(a) The mangrove swamps separate the human settlements from the sea by a wide zone in which people neither live nor venture out.
(b) The mangroves provide both food and medicines which people are in need of after any natural disaster.
(c) The mangrove trees are tall with dense canopies and serve as an excellent shelter during a cyclone or Tsunami.
(d) The mangrove trees do not get uprooted by storms and tides because of their extensive roots.
Answer: (d)
Mangroves are shrubs or small trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to harsh coastal conditions. Mangrove vegetation facilitates more water loss.
Option (d) is correct: Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems, and the trees may vary in height from 8 to 20 m. They protect the shoreline from the effect of cyclones and tsunamis. It is due to the fact that mangrove trees do not get uprooted by storms and tides because of their extreme roots. Mangrove belts and their extensive roots several hundred metres wide have been shown to reduce tsunami height by between 5 and 30%. Wider mangrove forests are more effective at reducing tsunami height, as well as speed of the water and the area flooded by the tsunami