Mangroves Of India

Mangroves are areas that have salt-tolerant plant varieties growing in anaerobic soil. The word is a combination of the Portuguese ‘mangue’, which means mangled and the English word ‘grove.

Mangroves are also called tidal forests. They may include ferns, shrubs, palms and trees. These plants survive best in areas between low and high tide in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Muddy areas, estuaries and tidal flats are the places that you will find them as the rivers deposit soil and as they’re free of strong waves, the plants grow abundantly.

In India, they are found in the Sunderbans in West Bengal, coastal areas of Kerala,Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Pondicherry and the islands of Lakshadweep, Andamans and Nicobar.

Mangroves are a good habitat for birds, crustaceans, crocodiles, snakes and varieties of fish.