Friday, March 16, 2007
Last Call for Crazy Captions!
A big
HEY to all out there!
Please note that the Crazy Caption Competition will end soon! Closing date: 18/3/07 at 12:00pm! All entries are to be tagged onto our tag-board before the closing date and time!
Refer to the countdown timer at the side of our blog!
All late entries will be disqualified!
So far there is no body tagging yet, so we need not buy any prizes! Whew!
be kind! 3/16/2007 12:35:00 PM
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Answer Scheme
The followings are the answer scheme for the worksheet. Please note that the answers are (bracketed) and bold! These are only the suggested answers, other answers may be accepted. Please refer to the textbook for the other acceptable answers or tagged on our tag-board for any enquiries.Remember.......By tagging onto our tag-board does not gurantee a reply! If you need a urgent reply, PLEASE, PREY HARD HARD!Q1a.
(i) What is the percentage of Singapore’s land that is covered by mangroves in the past?
(Ans: 13%)(ii) What is the percentage of Singapore’s land that is covered by mangroves now?
(Ans: 2.4%)
b. Suggest a reason for the change in percentage.
(Ans: Land reclamation)c. Give some examples what mangroves provide us with.
(Ans: Food, Medicine, Building materials) *Also accept answers from textbook
d. What is the importance of Mangrove Forests?
(Ans: Prevent soil erosion. Pollution control system. Provide us with food. Provide organisms with shelter. Protect coastline from waves. Act as wind breakers.)
Q2. Adaptations of Mangrove forests
The three types of roots are aerial roots which are found in the ____________
(Ans: coastal) zone, _________
(Ans: kneed) roots which are found in the inland zone and the ____________
(Ans: prop) roots which are found in the _________
(Ans: middle) zone. The fruits found there are and can be carried away by the currents and waves and will eventually anchor themselves to the ground with their ___________
(Ans: sharp) tips. ___________
(Ans: Flowers) are ____________
(Ans: brightly) coloured to attract insects to pollinate them.
Q3. Why are aerial roots also known as breathing roots?
(Ans: Mangroves have waterlogged condition, the soil is lack of oxygen. Aerial roots which are exposed during low tide will take in oxygen, thus it is also known as breathing roots.)
Q4. How are the roots beneficial to the mangroves forests?
(Ans: Provide firm support for the trees. Take in oxygen.)
be kind! 3/16/2007 12:25:00 PM
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Error In The Worksheet
Apology to all! Please refer to Question 4. Please note that there is an error in the mark allocation. Please change the mark allocated from a '3' to a '2'. You are expected to give only 2 points.
Thank-You for your cooperation! for any enquiries,
...........
Tagged on our tag-board, prey hard hard that someone comes to solve for you!
be kind! 3/16/2007 12:20:00 PM
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Thursday, March 1, 2007
Where Mangroves are Found???
"If there are no mangrove forests, then the sea will have no meaning. It is like having a tree with no roots, for the mangroves are the roots of the sea."
Mangrove swamps are found along tropical seacoasts on both sides of the equator. They are named for the Mangrove trees that grow there. Mangrove swamps, to most people, look like muddy, swampy places filled with mosquitoes, snakes and spiders. Actually, they are a forest community that bridges the gap between land and sea. Mangroves are found along muddy estuaries of large rivers, and in sheltered internal coastal settings that include lagoons, bays, tidal creeks and inlets.
be kind! 3/01/2007 04:35:00 PM
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Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Functions of Mangroves
- Mangrove swamps protect the land from soil erosion and the effects of storms. They also act as a form of pollution control, naturally filtering out industrial and human waste. Mangrove swamps, like other wetlands, are important components of the water cycle, absorbing excess water flow during times of flooding.
Mangrove swamps serve important functions:
they provide food, nesting and nursery areas for many animals which include at least 220 fish species, 24 reptile and amphibian species, 18 mammal species and 181 bird species. The dead leaves and twigs in the water grow microorganisms that provide food for young marine animals.
they protect the coastline by acting as wave breaks. They stabilise coastlines, promote coastal accretion and serve as natural barriers against torrential storms. In this way, they preserve the coastline and prevent shoreline erosion.
they trap debris, sediments, excess nutrients and toxicants through their natural filtering processes. This improves the water quality of tidal rivers that drain through mangroves.
they act as wind breaks which reduce the force of winds that may destroy and damage property.
be kind! 2/28/2007 05:11:00 PM
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Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Benefits of Mangroves
Mangrove Swamps offer mankind many benefits, including, but not limited to:
- Mangroves are extremely important for supporting the fisheries industry which generates a high amount of revenue.
- Mangroves are a rich source of timber which can be harvested on a sustainable basis.
- Other mangrove products are also used, including the harvesting of mangrove plants for a wide range of medicinal uses.
- Some mangrove animals, like the proboscis monkeys of Borneo with their unusual noses, are tourist attractions and thus generate income.
be kind! 2/27/2007 05:19:00 PM
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Monday, February 26, 2007
Harms Done to Mangroves
- Mangrove forests are lost when they are torn up, filled in and dug under for other purposes such as agriculture, aquaculture and other development activities.
- People often wrongly perceive Mangroves as unsightly and want them removed so as to enhance the environment. Mangroves then often become garbage dumps.
- Pollution adversely affects Mangrove Swamps. Pollution degrades the quality of the plant life and the water in the swamp, which in turn adversely affects the insects and animals that also live there. The roots of the mangroves can become easily clogged with man-made sediments and petroleum as well as from other pollution.
- Mangrove Swamps often are mistakenly thought to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes and either flooded with insecticides or filled in with dirt hoping to prevent a mosquito infestation..
- Pruned mangroves grow fewer prop roots and fruit and this in turn provides a lower quality habitat. Pruning also diminishes shoreline protection and reduces the number of bird species using this habitat.
- Mangroves are vulnerable to oil spills because oil floats into these swamps and strands among the roots and sediments, killing and damaging trees and fauna, and persisting in sediments afterwards.
oil stains on Rizophora apiculata
be kind! 2/26/2007 05:27:00 PM
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