Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (Reading) — practice #rmcma-006

Mangrove forests, which grow in the salty intertidal zones of tropical coastlines, perform a remarkable range of services. Their tangled roots slow incoming waves, shielding shores from storm surges and erosion, and they trap sediment that gradually builds up the land. The same roots act as nurseries, sheltering young fish and crustaceans that later support coastal fisheries. Mangroves are also unusually effective at storing carbon, locking large amounts away in their waterlogged soils for centuries. Despite this, they have been cleared at an alarming rate for timber, shrimp farms and coastal development. Conservationists warn that their loss exposes communities to greater flood risk and releases stored carbon, and many governments are now funding replanting schemes to recover the protection these forests once provided.