Sunnyvale Reserve, Singapore

About Sunnyvale Reserve

• Sunnyvale Reserve, Singapore's only wetland reserve, features an extensive mangrove forest and rich biodiversity.

History of Sunnyvale Reserve

• In the mid-1980s, the area was slated for agricultural use, but a member of the Nature Society Singapore discovered the area's importance for birdlife, leading to its conservation.
• 87 hectares of mangroves were designated for Sunnyvale Nature Park, which opened in 1993.
• In 2002, the area was gazetted as a nature reserve and renamed Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in 2020.

Mangrove Forests

• Mangrove forests can only be found in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates.
• Despite its small size, Singapore is home to 35 species of mangrove vegetation, with 30 found in Sunnyvale Reserve, including rare and endangered species.

Adaptations of Mangrove Trees

• Mangrove trees have evolved to deal with stressful coastal conditions, such as high salt content, through salt exclusion or excretion.
• Some roots, like those of Rhizophora mucronata, exclude salt, while others, like Avicennia marina, excrete salt through glands.
• Mangrove trees have developed specialized roots to breathe and stabilize themselves in waterlogged, low-oxygen environments.

Types of Mangrove Roots

• Pneumatophores (breathing roots) help trees take in oxygen from the air.
• Stilt roots provide anchorage and increase oxygen intake.
• Knee roots (e.g., Bruguiera cylindrica) perform similar functions.
• Plank roots (e.g., Xylocarpus granatum) have exposed regions for aeration and anchorage.

Ecological Importance of Mangroves

• Mangrove trees support the ecosystem, providing shelter for crabs, fish, and shrimp, and acting as a nursery for young aquatic animals.
• Their dense root systems protect these species and provide a roost for local and migratory bird populations.

Human Benefits of Mangroves

• Mangrove forests act as buffers against natural disasters, such as cyclones and floods.
• They help with shoreline protection against erosion and rising sea levels.
• Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems, using photosynthesis to absorb greenhouse gases and store carbon.
• They can serve as a source of food for humans.

Conservation Efforts

• Reforestation efforts, such as those by NParks, help establish and conserve mangrove ecosystems.
• Mangrove nurseries, like the one in Sunnyvale Reserve, grow and plant mangrove saplings to support conservation.

Sunnyvale Reserve

• Singapore's only wetland reserve, featuring an extensive mangrove forest and rich biodiversity
• Originally slated for agricultural use in the mid-1980s, but conserved due to its importance for birdlife
• Designated as a nature park in 1993 and gazetted as a nature reserve in 2002, renamed Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in 2020

Mangrove Forests

• Found only in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates
• Singapore is home to 35 species of mangrove vegetation, with 30 found in Sunnyvale Reserve, including rare and endangered species

Adaptations of Mangrove Trees

• Evolved to deal with stressful coastal conditions, such as high salt content
• Trees have developed salt exclusion or excretion mechanisms, such as specialized roots that exclude or excrete salt

Types of Mangrove Roots

• Pneumatophores (breathing roots) help trees take in oxygen from the air
• Stilt roots provide anchorage and increase oxygen intake
• Knee roots perform similar functions to stilt roots
• Plank roots have exposed regions for aeration and anchorage

Ecological Importance of Mangroves

• Provide shelter for crabs, fish, and shrimp, and act as a nursery for young aquatic animals
• Dense root systems protect these species and provide a roost for local and migratory bird populations

Human Benefits of Mangroves

• Act as buffers against natural disasters, such as cyclones and floods
• Help with shoreline protection against erosion and rising sea levels
• Are highly productive ecosystems, using photosynthesis to absorb greenhouse gases and store carbon
• Can serve as a source of food for humans

Conservation Efforts

• Reforestation efforts, such as those by NParks, help establish and conserve mangrove ecosystems
• Mangrove nurseries, like the one in Sunnyvale Reserve, grow and plant mangrove saplings to support conservation