Mangroves of the Niger Delta

Abstract

The Niger Delta is located in the southern part of Nigeria; three core states, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta house the largest concentration of Mangroves. The Niger Delta has the most extensive mangroves in Africa; six true mangrove species are found in the Niger Delta, Rhizophora spp. (R. mangle, R. harrisonii, R. racemosa) Known as red mangrove; Avicenna germinans, known as black mangrove; Langucularia racemosa, known as white mangrove; and Conocarpus erectus, known as buttonwood. Rhizophora spp. is the dominant mangrove in the Niger Delta and constitutes over 90% of the entire mangrove species in the region. Niger Delta mangroves are essential in providing ecosystem goods and services to the people. Unfortunately, the Niger Mangrove ecosystem faces severe threats from crude oil spills resulting from equipment failure, bunkering, vandalisation, and illegal refining. The invasion of mangroves by Nipa palm in the Niger Delta has become a threat to the mangrove ecosystem; deforestation and urbanisation are also significant threats affecting mangroves in the region. Providing sustainable alternatives to mangrove forest wood, conservation of mangrove forests, and enforcement of strict regulations in the oil and gas industry are some measures to ensure the sustainability of the Niger Delta mangrove forest.