✄ TUESDAY
YEAR 6 - UNIT 11: NATURALLY MALAYSIA
5 SEPTEMBER 2017 THE STAR/Step Up
THE FUN PAGE
Treasures of Malaysia READ this passage on the importance of the mangrove forest. Then, complete the word search puzzle based on the words in bold. Discuss the meaning of those words with your teacher as you go through the answers. Mangroves are mainly found in the tropical climate, especially along sheltered coastal regions and places where rivers constantly deposit clay and silt. Why are mangrove forests important? Mangroves provide nursery areas for juvenile fish and crustaceans. They also produce nutrients for the marine ecosystem. In short, mangroves provide shelter and food for the marine creatures. But most importantly, mangroves protect the coastline from soil erosion during tropical storms! You may not realise this but mangroves are also important for our survival! How so? Mangroves form thick barriers against storms and tsunamis. It breaks down the force of waves that thrash on to the shores during such storms hence saving lives and protecting property. They are known as storm buffers! Do you know that the mangrove forest helped reduce the loss of lives and property in a terrible natural disaster in 2004? An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck near Sumatra, Indonesia. The deadly quake caused a tsunami. Although many people died, the mangrove actually helped reduce the impact of waves that were 30 metres high (98.4 feet)! These mangrove trees slowed down the speed of the waves that hit the shores of Banda Aceh in Sumatra. Mangroves also provide us with many other benefits like fruits, medicine, fibre and wood. They stabilise shores by trapping sediments and building land. They improve water quality by filtering polluted waters. They protect the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas. So support laws for the management of the mangrove forest. They are crucial to our survival.
Mangrove Forest
Mangrove Forest
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