ABSTRACT
Mangroves are a group of halophytic (salt tolerant) trees and shrubs growing in brackish to saline tidal waters of tropical and sub-tropical coastlines (Kauffman and Donato, 2011, p 1). These plants have developed a number of morphological adaptations that allow them to survive the saline conditions of the tidal environment, including aerial roots and salt excretion glands. Mangroves may occur as isolated patches of vegetation of limited height, or may form dense canopies of trees 30-40 metres in height (FAO, 2007, p 15). Africa holds about 20 per cent of global mangrove forests, covering over
3.2 million hectares (Ajonina et al., 2008, p 1). As elsewhere in the world, Africa’s mangrove habitats are a valuable resource for adjacent communities, providing wood for construction, charcoal production and other purposes, as well as representing a bountiful source of aquatic foods and other non-timber products. These benefits, however, are only a small share of the total contribution that mangrove habitats make to the health of ecosystems and human societies. There is growing awareness of the broader role of mangrove habitats in supporting biodiversity, coastal protection, carbon sequestration and various other functions. Please see Table 12.1 for further examples of these services. Mangrove habitats across the world have declined significantly in recent decades
due to a range of pressures arising from growing human populations and economic activity in coastal areas. While there are increasing efforts to protect mangrove habitats, the total area of mangrove habitat under protection remains small and conservation efforts are often undermined by competing economic and social concerns, as well as under-investment in monitoring and management of reserves. Payments for coastal and marine ecosystem services (PMCES) have the potential to alter the economic incentives that have led to the widespread loss of mangrove habitat in past decades. This chapter assesses the status and functions of Africa’s mangrove habitats, and the opportunities for PMCES systems to contribute to mangrove conservation and rehabilitation efforts on the continent. The chapter draws on a number of international experiences in mangrove conservation, and includes a case study of Mozambique, which holds the second largest area of mangrove forest in Africa.
