Manabí mangroves
| Manabí mangroves (NT1418) | |
|---|---|
Mouth of the Chone River
|
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| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | Mangroves |
| Geography | |
| Area | 1,000 km2 |
| Countries | Ecuador |
| Coordinates | 0°39′00″S 80°22′12″W / 0.650°S 80.370°WCoordinates: 0°39′00″S 80°22′12″W / 0.650°S 80.370°W |
The Manabí mangroves (NT1418) is an ecoregion along the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The mangroves serve important functions in the marine and terrestrial ecology. They have been severely degraded and fragmented, particularly in the northern region. Construction of shrimp farms caused much damage in the past, but is now banned. Sedimentation caused by overgrazing in higher lands is an issue, as are human activities such as port and highway construction, urbanization, waste disposal and so on.
The mangroves are found along the coast of Ecuador and cover an area of 400 square miles (1,000 km2). There are two sub-regions. The Cojimíes sub-region in Esmeraldas Province lies between the Muisne River to the north and the town of Pedernales to the south. It transitions into the Western Ecuador moist forests ecoregion to the east. It contains a section around Muisne that fringes the Ensenada de Mompiche, and further south a larger section of mangroves around the estuary of the Mache River on the border between Esmeraldas and Manabí provinces.
Further south, the Chone sub-region in Manabí Province lies between the town of Bahía de Caráquez and the Chone River to the north and the Portoviejo River to the south. The mangroves transition into the Ecuadorian dry forests ecoregion to the east. The sub-region includes a section of mangroves around the estuary of the Chone River, and further south a section that extends inland from the coast to the south of San Clemente along the floodplain of the Portoviejo River.
Tide levels fluctuate widely. The soil is swampy and unstable, with complex woody structures. Landscapes include deltas, estuaries, lakes and carbonated platforms. Some areas have high sedimentation and therefore a low shoreline, low wave energy and less estuaries. The main rivers in the Cojimíes sub-region are the Muisne River, delivering 22 cubic metres per second (780 cu ft/s), and the Cojimíes River. The main river in the Chone sub-region is the Chone River, delivering 31 cubic metres per second (1,100 cu ft/s).
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Wikipedia