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Find out about the Seashores in Singapore

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Find out about the Seashores in Singapore

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Find out about the Wildlife in the Garden

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Find out about the Wildlife in the Garden

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Other Garden Wildlife | A to Z of Animals & Plants - The RSPB

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A guide to your wildlife garden including the animals, plants and wildlife habitats that you can find there. Read more

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Pond Habitats - PowerKnowledge Life Science

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"Pond Habitats." PowerKnowledge Life Science, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://pklifescience.com/article/396/pond-habitats.

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Find out about the animals that live in the Tree Community

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Find out about the animals that live in the Tree Community

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The term mangrove is said to have been derived from manggi-manggi and el gurm

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Mangroves are a group of shrub and tree species that live along shores, rivers and estuaries in the tropics and subtropics. Mangroves are resilient. They are able to withstand the brunt of flooding, ocean-borne storms and hurricanes.

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Mangroves and mudflats
updated Dec 2019 What are mangroves? The word 'mangrove' is used to refer to both the plants as well as the entire community of plants. According to Tomlinson, mangroves may be defined as tropical trees that grow only in the intertidal and adjacent communities. Thus mangrove plants make up a mangrove forest!

Kopi Tiam of the sea: Super soft silty mud often form vast flats near mangroves. Lots of burrowing animals live here so mudflats are rich feeding grounds for shorebirds and other larger animals.

Shorebirds on Mandai mangroves and mudflats.

Root of the matter: Mangrove plants are able to tolerate being partially submerged in seawater during high tide, and can grow soft and often oxygen-poor (anaerobic) mud. They also have to deal with rivers carrying silt during the wet season, as well as violent storms that hit the coasts.

Mangrove roots not only provide support in soft, unstable mud and to withstand currents and storms, but also to breathe. To avoid suffocation in the oxygen-poor mud, mangrove trees have roots that take in oxygen from the air. Called aerial roots, these have on their surface, special tiny pores to take in air (lenticels). Only air can get through the lenticels, not water or salts.

All aerial roots also contain large air spaces (aerenchyma). These not only transport air, but also provide a reservoir of air during high tide when the aerial roots may be submerged. Roots for absorbing nutrients are tiny and emerge near the muddy surface.

Aerial roots can take on different forms. Avicenniahave shallow cable roots that spread out from the trunk. Along these buried cable roots emerge short pencil-like roots called pneumatophores (meaning "air carrier" in Greek). According to Hogarth, a 3-metre tall Avicennia can have 10,000 pneumatophores!Sonneratia also have pneumatophores, but these are cone-shaped. Bruguiera sends out knee roots, that emerge from the ground then loop back in, often with a knobbly bump at the highest point of the loop that resembles a knee.Rhizophora has stilt roots arching out from their trunk down to the ground for extra support and air absorption. They also dangled prop roots from their branches which, well, prop up the these branches when the roots eventually grow long enough to reach the mud. .Xylocarpus produces flat, sinuous plank roots that act as buttresses to the trunk.

Most mangrove trees lack a heartwood and instead have narrow vessels that are densely and evenly distributed throughout the wood. Thus, they are better able to withstand damage to the bark and outer trunk.

Desalination plants: All mangrove trees exclude most of the salt in seawater at the root level, and all can tolerate more salt in their tissues than 'normal' plants. But some have more effective ultrafiltration at the root level to exclude more salt. Any salt that gets through are believed to be stored in old leaves which are later shed.

A few can tolerate high levels of salt in their tissues. They then secrete the excess salt through special cells on their leaves. Avicennia does this best and is often the only tree to survive is hot salty regions. Some other mangrove plants like Sea Holly ( Acanthus spp.) also do this.
Tough toddlers: If it's hard for adult trees to cope with their environment, it's even harder for tender seedlings which are usually dispersed by seawater. Thus many mangrove trees have special adaptations to give their offspring the best chance in their harsh habitat. Many provide their seedlings with a good store of food and flotation devices to travel to new places.

The fruit is the portion that first forms before germination. In some, the fruit does not fall away when it ripens. Instead, the seed within the fruit starts to germinate while it is still on the mother tree, and the mother tree channels nutrients to the growing seedling (vivipary).

In some plants, the growing seed does not break through the fruit wall while the seed is on the mother plant but only after the fruit falls off (cryptovivipary). This is the case with Avicennia and the seed coat of its fruits drops away more quickly in water of the right warmth and salinity, usually in a spot best suited for an Avicennia seedling.

In others, the growing seedling breaks through the fruit wall to form a long green finger-like stem (called a hypocotyl), sometimes even roots ( Rhizophora, Bruguiera). At this point, the 'fruit' is now called the calyx. The entire assembly of hypocotyl and calyx is called the propagule (which means 'potential plant').

When the propagule finally falls, at first it floats horizontally, and drifts with the tide. Some can survive for long periods at sea. The tip is water absorbent while the top end is water repellent. After some time, the tip gradually absorbs water and the seedling floats vertically and starts to sprout its first leaf from the top, and roots from the bottom. When it hits land, it hauls itself upright by growing more roots, then sprouts more leaves. The long stem is a short-cut to sunlight, and oxygen as seedlings are often completely submerged at high tide. Amazingly, young seedlings can survive being completely underwater until they are big enough to grow air-breathing roots, at about 1-2 years. Meanwhile, they depend on stores of air in air spaces (aerenchyma) in their stems.

Propagule of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza with red calyx and green hypcotyl.
Pasir RIs Park, Aug 09

Mangrove seedlings float root tip down,

and leaf bearing tip up, ready to take root
when they hit mud.
Changi, Feb 11

Avicennia seedling taking root.
Tuas, Nov 03

Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink: Freshwater is as precious to a mangrove tree as to a desert plant. They have to expend energy to get rid of the salt in every drop of water they use. Thus mangroves have many of the water conserving features found in desert plants. To minimise water loss through evaporation they may have thick waxy leaves, hairy leaves (to trap an insulating layer of air near the leaf and thus reduce water loss through evaporation). They may also store water in succulent leaves. Mangroves also protect their hard won water from leaf-eating animals with spiny or waxy leaves; and high levels of tannins and other toxins. Mangrove plants are thus a precious resource of novel chemicals that have myriad potential uses for humans.

The Fart of Life: Mangrove mud is usually black and stinky. But this is an indication of life and not necessarily of death and decaying rotten things. Mangrove mud is very fine and well compacted. Thus there is little space for oxygen. But mangrove mud is rich in tiny bits of decaying plants and animals (detritus). Special bacteria thrive on this detritus. These bacteria are special because they can breathe both with and without oxygen. At first, they use up all the oxygen. Then they start to use sulphur, releasing hydrogen sulphide as a by-product. Hydrogen sulphide turns things black and smells of rotten eggs - hence black and stinky mud! These bacteria are in turn eaten by tiny animals which in turn are eaten by larger ones. Thus these bacteria support food chains in the mangroves and beyond.

Role in the habitat: The mangrove forest, growing on the border of land and sea, provides food and shelter for a bewildering variety of land and aquatic animals. Some animals spend all their lives in the mangroves. Others spend only part, but often an important part, of their lives here. Thus, destruction of mangroves may affect animals that are found well beyond the mangrove forest.

Food: While on the tree, leaves are eaten by all kinds of creatures. Monkey snack on the shoots and leaves, small insects nibble on them. Fallen leaves are an important source of nutrients both within the mangrove habitat and when it is flushed out to the coral reefs. The leaves are rapidly broken up by crabs and other small creatures, and further broken down by micro-organisms into useful minerals. Bees and other insects visit mangrove flowers that produce nectar. Bats rely on the nectar of the large Refuge: Tree climbing crabs and sea snails climb up their aerial roots at high tide to avoid aquatic predators. The roots provide a surface for all kinds of creatures to settle on, from algae to shellfish. And the tangle of roots provide hiding places for young fishes and shrimps from larger predators. Their branches provide shelter for creatures from Proboscis Monkeys and nesting sites for large herons, to crevices for insects and other tiny creatures. The mudlobster plays a key role in further enriching the mangrove habitat and allowing a wide variety of plants and animals to thrive in the back mangroves.

pom-pom flowers of Sonneratia and it is these bats that also pollinate our durians! There are even tiny moth larvae that feed on pneumatophores.

The nectar of
Sonneratia alba flowers
are eaten by bats that pollinate durians!
Preying mantis may lurk in wait for insect visitors.
Chek Jawa, Jun 03

A
mudskipper clinging to a mangrove root.
Chek Jawa, Oct 01

Human Uses: The mangrove forest provide many services for humans too. Humans use mangrove trees and plants for timber, to make charcoal and for making other things such as baskets, ropes and other useful items. Parts of mangrove plants are eaten by people are food and for medicinal purposes, fed to their livestock, and used to catch fish. But the most valuable service is probably as a natural filter and in stabilising and protecting coasts (see below).

Natural water filter: Underwater, a huge number of filter-feeders fasten onto the tangle of roots: barnacles, sponges, shellfish. These filter feeders clean the water of nutrients and silt. As a result, clear water washes out into the sea, allowing the coral reef ecosystem to flourish.

Stabilise the coast and river banks: Their roots prevents mud and sand from being washed away with the tide and river currents. Mangrove trees also slowly regenerate the soil by penetrating and aerating it (other creatures such as crabs and mud lobsters also help in this effort). As the mud builds up and soil conditions improve, other plants can take root. A wall of mangroves trees can also reduce coastal erosion by absorbing the wind and wave energy of violent storms.

Sadly, despite the important role of mangroves, they are often looked upon as smelly places which can be put to 'better' use. In Singapore, we have lost a large proportion of our original mangroves to development. We should appreciate and protect our remaining mangroves.

These guidesheets are copyright Dr JWH Yong.

Photos of mangroves and mudflats on Singapore shores

from Davison, G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. . Threatened mangroves of Singapore
The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore.

Updated from Table 2: List and conservation status of the 36 mangrove species in Singapore (as of 2013) YANG Shufen, Rachel L. F. LIM, SHEUE Chiou Rong & Jean W. H . YONG"The current status of mangrove forests in Singapore" (pdf)

Bruguiera hainesii (CR: Critically Endangered) (EN: Endangered) (CR: Critically Endangered) (VU: Vulnerable) (EN: Endangered) (CR: Critically Endangered) (VU: Vulnerable)

Links

References

YANG Shufen, Rachel L. F. LIM, SHEUE Chiou Rong & Jean W. H . YONG The current status of mangrove forests in Singapore (pdf) Proceedings of Nature Society, Singapore's Conference on 'Nature Conservation for a Sustainable Singapore' 16th October 2011. pg. 99-120. Table 2: List and conservation status of the 36 mangrove species in Singapore (as of 2013).

D. A. Friess, J. Phelps, R. C. Leong, W. K. Lee, A. K. S. Wee, N. Sivasothi, R. R. Y. Oh and E. L. Webb. Mandai mangrove, Singapore: Lessons for the conservation of Southeast Asia's mangroves. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2012 Supplement 25

Yee ATK, Ang WF, Teo S, Liew SC & Tan HTW (2010) The present extent of mangrove forests in Singapore. Nature in Singapore, 3: 139-145.

Hogarth, Peter J. 2007. The Biology of Mangroves and Seagrasses (Biology of Habitats) Oxford University Press. 273 pp.

Tomlinson, P. B., 1986. The Botany of Mangroves Cambridge University Press. USA. 419 pp.

Davison, G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 20

08. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore). 285 pp.

Tan, Hugh T.W. L.M. Chou, Darren C. J. Yeo and Peter K.L. Ng. 2007. The Natural Heritage of Singapore. Second edition. Prentice Hall. 271 pp.

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Mangroves and mudflats on the Shores of Singapore

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Fact sheet with photos on flora and fauna of Singapore's intertidal shores

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What interests you about the rotting log community? You may jot in down in your Science Notebook.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Compare the Amazon Rainforest and our own Rainforest. Find out and write it in your Science Notebook.

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-mangrove swamps are muddy areas  that are flooded during high tide while mangroves are a group of shrubs and trees that live along shores and rivers
-the mud found in mangrove swamps is poor in oxygen and provides a habitat for a community of plants and animals
-mangroves found here are very resilient as they can withstand flooding, ocean-borne storms, suffocation due to the oxygen-poor mud and hurricanes and have the ability to survive in conditions ranging from muddy soil to coral rock, as well as in water up to 100 times saltier than what most other plants can tolerate
-mangroves are able to survive as they have roots that take in oxygen from the air (aerial roots) and special roots to hold them to the ground
-animals found in mangrove swamp include mudskippers, crabs, mangrove snakes, herons and crocodiles

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The pond habitat's condition: Depends on surrounding temperature, amount of plants and weather.
Plants in the environment would include three types of plants:
1. Floating aquatic plants such as duckweed,water hyacinth and water lettuce.
2.Partially-submerged aquatic plants which includes water lily, cattail, arrowhead and water lotus.
3. Totally-submerged aquatic  plants, for example, elodea, hydrilla and cabomba.
Animals in the environment would also include three types of animals:
1. Animals near the pond such as birds, dragonflies,damseflies and frogs.
2. Animals on the pond surface which includes pond skaters, water boatmans and water crickets.
3. Animals in the pond would include fishes, tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, damsefly larvas and water spiders.

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Condition of environment:Varies based on location; light would be around 600 lux, temperature depends on weather (e.g. on a sunny day, temperature may reach 30-32 Degrees Celsius.).
Plants present: Some common flowers are lilacs, jasmines, violets,  dasies, daffodils, tulips, sunflowers, roses, hibiscuses and irises. gardens typically have ponds, which house water lilies, lotuses, hyacinths. Some are seasonal and regional like cherry blossums and bamboo.
Animals present:
Reptiles and Amphibians: Frogs, Toads and Newts
Mammals: Badgers, Bats, Squrrriels, Hedgehogs, Mice, Rabbits and Moles. You may also find Foxes sometimes( Not in Singapore, of course)
Insects: Bees, wasps, ants, snails, beetles and bugs. butterflies and dragonflies, worms, slugsand spiders.

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Golden Orb Spider

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Bank Vole

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Hedgehog

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Rabbit

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Robin

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A pond is a bit like a lake; a pond is small, quiet and not vey deep. A lake is larger and deeper than a pond. A pond habitat is full of life. Many types of trees and bushes grow near the pond. For example trees like maples, willows, pines and cedars grow near ponds. Bushes with berries and flowers like hawthorn, dogwood and honeysuckles grow near ponds too. There are also small plants with flowers like the St John's wort and many wildflowers growing near the pond. On top of that, there are also tiny plants that float on water which are called phytoplankton. Finally, there are animals like deer which drinks water from the pond and eats land planta growing near the pond. Beavers also build their home in the pond with wood. Racoons, ducks, geese, and swans also visit the pond. Smaller animals such as turtles, snakes, rats, salamanders, worms and spiders can also be spotted in the pond.

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Many types of plants, such as trees, flowers (Sunflowers, certain types of herbs, daisies, mimosa plants .etc), berries(Cherries, blueberries, strawberries, Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade)) and vines can all be found in garden type habitats. Animals, like birds, insects, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks can also be found in garden type habitats but some are quite rare, like the Northern Hairy Nosed Wombats, a critically endangered species who can grow up to a metre long and weigh 40kg and also have longer, more pointed ears than a normal wombat plus softer fur and a wider nuzzle. Some plants like the aforementioned Deadly Nightshade can harm animals if contact is made with them or, like in the case of Deadly Nightshade, if they are consumed by animals.

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a)conditions
-Singapore shores experience two flow (high) and two ebb (low) tides every 24 hours and 51 minutes.

b)plants
-turtle grass
-Bushy pondweed
-mosses
c)animals
-crab
-clam
-seastar
-mussel
-Hermit crab

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-hermit crab

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Fields are hot and bright. Songbirds and deers and others also live in the fields.Golden bean Thermopsis rhombifolia ,
Greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus ,
Green tansy mustard Descurainia pinnata ,
Ground ivy Glechoma hederacea are some of the plants that live in the Fields.

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Muhammad
Ponds are full of plants like Water Lily or Hyacinth. It has animals like ducks and sometimes frogs. It is humid or sunny.

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Temperature: 23.9-30.8 degree celcius
Plants: Lenggadai, Berembang,Gedabu,Tumu Berau,Teruntum Putih, Teruntum Merah and many more...
Animals: Mud lobsters, Tree Climbing Crabs,Giant Mudskippers, Malayan Water Monitor Lizard,Shore pit-viper, Orintal pied-Hornbill and many more...
~Jia Yi

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Condition of the environment:
Usually exposed to direct sunlight and rain.

Animals found in the pond water: tadpoles, fishes and water snails.
Animal found near the bottom of the pond: Prawns.
Animals found around the pond: Frogs, ducks, dragonflies and crickets.
Animals found close to water surface: Backswimmers, water boat men and pond skaters.

Floating plants: Water hyacinth
Partially submerged plants: water lotus
Fully-submerged plants: Kabomba

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Condition：usually hot, humid and receives rain frequently
Animals: Jaguars, Poison Dart Frog, Green anaconda, sloths, tigers, lions, monkeys,ants,insects,macows and so on
Plants:orchards,lobster-claws, Cacao trees, Victoria Amazonica, water lilies,bromeliads, passion fruit flower and so on

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Victoria Amazonica

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Victoria Amazonica

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Read about the interesting Grassland Habitats in New Hampshire

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Read about the interesting Grassland Habitats in New Hampshire

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Grassland habitats are an increasingly rare site in New Hampshire. More than 70 species of wildlife use these open areas of fields and wildflowers to meet their needs for food, cover, or breeding. Most of today's grasslands are the result of land clearing, and require maintenance.

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a. Condition of environment
Temperature and light depends on weather. A garden is hot on sunny days and cool on cloudy days. There is more light on a sunny day too.
b. Plants present in the environment
Many types of plants can be found in a garden. Examples of plants that can be found in the garden are:
- Sunflowers
- Lilacs
- Roses
- Daisies
- Tulips
- Love grass
- Ferns
- Mimosas
- Dandelions
Those that could be found in the pond of the garden are:
- Duckweeds
- Waterlilies
- Waterlotuses
- Hydrilla
c. Animals present in the garden:
- Mice
- Squirrels
- Hedgehogs
- Foxes
- Rabbits
- Moles
- Robins
- Sparrows
- Love birds
- Pigeons
- Ants
- Aphids
- Caterpillar
- Speckled wood butterflies
- Common blue butterflies
- Holy blue butterflies
- Large skippers
- Large white butterflies
- Orange tip butterflies
- Painted lady butterflies
- Peacock butterflies
- Red admiral butterflies
- Small skippers
- Small tortoise shell butterflies
- Ladybirds
- Earthworms
- Snails
- Slugs
- Spiders
- Bumble bees
- Wasps
- Hornets
- Honey bees
- Beetles
- Dragonflies
- Grasshoppers

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The condition of the pond depends on whether it is sunny or cloudy  but usually it would be sunny.Some plants present in the pond are lilies and duckweed.Animals present there are amphibians like frogs and some other insects.

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Condition:
-hot and humid
Animals:
-Ants, snakes, birds,
Plants:
-orchids, water lilies

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Fields have animals like  rabbits , snakes, deers , Fox
Fields are very hot and sunny
Types of Plants : Seaside arrowgrass, Ragweed ,Apocynum and Indian Hemp

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Condition:
-Hot, humid, receives a lot of rain

Animals:
-Worms (in bark of trees)
-ants
-squirrels
-beavers
-birds
-monkeys
-sloths

Plants:
-Fruits (pears, almond, plums, peaches)
-flowers (ferns, orchids)

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a)During high tide, the shore is covered by seawater, and is part of the sea. When the tide recedes however, the shore becomes exposed, and for several hours, is reclaimed by the land

b)
Seaweed

c)
Hermit Crab
Star Fish
Crabs
Clam

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What is a pond?
A pond is a like a lake. A pond is small, quiet, but not very deep, however, a lake is larger and deeper than a pond.

Plant life in a pond:
Plants need water to live, and a pond gives a lasting supply. That is why there are so many plants living and growing around ponds.

Many types of trees and bushes grow near ponds. Trees, such as maples, willows, pines, and cedars. Bushes that have flowers and berries, such as hawthorn, dogwood, and honeysuckle.

You will also find small plants with flowers, such as St. John’s wort, and many kinds of wildflowers.

Land animals:
All sorts of land animals make their homes in a pond habitat as it supplies them with food and water. Some animals even begin their lives in the water.

Land animals, such as deer, drink from the pond and eat land plants. Beavers build homes in ponds and eat land and water plants. Raccoons, ducks, geese, and swans visit ponds.

Aquatic animals, such as fish, snails, live and grow in the water of the ponds. Other animals, such as frogs, toads, and many insects begin their lives in ponds and live nearby after they are grown. Turtles, snakes, rats, salamanders, worms, and spiders can also be found around ponds.

Food Chain of a Pond:

A food chain keeps the pond community in balance.

The food chains in a pond starts with plants. That is because plants make their own food from sunlight, air, and water. Next in the chain are animals that eat plants. Then come animals that eat plant-eating animals and sometimes, even other plants as well. Next in the chain are those animals that eat the smaller meat-eating animals. Those animals may, in turn, be eaten by other, larger animals.

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Weather is usually hot and sunny and it is cool on rainy days.
Some animals are:
-Rabbits
-Foxes
-Badgers
-Moles
-Bats
-Squirrels
-Mice
-Hedgehogs
-Toads
-Frogs
-Earthworms
-Snails
-Slugs
-Spiders
Plants present:
-Lavender
-Roses
-Sunflowers
-Dandelion
-Mimosa

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