### id253494322 trees need oxygen or they drown > Root systems that arch high over the water are a distinctive feature of many mangrove species. These aerial roots take several forms. Some are stilt roots that branch and loop off the trunk and lower branches. Others are wide, wavy plank roots that extend away from the trunk. Aerial roots broaden the base of the tree and, like flying buttresses on medieval cathedrals, stabilize the shallow root system in the soft, loose soil. In addition to providing structural support, aerial roots play an important part in providing oxygen for respiration. Oxygen enters a mangrove through lenticels, thousands of cell-sized breathing pores in the bark and roots. Lenticels close tightly during high tide, thus preventing mangroves from drowning. - [View Highlight](https://amnh.org/explore/videos/biodiversity/mangroves-the-roots-of-the-sea/what-is-a-mangrove?__readwiseLocation=0%2F13%2F1%2F3%2F1%2F9%2F3%2F31%3A0%2C0%2F13%2F1%2F3%2F1%2F9%2F3%2F31%3A737#:~:text=Root%20systems%20that%20arch%20high%2Cthus%20preventing%20mangroves%20from%20drowning.) - [[What is a Mangrove And What Does It Do#id253494322 trees need oxygen or they drown|View in Vault]]