Biodiversity of Sundarban

The Sundarban is the largest contiguous block of mangrove forest remaining in the present day world and a large unique mangrove ecosystem, recognized as a site of national and international importance for conservation of biodiversity. This forest is an independent "Biom", enriched with different biodiversities along with a great variety of wild life. Besides dolphins and porpoises, Sundarban mangroves are habitats of many rare and endangered animals (Batagur baska, Pelochelys bibroni, Chelonia mydas), especially it is the unique natural habitat of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris), spectacular spotted deer (Axix axix), jungle fowl (Gallus sp.) and rhesus monkey (Macaca mulata). The forest has a unique biota comprising 334 species of plants, 49 species of mammals, as many as 400

A Rich Biodiversity of the World’s Largest Mangrove Ecosystem

The Sundarban, covering about one million ha in the delta of the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna at the point where it merges with the Bay of Bengal, is the single largest block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world shared between Bangladesh (62%) and India (38%), which supports a large, biodiversity-rich unique ecosystem. With its array of trees and wildlife the forest is a showpiece of natural history. It is also a center of economic activities, such as extraction of timber, fishing and collection of honey. The area of Sundarban experiences a subtropical monsoonal climate with an annual rainfall of 1600-1800 mm and severe cyclonic storms. Enormous amount of sediments carried by the three rivers contribute to its expansion and dynamics. Salinity gradients change over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Interestingly, the

The Mangroves and Sundarban

Mangroves are intertidal forested wetlands confined to the tropical and subtropical regions. The total global area of the mangroves is estimated at only 18.1 million ha, against over 570 million ha of freshwater wetlands including peatlands globally. Although mangroves have been exploited for many centuries, its ecosystems are now the most threatened one by the global climate changes, particularly the sea level rise. More than 41 % of the world’s mangroves occur in South and Southeast Asia of which Indonesia alone accounts for 23 %. A further 20 % of the total mangrove area lies in Brazil, Australia and Nigeria. While practically all mangroves occur in small patches that develop in deltaic habitats, the mangroves in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta, shared between India and Bangladesh, are the only contiguous and largest coastal wetland system in the world. Exploration