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Stage I Stage II Stage III
The development of aerial roots provide substantial support, stablize the tree, and enable it to ultimately gain complete independence from the encasement. When the first aerial root firmly implants itself into the sediment, the added stability will enable the tree to resist forces of the wrack line, withstanding a formidable physical influence that has demonstrated the ability to overwhelm free standing seedlings at every prior stage of development.
Implementation of REM concludes with the mangrove achieving reproductive maturity. The red mangrove species in Florida, Rhizophora mangle, is vivaparous; the seeds germinate while still attached to the parent tree and grow to a length of 12 inches before dropping into the water in early autumn. The seedlings float, which provides an effective dispersal mechanism for mangroves living in estuaries and tidal waters. The photographs below
show the progressive development of propagules on encased red mangrove.
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