3.3.1. Lagoon Vegetation

The physiognomy of the plant communities which surround the lagoon can be divided into tree-dominated and herbaceous species. Around the lagoon (Figure 1), there is a heterogeneous mangrove forest of about 190 ha, with a height range of 5–15 m and typical, associated plants [18]. Mangrove species found here include *Rhizophora mangle* (red mangrove)*, Avicennia germinans* (black mangrove), *Laguncularia racemosa* (white mangrove) and *Conocarpus erectus* (button mangrove), with *Avicennia* and *Laguncularia* being the most abundant (88%) [15] (Figure 10). Between the 1980s and 2010, the area of the mangrove fell by 33.8%, although another 0.3% of mangrove area was converted from agricultural livestock to mangrove, between 2005 and 2010 [18].

**Figure 10.** Distribution of mangrove species in La Mancha.

The hydrological and geomorphological conditions of the area determine the development of the species there [17], which grow the most in periods of flooding. The authors of [17] stated that the tallest mangroves are found in the area affected by floods, since this is where there are most nutrients. As for the health of the mangroves, this depends on the season, where more robust trees are seen in the rainy season.

Psuty et al. [15] explained the importance of flooding, as the seedlings of some species, such as *Avicennia,* are dispersed by water currents at the end of the rainy season, germinating when the sandbank closes the inlet, and the water level starts to rise. Litter production is an important factor to be taken into account in the evaluation of mangrove ecosystems, and the amount of fallen leaves in this ecosystem in La Mancha is 1025 g/m2 per year [17].
