ABSTRACT
Molluscan ecology of the Black Mangrove forests Of the two partially submerged mangrove species, the Black Mangrove prefers higher ground, often growing in areas that are flooded only during the highest spring tides. Here, in the quiet low-energy water conditions of the Black Mangrove swamp, rotting leaves and organic matter accumulate in thick layers, producing characteristic peat deposits. These mangrove-derived soils are saturated with hydrogen sulfide, and oxic conditions exist for only a few millimeters below the sediment surface. To facilitate the exchange of vital gases such as oxygen and nitrogen, the mud-dwelling Black Mangrove has evolved a system of fringe-like pneumatophores that grow directly from its shallow subsurface roots (Figure 2.1). These vertically oriented “breather roots” provide areas of attachment for numerous sessile bivalves and create the ideal microhabitat for an unusually rich fauna of air-breathing ellobiid gastropods.
