Mangroves are foundational species of tropical and subtropical coastlines, providing critical ecosystem services despite thriving in one of the most physiologically challenging environments on Earth. Their remarkable ability to persist across steep gradients of salinity, anoxia, temperature, and tidal inundation is largely attributable to ecological plasticity - the capacity of a genotype to alter its phenotype in response to environmental variation. This article synthesizes current knowledge on the mechanistic basis, expression, and ecological consequences of plasticity in mangrove trees. We examine plastic responses across multiple biological scales: morphological (e.g., prop root and pneumatophore development, leaf succulence), anatomical (e.g., xylem vessel modifications, aerenchyma formation), physiological (e.g., salt excretion, hydraulic regulation, C4-like carbon concentrating mechanisms), and life-history (e.g., crypto vivipary, flexible reproductive timing). We discuss how plasticity is constrained by genetic, energetic, and phylogenetic factors, and present a conceptual model linking plasticity to population-level resilience. Finally, we address the critical question of whether the current pace of climate change and anthropogenic modification exceeds the adaptive plastic capacity of mangroves. We argue that ecological plasticity serves as a primary buffer against environmental variability, but that extreme or novel conditions (e.g., rapid sea-level rise, freshwater diversion) can exceed plastic limits, leading to ecosystem collapse. Conserving plastic potential requires maintaining genetic diversity, hydrological connectivity, and disturbance regimes that allow phenotypic expression.
phenotypic plasticity, halophyte, acclimation, climate resilience, salt tolerance, Rhizophora, Avicennia, coastal wetlands
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