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Please press the titles from the ARCHIVES to see our experiences with Mother Nature!

Reflections

It was an experience that one can never forget. Learning seems to have taken place in reality. Every single details about the Mangrove can be learnt. It has been a great joy walking together with Mother Nature. It really amazes us to see the different animals and trees that's suppose to be inside the textbook. We even tasted the surface of the leaves. It was really sad that we were unable to see the crocodiles. Well, we should have more of these trips out as this kind of trips bring lessons to life!

Pictures

Roots

-Aerial Species such as Avicennia trees have aerial roots. In the waterlogged environment, the soil lacks oxygen. And thus, the aerial roots allow the trees to take oxygen.

-Prop Species such as the Rhizophora have stilt or prop roots. It allow the trees to be firmly anchored in the muddy soil.

-Kneed Species such as Bruguiera have kneed roots. This provides firm support on the soft soil.

We asked the guide with regards to why buttress roots are also found with the kneed roots. The buttress roots also helps to stabalise and provide firm support for the trees in the mangrove.

Flowers & Fruits / Bark & Branches

-The fruits may be buoyant (e.g. Avicennia). It allows the waves and curent to carry the fruits away to a new location where they can take root. -Some elongated with sharp tips. (e.g. Rhizophora) Fruits of the Rhizophora germinate while still attached to the parent tree and tus as the fruits germinate, they develop long and sharp tips. When the fruits drop from the trees, they are anchored into the soft and muddy soil. -The flowers are also generally colourful to attract insects to pollinate the flowers. -There are no adaptation to climate or environment for the Bark and Branches.

Leaves

In the Tropical Mangrove Forest, the leaves are evergreen, broad and leathery with drip tips.

-The constant high rainfall throughout the year results in trees not suffering from water loss through transpiration.

-The broad leaves maximise surface area for photosynthesis.

-The waxy surfaces and drip tips facilitates the draining off of rainfall and prevents harmful bacteria from growing on them. High rainfall and temperatures promote the growth of bacteria.

-Thick and leathery leaves reduces water loss through transpiration.

-Certain trees such as the Avicennia are salt secretors.They excrete salt on their leaves, which is them removed by the wind or rain. We tasted the salt on the leaves during the field trip.

-Some trees such as Rhizophora are ultrafiltrators. They absorb salt and then remove the excess salt by storing it in the old leaves, which then fall off.

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