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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