Guestblog: Mangle pinuelo

We came to Tanager Tourism on the suspicion we might find the rare and beautiful plant, Pelliciera rhizophorae, in the nearby rivers. We were operating on more than just a hunch; by chance, Loes had posted a picture of this elusive plant in a previous blogpost. We knew there was at least one tree in the area, but would there be more? Would there be enough trees to study, to help us understand their role in the complex mangrove ecosystem?
Pelliciera rhizophorae is a mangrove, a term describing woody tropical plants that grow in the intertidal zone. It is unusual for plants to live in flooded soils, and it is also uncommon for plants to grow in saltwater. Mangroves can do both. Pelliciera rhizophorae is known as mangle piñuelo in Spanish. It is an odd-looking tree, with fluted, buttressing roots, star-shaped flowers and garlic-shaped fruits. (See photos on http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanagertourism )
As biology students, we were curious why the mangle piñuelo only thrive in a small portion of mangrove habitat, rather than stretching from Florida to Brazil as the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) does. It is more commonly found on the Pacific coast of Central America than the Caribbean, but is still harder to find than most other mangrove species.
With Loes’ directions, we set out in search of mangle piñuelo. After a few potential sites turned out to be barren of mangroves, we turned down a dirt road full of muddy puddles, where grass and tree braches scraped the bottom and sides of our car. Minutes from leaving the comfort of our air-conditioned car, we spotted it. There was our elusive friend mangle piñuelo, standing upright next to the water as though it had been waiting for us. And the first tree was not alone. Before us lay a vast forest, containing many trees bearing fruit. The large scale of the forest coupled with the abundance of fruit signified that the trees were healthy and the forest had potential to continuing flourishing as the older trees die.
Reaching and maneuvering through the forest proved to be an easy task; this was a big advantage over other Pelliciera rhizophorae populations, some of which are only accessible with a boat. We spent the better part of a week there, mapping and making observations in the mangrove forest. Very little is known about the ecology of the mangle piñuelo, so any observations we note will contribute to the scientific knowledge surrounding this species. Though we do not yet know what makes it rare, we were able to at least observe some of the animals that interact with mangle piñuelo trees, including crabs, wasps, ants, caterpillars and a so-far unidentified mammal.
Our days in the field left us covered in mud, sweat, and a combination of sunscreen and insect-repellant. In our exhausted state, we gladly returned to the ranchos of Tanager Tourism. Loes and Kees have reforested the farm where Tanager Tourism sits, and their land has turned into a wildlife refuge of sorts. Hummingbirds buzz through the air all day, geckos dart across the paths, and in the evening a chorus of frogs serenades us. After washing the mud and swamp smell off in the open air shower, we often get a nighttime lightning show accompanied by long rolls of thunder. But we are safe in our rancho, dreaming of mangroves.

By Emily Dangremond and Sierra Flynn, 13 June 2010