For the past few years, the background on my phone has been a picture of a plant growing through the cracks of an impenetrable paved road. To me, the picture is a symbol of the power of nature. Visiting the mangrove ecosystem at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) showed me the same. Observing the tree roots was an example of how nature astonishingly adapts to its surroundings. These adaptations have taken many more years than the split seconds humans make land-use changes, proving the importance of restoring natural ecosystems.

My first thought when seeing the mangrove roots at SWBR was that these must be the engineers of nature, almost defying gravity in the ways they twist and turn. The first roots that we came across were the pencil roots, scientifically known as Avicennia (Figure 1). What caught my attention about these roots is the way they poke through the soil’s surface to respire, because the saturated shallow soil below will not supply them with the necessary amount of oxygen. Next, we came across stilt roots, scientifically known as Rhizophora mucronata, (Figure 2) which create an interconnected net of roots while holding the weight of the heavy tree above them. Having roots lifted above the soil makes it possible for the plants growing on the tree to respire without being covered by the tidal water.

Figure 1: Pencil roots, Avicennia Credit: Signe Bach Karlsen

Figure 2: Stilt roots, Rhizophora mucronate Credit: Signe Bach Karlsen

Other examples of trees observed with mangrove ecosystem adaptations were the mangrove cannonball, Xylocarpus granatum, with the advantage of being tolerant to salt in the soil and buttressed roots that stretch over long distance (Figure 3), as well as the Bruguiera cylindrica knee roots that come up out of the soil to help in respiration and stabilization (Figure 4).

Figure 3: Buttressed roots, Xylocarpus granatum Credit: Signe Bach Karlsen

Figure 4: Knee roots, Bruguiera cylindrica Credit: Signe Bach Karlsen

These trees do not only appear mesmerizing to locals and tourists who enjoy nature but also serve important factors in the mangrove ecosystems. Mangrove trees serve as flood control and coastal protection as they reduce waves and control erosion. Mangroves also have a positive impact on the biodiversity in the areas as the trees improve the water quality and are a habitat for migrating birds resting and nesting. Wetlands also serve as carbon storage, absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit.

I often wonder what would happen if humans went extinct. I am sure that nature would eventually adapt just like the plant peeking through the concrete. However, reality is that we are losing nature and biodiversity every day. In Singapore there are many former mangroves that could possibly be restored. Some of these areas have been turned into parks, like the Pasir Ris Park. Restoring this area back to a mangrove would serve most of the recreational services that the park is currently serving while improving on the ecosystem services previously mentioned.