The Alvarado Lagoon System is a large estuary and wetland complex in Veracruz state of eastern Mexico . It is located on the southern Gulf Coastal Plain , where the Papaloapan and Blanco rivers meet the Gulf of Mexico .
16-567: The lagoon system includes several brackish coastal lagoons, including Alvarado Lagoon, many tidal channels and interior lagoons, and extensive wetlands and coastal dunes. Habitats include large areas of mangrove , marshes of sedges ( Cyperus spp.), and cattails ( Typha spp.), swamp forests or apompales of Pachira aquatica , palm forests of Sabal mexicana , Attalea butyracea , and Acrocomia mexicana , and riparian oak forests of Quercus oleoides . The Alvarado Lagoon System provides habitat for numerous waterfowl and wetland birds, and
32-442: A darker shade of green on the tops than on the bottoms. The tree produces yellow flowers in the spring. As a viviparous plant, R. mangle creates a propagule that is in reality a living tree. Though resembling an elongated seed pod, the fully grown propagule on the mangrove is capable of rooting and producing a new tree. The trees are hermaphrodites , capable of self or wind pollination . The tree undergoes no dormant stage as
48-574: A permanent basis. The roots are usually sunk in a sand or clay base, which allows for some protection from the waves. Specimens of Moesziomyces aphidis have been collected from water samples and on Rhizophora mangle leaves along the Perequê-Áçu River , in mangroves located in São Paulo State, Brazil. Red mangroves are easily distinguishable through their unique prop roots system and viviparous seeds . The prop roots of
64-548: A red mangrove suspend it over the water, thereby giving it extra support and protection. They also help the tree to combat hypoxia by allowing it a direct intake of oxygen through its root structure. A mangrove can reach up to 80 ft (24 m) in height in ideal conditions, but it is commonly found at a more modest 20 ft (6.1 m). Its bark is thick and a grey-brown color. Mangrove leaves are 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) wide and 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm) long, with smooth margins and an elliptical shape. They are
80-401: Is characterized by relatively even temperatures throughout the year, and a pronounced dry season. The driest month has less than 60 mm of precipitation, and is drier than the average month. The summer is the wet season, and precipitation ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 mm/year. The most common mangrove tree species are red mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle ), which can reach 17 meters in height and
96-697: Is designated an Important Bird Area . The lagoons are also an important habitat for the West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus ). 346 species of birds have been recorded in the wetlands. 50% are year-round residents, 32% winter residents, 2% summer residents, 10% transitory, and the rest occasional visitors. The wetlands are a congregation area for waterbirds, including northern pintail ( Anas acuta ) American white pelican ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ), brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis ), piping plover ( Charadrius melodus ), and least bittern ( Ixobrychus exilis ). White-winged dove ( Zenaida asiatica )
112-552: Is plentiful. It is a breeding area for raptors, including the snail kite ( Rostrhamus sociabilis ), common black hawk ( Buteogallus anthracinus ), great black hawk ( Buteogallus urubitinga ) and black-collared hawk ( Busarellus nigricollis ). The scissor-tailed flycatcher ( Tyrannus forficatus ) and eastern kingbird ( Tyrannus tyrannus ) are migrants. At-risk species include the snail kite, piping plover, least bittern, peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ), and lesser yellow-headed vulture ( Cathartes burrovianus ). Threats to
128-761: Is threatened by invasive species such as the Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) . The red mangrove itself is considered an invasive species in some locations, such as Hawaii , where it forms dense, monospecific thickets. R. mangle thickets, however, provide nesting and hunting habitat for a diverse array of organisms, including fish, birds, and crocodiles. Red mangroves are found in subtropical and tropical areas in both hemispheres , extending to near 28°N to S latitude. They thrive on coastlines in brackish water and in swampy salt marshes . Because they are well adapted to salt water, they thrive where many other plants fail and create their own ecosystems,
144-409: Is typically found along the margins of channels with other Rhizophora species, black mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ), and white mangrove ( Laguncularia racemosa ). Epiphytes are common, and a common associated plant is the golden leather fern ( Acrostichum aureum ). Characteristic birds of the area include the sungrebe, black-collared hawk, bare-throated tiger heron ( Tigrisoma mexicanum ),
160-685: The Gulf of Mexico coast of the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz in Mexico . they are the most northerly mangroves in the western Gulf. The largest tracts of mangrove swamps occur at the mouths of rivers, and nearby coastal lagoon. The Alvarado mangroves form in large areas at river mouths where fresh water from the interior mixes with saltwater from the Gulf in proportions that provide an advantage to salt-tolerant mangrove tree species. Depending on local conditions, mangroves in this ecoregion can occur from
176-450: The mangals . Red mangroves are often found near white mangroves ( Laguncularia racemosa ), black mangroves ( Avicennia germinans ), and buttonwood ( Conocarpus erectus ) though often more seaward than the other species. Through stabilization of their surroundings, mangroves create a community for other plants and animals (such as mangrove crabs ). Though rooted in soil, mangrove roots are often submerged in water for several hours or on
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#1732780597904192-483: The US/Mexico border in the north, to the border between Veracruz state and Tabasco state 1,000 km to the south. Mangroves in this area are the farthest north, and are characterized by higher levels of freshwater than further south. The largest mangrove sites are (from north to south): The climate of the ecoregion is Tropical savanna climate - dry winter ( Köppen climate classification (Aw) ). This climate
208-583: The largest mangrove areas, including the RAMSAR sites: Rhizophora mangle Rhizophora mangle , also known as the red mangrove , is a salt-tolerant , small-to-medium sized evergreen tree restricted to coastal, estuarine ecosystems along the southern portions of North America, the Caribbean as well as Central America and tropical West Africa. Its viviparous "seeds", in actuality called propagules , become fully mature plants before dropping off
224-546: The parent tree. These are dispersed by water until eventually embedding in the shallows. Rhizophora mangle grows on aerial prop roots , which arch above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic " mangrove " appearance. It is a valuable plant in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas coastal ecosystems. The name refers to the red colour on the inner part of its roots when halved, so it does not display any red colour in its regular appearance. In its native habitat it
240-426: The tricolored heron ( Egretta tricolor ), the near-threatened reddish egret ( Egretta rufescens ), the jabiru ( Jabiru mycteria ), the wood stork ( Mycteria americana ), that swallow-tailed kite ( Elanoides forficatus ), the zone-tailed hawk ( Buteo albonotatus ), the amazon kingfisher ( Chloroceryle amazona ), and the prothonotary warbler ( Protonotaria citrea ). There are officially protected areas in
256-406: The wetlands include expansion of agriculture and cattle ranches, mangrove cutting, unsustainable fishing practices, and upstream erosion silting up the lagoons and wetlands. The lagoon system was designated a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) in 2004. Alvarado mangroves The Alvarado mangroves ecoregion (WWF ID: NT1401) covers a series of mangrove forest areas along
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