the mangrove. This adaption prevents the mangrove from dehydration. Another way that mangroves get rid of salt is by shedding leaves. Mangroves lose approximately 60% of their leaves annually. This is because majority of the salt is stored in the older leaves, hence dropping them is an effective way of removing salt. The mangroves have also designed their seeds so that they use the tides to transport them. The seeds drop into the water and float. they move around the estuary until the tide goes down and they land on the mud. The mangrove seeds then quickly shoot a root into the mud to secure themselves before the tide comes back in. This is a structural adaptation because the mangroves have adapted so that they can float. it is also a behavioral adaptation because the seed quickly shoots a root down into the mud to anchor itself before the tide comes back in. The mangrove has adapted in many ways so that it can withstand the harsh environment that the estuary provides.
Mangrove adaptations
They have adapted to living in their salty environment which allows them to live while they are in the sea. The mangroves have reduced the ability of salt water to flow into its plant cells through the process known as osmosis. Osmosis tries to balance the different concentrations of the water on either side of the semi-permeable membrane. If the mangrove had a low concentration of salt in their salt, they would dehydrate because the water would leave their stems. Ironically, the mangrove would be most prone to dehydration at high tide. To stop this from happening, the mangrove has adapted to the sea water by increasing its salinity in its sap. This means that less water transfers through the semi-permeable membrane which is the trunk of the mangrove. This adaption prevents the mangrove from dehydration. Another way that mangroves get rid of salt is by shedding leaves. Mangroves lose approximately 60% of their leaves annually. This is because majority of the salt is stored in the older leaves, hence dropping them is an effective way of removing salt. The mangroves have also designed their seeds so that they use the tides to transport them. The seeds drop into the water and float. they move around the estuary until the tide goes down and they land on the mud. The mangrove seeds then quickly shoot a root into the mud to secure themselves before the tide comes back in. This is a structural adaptation because the mangroves have adapted so that they can float. it is also a behavioral adaptation because the seed quickly shoots a root down into the mud to anchor itself before the tide comes back in. The mangrove has adapted in many ways so that it can withstand the harsh environment that the estuary provides.