Root biomechanics in Rhizophora mangle: anatomy, morphology and ecology of mangrove’s flying buttresses

Méndez‐Alonzo, Rodrigo; Moctezuma, Coral; Ordoñez, Víctor R.; Angeles, Guillermo; Martínez, Armando J.; López‐Portillo, Jorge

doi:10.1093/aob/mcv002

Cited by 43 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Furthermore, the shape of the roots becomes more oval in weaker soils looking like the ''I'' shafts regular in engineering (Nicoll and Ray 1996;Clair et al 2003;Dupuy et al 2005;Mendez-Alonzo et al 2015). These roots develop from stress-induced cambial activity found in some species such as Heritiera littoralis, X. granatum (Fig.…”

Section: Specialized Root For Physical Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…1d,e) help to anchor the plant in place and collect water-borne silt and debris to build soil beneath it. Furthermore, based on the biomechanical adaptations of the rhizophore system (prop roots/flying buttresses from trunk) in R. mangle, it is proven that they can act as a defensive hindrance against storm surges and is higher than that of other mangrove species (Bayas et al 2011;Ohira et al 2013;Mendez-Alonzo et al 2015).…”

Section: Specialized Root For Physical Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When these roots spread horizontally, they are able to cover a wider area for collecting nutrients from the soil surface. They spread near the upper soil layer where the main nutrients are available (Crook et al 1997;Mickovski and Ennos 2003;Mendez-Alonzo et al 2015). Buttresses are tension elements, being larger on the side away from the stress of asymmetrical canopies (Young and Perkocha 1994).…”

Section: Specialized Root For Physical Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rhizophora has been documented to act as a protective force against natural calamities (McCoy et al 1996, Mendez-Alonzo et al 2015. The ability of mangroves in flood control is due to the root system, which has a large spread and also the ability to promote sedimentation.…”

Section: Mitigation Of Calamitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mangrove root: adaptations and ecological importance

Srikanth

Lum

Chen

2015

Trees

164

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Key message This review gives a comprehensive overview of adaptations of mangrove root system to the adverse environmental conditions and summarizes the ecological importance of mangrove root to the ecosystem. Abstract In plants, the first line of defense against abiotic stress is in their roots. If the soil surrounding the plant root is healthy and biologically diverse, the plant will have a higher chance to survive in stressful conditions. Different plant species have unique adaptations when exposed to a variety of abiotic stress conditions. None of the responses are identical, even though plants have become adapted to the exact same environment. Mangrove plants have developed complex morphological, anatomical, physiological, and molecular adaptations allowing survival and success in their high-stress habitat. This review briefly depicts adaptive strategies of mangrove roots with respect to anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and also the major advances recently made at the genetic and genomic levels. Results drawn from the different studies on mangrove roots have further indicated that specific patterns of gene expression might contribute to adaptive evolution of mangroves under high salinity. We also review crucial ecological contributions provided by mangrove root communities to the ecosystem including marine fauna.

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Section: Specialized Root For Physical Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Specialized Root For Physical Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Specialized Root For Physical Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mitigation Of Calamitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Mangrove root: adaptations and ecological importance

Srikanth

Lum

Chen

2015

Trees

164

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“…These geometric values are in the same range as the maximum root height and number of roots per tree reported by Méndez‐Alonzo at al. (). The diameter of these roots range from 0.033 to 0.042 m. The roots are distributed around the trunk at eight different angles leading to the three‐dimensional layout shown in Figure .…”

Section: Geometry and Scaling Of Model Mangrove Forestmentioning

confidence: 99%

Velocity and Drag Evolution From the Leading Edge of a Model Mangrove Forest

et al. 2017

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An experimental study of unidirectional flow through a model mangrove forest measured both velocity and forces on individual trees. The individual trees were 1/12th scale models of mature Rhizophora, including 24 prop roots distributed in a three‐dimensional layout. Thirty‐two model trees were distributed in a staggered array producing a 2.5 m long forest. The velocity evolved from a boundary layer profile at the forest leading edge to a vertical profile determined by the vertical distribution of frontal area, with significantly higher velocity above the prop roots. Fully developed conditions were reached at the fifth tree row from the leading edge. Within the root zone the velocity was reduced by up to 50% and the TKE was increased by as much as fivefold, relative to the upstream conditions. TKE in the root zone was mainly produced by root and trunk wakes, and it agreed in magnitude with the estimation obtained using the Tanino and Nepf (2008) formulation. Maximum TKE occurred at the top of the roots, where a strong shear region was associated with the change in frontal area. The drag measured on individual trees decreased from the leading edge and reached a constant value at the fifth row and beyond, i.e., in the fully developed region. The drag exhibited a quadratic dependence on velocity, which justified the definition of a quadratic drag coefficient. Once the correct drag length‐scale was defined, the measured drag coefficients collapsed to a single function of Reynolds number.

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Aerial Root Physiology: Reaching for the Sky or Down to Earth?

Rasmussen

Dobrijevic

Ola

et al. 2019

Annual Plant Reviews Online

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Aerial roots have evolved in plants from diverse ecosystems, many facing specific environmental challenges associated with their natural or agricultural setting. In coastal species exposed to wind and waves, including mangroves, soft anoxic substrates have resulted in highly developed aerial root systems. In the rainforest, aerial roots of hemi‐epiphytic figs enable life to begin higher in the canopy while climbing plants, such as ivy and Monstera s, depend on structurally very different aerial roots to climb vertical substrates. Maize, globally one of the three most important cereals, develops aerial roots presumably reducing lodging in high winds. In each of these cases, the dominant hypothesized role for aerial roots is to provide support and enabling greater heights to be reached. But do aerial roots of these plant groups also contribute to resource uptake and movement? This article explores the current knowledge of aerial root physiology and structure from each of these interesting and challenging environmental conditions and discusses how understanding these adaptations and niche requirements has value for improving crops, protecting our coastlines, improving our urban green spaces, and managing biodiversity conservation.

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Root biomechanics in Rhizophora mangle: anatomy, morphology and ecology of mangrove’s flying buttresses

Cited by 43 publications

References 43 publications

Mangrove root: adaptations and ecological importance

Mangrove root: adaptations and ecological importance

Velocity and Drag Evolution From the Leading Edge of a Model Mangrove Forest

Aerial Root Physiology: Reaching for the Sky or Down to Earth?

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