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Drowned? Existing mangroves could fall to sea level rise by 2050
By Michael Taylor
KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Existing stands of mangroves may not survive beyond 2050 if sea level rise continues at current rates, scientists warned on Friday, urging a rethink on the conservation of the trees, which serve as vital coastline defences.
A team of international researchers found that mangroves will stop growing if sea levels rise by an average of 6mm per year, compared with 4mm currently.
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But they are being destroyed at rates three to five times higher than the average for forests, and more than a quarter of the world’s mangroves have already disappeared, according to the United Nations.
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When sea-level rise exceeded 6 millimetres per year - which is estimated to happen if emissions remain high up to 2050 - the researchers found that mangroves were likely to grow too slowly to keep sufficiently above the waves.
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