Mangroves in Toubacouta

The nearest PC regional house to Dassalami Soce is in Tambacouta, a village much appreciated by tourists for its ecological diversity and natural beauty. Its lush mangrove forest is a particularly unique feature. I wanted to learn more about this unusual forest, because it is an important magnet for eco-tourism here and because its population has declined over the years. CEDers and Aggies are more likely than Health volunteers to work on Mangrove-related issues, but I’m interested all the same.

I found a report produced for UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre) on Mangrove forests published in 2007. I think it provides a good overview of Mangrove status/distribution, their importance, associated biodiversity, and known threats to their population levels. It also delves into country-specific overviews.

Mangroves are unusual because they live between land and ocean in humid climates. They have evolved to thrive in frequently flooded area as well as in salty water. Depending on the water level, they can grow up to 40 meters. They need regular fresh water influx for substrate and nutriment replenishment.

They are a keystone species here.  They shelter a great diversity of animal species--such as birds, reptiles, and amphibians—and a number of medicinal plants as well. They also provide spawning grounds for fish and shellfish. Finally, they help generate nutrient-rich water, resulting in greater fishing yields for commercial fishers. Mangroves also provide relief to Senegal’s constant struggle against creeping desertification: they help trap the soil, so that it does not get washed away so easily.

 But the deltas’ resources, in particular oysters and timber, are currently being overexploited. There also seems to be quite a bit of illegal gathering of turtle and birds, among other things. Mangroves play a key role in sustaining the land, the people, and other living things here; however, they are not being exploited in a sustainable manner. The constructions of channels as well as habitat transformation for rice farming further threaten Mangrove forests here.

The owner of the Toubacouta house often takes PCV out on tours of the Mangrove forests on his boat. I’ve heard it’s worth doing. I’m also going to try to learn more about those medicinal plants. I’ve very curious about traditional medicine here.

http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/publications/otherpubs/pdfs/Mangroves_of_Western_and_Central_Africa.pdf