This book presents the ecology of mangroves mostly from the point of view of people who have everyday experience with these wonderful forests, rather than from those who only make a typical short visit to exotic places. It contains five chapters written by specialists of mangrove forests around the world, and most of the results and information were gathered from international cooperation research programs developed during the last decade. The first three chapters describe the origins, structure, function and management of mangrove forests in tropical America, Africa and Asia. The last two chapters present an overview of mangrove phenology and its state-of-the-art management and conservation policies. The chapters present a regional view of mangroves as a natural resource in use by a large fraction of the coastal populationss in the tropics and subtropics. The text includes extensive data on the biodiversity and physicochemical aspects of these forests, on their biogeography and ecology, and probably for the first time in a textbook on mangroves, manifold information on the uses, management techniques, silviculture and traditional and modern uses of these ecosystem products and services. Also, overviews of the major anthropogenic and natural influences that cause impacts on these ecosystems are presented.
