Journal Articles - Teaching and Learning

Mangrove forests are the characteristic forest ecosystems of tropical and subtropical intertidal regions. However, unlike other natural forest ecosystems, the mangrove ecosystem is unique and highly specialised. Different species of mangroves and palms as well as animals of terrestrial and marine origins are found within a mangrove ecosystem, making it an excellent laboratory for learning and teaching plant geography and related aspects of ecology. In Singapore land reclamation along the coast has rapidly reduced the area under mangroves. However isolated patches such as those on the northern coast of Kranji still exist. A field study of mangroves will meet the needs of our students for direct experience with the local environment as a majority of them live in HDB flats and have little contact with the natural environment. Such fieldwork will not only give reality to concepts in plant geography learnt in classroom but also make students appreciate the fact that the conservation of mangroves need not be incompatible with development and progress.

Mangroves constitute a unique community of plants found throughout the tropical and subtropical zones of the world. They are are particularly well developed in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, the Philippines and Peninsula Malaysia. In Singapore isolated patches of mangroves can still belfound though they are disappearing at a rapid rate. Mangroves offer many opportunities for classroom and field investigations of related aspects of ecology and plant geography,. Such an integrated approach is encouraged at 'A' level and should be of particular interest to pre-university students. Moreover, the mangrove habitat is a highly specialised one differing in many ways from other natural vegetation types in the tropics. Thus mangroves serve as a good case study of local plant geography.