Mangroves at Pasadena
Aside from the dirt, our mangrove forests are the oldest living things on our property. Technically our mangroves aren’t on our property but are considered an underwater park which we are responsible for maintaining. Ours is one of the largest growing in Pinellas County.
Mangroves appeared around the late Cretaceous to Paleocene epochs. There are 54 varieties of mangroves. They are typically found along coast lines in Florida up to on the east coast around Jacksonville and on the west coast across the Gulf of Mexico coast down through Mexico. They are also prevalent through the Caribbean Islands and down the Atlantic coasts of South America as far as Rio d Janeiro. Other varieties are found along the Pacific islands and the coast of Asia. (Those of us who hiked around in Viet Nam, remember them with mixed emotions.)
Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and have adapted to live in harsh coastal conditions. Four species common to Florida are depicted below:
White (Laguncularia racemose)
Black (Avicennia germinans )
Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)
Red Managrove (Rhizophora mangle)
Note: Most papers on Florida mangroves only include Red, White and Black verities, but I have it from a reliable source (my Barber who was born and raised here in South Pasadena, who says that Buttonwood branches were used to smoke fish by locals to add flavor. These Buttonwood branches were harvested from the mangrove behind what is now Building 4.
Mangroves can remove salt and purify water they take up. Some species secrete salt on to their leaves which appears as salt crystals. The mangroves provide important habitats such as both fish nursey and brackish water habitats for birds and other coastal species. Apparently, the only things that will kill them is frost and of course, man.
White mangroves are recognized by the white blossoms they show in the spring. Red mangroves have red colored prop roots descending from the trunk and branches, providing a stable support system. Shallow wide spreading roots surround the black tree trunks of Black mangroves, and the Buttonwood for the button sized fruit they bare.
Mangroves are protected by the Florida Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act and Pinellas County code. This state act also describes the Riparian Rights of Owners. (Chapter 253 section 141). The requirements are many but first and foremost is the definition of the Required Mangrove Trimmers
“For purposes of ss. 403.9321-403.9333, the following persons are considered professional mangrove trimmers:
(a) Certified arborists, certified by the International Society of Arboriculture;
(b) Professional wetland scientists, certified by the Society of Wetland Scientists:
(c) Certified environmental professionals, certified by the Academy of Board-Certified Environmental Professionals:
(d) Certified ecologists certified by the Ecological Society of America.
These requirements are echoed in the Pinellas County Code but also impose penalties for violations.
In our Mangrove Forest, there are other vines and plants growing which are beyond the scope of this report. There is no limitation on “trimming them”
only the Mangroves.
This report was prepared at the suggestion of one of our readers. If there are other topics of interest please send them to Grassroots73@outlook.com.
References:
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/southflorida/habitats/mangrove
Statues of the State of Florida ss 4033.9321-403.9333
Pinellas county Section 58-606, Article XVL, MANGROVE TRIMMING AND PRESERVATION
https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests