Cuban mangroves: Difference between revisions

Because [[Cuba]] is an [[archipelago]] made up by about 4,197 islands,<ref>[[:es:Geografía de Cuba]]{{Circular reference|date=October 2015}}</ref>(including the two largest: [[Cuba]] proper, and [[Isla de la Juventud]]),<ref>{{cite web|title=Cuba|year=2007|website=allcountries.eu|quote=Republic of Cuba is a conglomeration of the main island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and about 4,195 small islands and islets.| url=https://www.allcountries.eu/cuba.htm|access-date=2024-07-21}}</ref> the combined area of coast results in 5,746 square kilometers (3570.4 square miles); most of it (2,200 square miles or 5,967 square kilometers) being covered by mangrove forest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0902|title=Cuba|work=World Wildlife Fund}}</ref>

These mangrove forests make up 20 percent of the forested areas in the island, covering a total of 4.8 percent of the territory.<ref name="ipsnews.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/10/cubas-mangroves-dying-of-thirst/|title=Cuba’sCuba's Mangroves Dying of Thirst|work=ipsnews.net|date=22 October 2013 }}</ref>

Cuban mangrove forests' top layer is made up of 4 tree species: ''[[Rhizophora mangle]]'' (red mangrove), ''[[Avicennia germinans]]'' (black mangrove), ''[[Laguncularia racemosa]]'' (white mangrove) and ''[[Conocarpus erectus]]'' (button mangrove). Depending on several factors, including water salinity, fresh water flow, coast shape and water depth, the size and distribution of those 4 species can differ. In some places, a mono-forest (made up by just one species) is found; in other places, all 4 species occur naturally. Sizes vary from very tall forests with a canopy at 15 meters (49.21 feet) of altitude, or as small as shrubs no taller than 2 meters (6.56 feet).<ref name="unesco.org.uy">{{Cite web|title=Ecosistemas de manglar en el archipiélago Cubano |editor1=Leda Menéndez Carrera|editor2=José Manuel Guzmán|publisher=Editoral Academia Cuba|language=es |url=http://www.unesco.org.uy/ci/fileadmin/ciencias%20naturales/mab/EcosistemasManglarCuba.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113180902/http://www.unesco.org.uy/ci/fileadmin/ciencias%20naturales/mab/EcosistemasManglarCuba.pdf |archive-date=2016-01-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Among the branches of the larger trees live a large amount of epiphyte plants of the ''[[Tillandsia]]'' genera - usually called by their [[Taino]] name ''curujeyes'' in Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean islands, and referred as [[bromeliads]] in English - as well as many types of orchids from the ''[[Encyclia]], [[Tolumnia (plant)|Tolumnia]]'', and ''[[Vanilla]]'' genera.

Later on, during colonial and Republican times, mangroves were put to commercial use. Over 400 years of heavy harvesting put a pressure on the ecosystem. Either used as textile dyes, tannin for pharmaceutical industries, lumber for furniture, charcoal, even as a popular wine flavoring.<ref name="ctvnews.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/cuba-fights-to-save-mangroves-as-ocean-levels-rise-1.1929593|title=Cuba looks to mangroves to fend off rising seas - CTV News|work=CTVNews|date=24 July 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/vino-de-miel-y-mangle-rojo/67675/|title=Vino de Miel y Mangle Rojo|work=ratebeer.com}}</ref>

A special blow to the well-being of the mangrove forests was executed in the 1960’s1960s, when the current government came to power. At the moment, the Cuban authorities realized the supply of fresh water for the increasing Cuban population had to be solved one way or another. As a tropical nation, Cuba has only two seasons: wet and dry. Over the rainy season, the island is constantly battered by hurricanes, as opposed to the 5 to 6 months of dry season, bringing heavy drought. In order to solve those issues, over 969 reservoirs were created, therefore reducing the fresh water flow that keeps mangroves healthy on the coastline.