Peninsular Malaysia has 17% of the country's 586.036 hectares of mangrove. Large areas of mangroves are concentrated in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia especially in Selangor and Perak. Although mangroves cover less than one third of the Park (95 hectares), it is the most important ecosystem here.
The Park's mangroves form a biologically rich and diverse environment and play important functions both physically and ecologically. They form part of a complex coastal wetland ecosystem and represent an intermediate phase between land and aquatic environments.
Mangroves are usuallly found growing along the coast and muddy banka of large river mouths, developing well in sheltered estuaries and deltas. The vegetation consists of trees and shrubs, which are able to thrive in tidal water.
The Park occupies the iiner edge of the coastal mangroves, consisting mainly of Bruguiera species mixed with some Rhizophora species.
The mangroves and adjacet mudflats are a rich ecosystem with invertebrates, including crabs, prawns and bivalves, which in turn support a large variety of birds and mammals.
Besides recycling nutrients and providing protection against coastal erosion, mangroves are also the breeding ground for many varieties of commercial marine species.
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