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BARANGAY TUMIBO - LUBANG ISLANDTumibo used to be a sitio of Barangay Tangal, but in 2007 it was created a barangay in its own right In the past there were extensive mangrove forests around Lubang, but now there is only left remnants, such as that at Tumibo. Mangrove trees grow where no tree has grown before. They are able to survive inundation by salt water twice a day, and in "soil" which is unstable and poor in oxygen (anaerobic). They also have to deal with swollen rivers carrying silt during the wet season, as well as violent storms that hit the coasts. To deal with salt, all mangrove trees exclude some salt at the root level, and all can tolerate more salt in their tissues than "normal" plants, often in quantities that would kill other 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. Reference: MANGROVE TREES by Ria Tan (http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/mangrove_trees.htm) |
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Mangrove roots not only provide support in unstable soils and to withstand currents and storms, but also breathe air. To avoid suffocation in the oxygen poor mud, mangrove trees snorkel for air. They develop aerial or air-breathing roots. These take in aboveground air. All aerial tree roots 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 all the aerial roots may be underwater. Roots for absorbing nutrients are tiny and emerge near the muddy surface. Reference: MANGROVE TREES by Ria Tan (http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/mangrove_trees.htm) |
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The small float at the bottom right of the picture carries a light to mark the presence of nets at night-time. Usually they are powered by gas or kerosine. |
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Note: A sign at Tumibo Elementary School
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