Amapa mangroves
| Amapá mangroves (NT1402) | |
|---|---|
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| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | Mangrove |
| Geography | |
| Area | 1,550 km2 (600 sq mi) |
| Countries | Brazil |
| Coordinates | 3°05′46″N 51°01′41″W / 3.096°N 51.028°WCoordinates: 3°05′46″N 51°01′41″W / 3.096°N 51.028°W |
| Climate type | Af: equatorial, fully humid |
The Amapá mangroves (NT1402) is an ecoregion along the Atlantic coast of the state of Amapá in Brazil. The low coastal plain has been formed from recent sedimentation, including sediments deposited by the rivers and sediments carried northward from the mouth of the Amazon River by strong currents and deposited by the tides. The extensive mangroves grow on the newly formed coastal mudflats and along the edges of estuaries. They merge into freshwater várzea flooded forests further inland. The ecoregion is generally well-preserved, although excessive extraction of natural resources including timber and shrimps is a concern.
The Amapá mangroves cover an area of 1,550 square kilometres (600 sq mi). They run along the Atlantic coast to the north of the mouth of the Amazon River up to the mouth of the Cassiporé River. The ecoregion is naturally fragmented, with patches of mangroves developing where the conditions are suitable for their growth. The mangroves form the coastal margin of the Marajó várzea ecoregion. They are part of the larger Guianan-Amazon Mangroves global ecoregion, which also includes the Maranhão mangroves, Pará mangroves and Guianan mangroves.
The flat coastal plain of Amapá is made up of Holocene epoch deposits, and is flooded by freshwater rivers and by the tides. Tidal range is about 5.2 metres (17 ft), and tidal influence extends far into the interior. Strong ocean currents run along the coast. The currents carry fresh water and sediments from the Amazon basin northward, depositing the sediments to form unstable islands and mudflats of fine-grained clay that are colonized as they form by the mangroves. A complex network of natural canals runs through the mangroves. The low terrain and high tides let the mangroves reach to 40 kilometres (25 mi) inland.
The ecoregion has a humid tropical climate. Mean temperatures are from 25 to 26 °C (77 to 79 °F). Annual rainfall is up to 4,000 millimetres (160 in), with a dry season that lasts only two months.
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