from Hacker News

Mangrove trees are on the move, taking the tropics with them

by alexahn on 7/16/24, 6:16 PM with 37 comments

  • by yardie on 7/21/24, 3:11 AM

    As someone who grew up in Miami and took many field trips to mangrove forests as a student I was unaware they weren’t indigenous to all of Florida.

    The article doesn’t touch on this but there are 3 species of Florida mangroves. Red mangroves grow directly from salt water up to 3 ft deep. They also have spindly roots that trap sediment that builds up into soil. And after a storm colonies of them can break away and form floating mangrove islands. So not only do they migrate by germinating in new locations, they physically lift up and move.

  • by choeger on 7/20/24, 5:24 PM

    30 degrees north. That's about Kairo, for reference. I would not be surprised to see Mangroves at that latitude.

    It's probably more surprising that these areas aren't already subtropical. Climate change seems to reduce whatever factor caused the cooling there.

  • by mkl on 7/21/24, 2:37 AM

  • by westurner on 7/20/24, 5:49 PM

    Mangrove forest restoration > Mangrove loss and degradation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_restoration#Mangrove_...

  • by mkoubaa on 7/20/24, 6:24 PM

    I've always wondered about the feasibility of using GMO mangroves or similar highly propagating or migrating species as a carbon sink

  • by SoftTalker on 7/20/24, 5:18 PM

    Alligators and snakes probably to follow.

  • by tored on 7/20/24, 8:23 PM

    Them branches go round and round this year.