Largest Mangrove Forest Research Articles

Analysis of erosion–accretion dynamics of major rivers of world’s largest mangrove forest using geospatial techniques

Geomorphological dynamics is the dominating process behind the Sundarbans mangrove forest development. Here, satellite images can illuminate Sundarbans’ erosion–accretion​ dynamics to improve our understanding of better river management. Previous morphological studies were on mangrove vegetation loss or gain and shoreline changes detection. Nevertheless, those studies did not provide channel/river specific erosion and accretion dynamics for the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. In this study, we analyzed historical Landsat satellite images from 1980 to 2019 for six major rivers, namely Passur, Shibsa, Arpangasia, Baleshwar, Malancha, and Shella of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, which carry freshwater from upstream and supply them into all the tributaries of Sundarbans. Image analysis shows a remarkable erosion rate in all the major rivers. The erosion rates were significantly higher for Passur (2139 ha, 55 ha/yr), Baleshwar (2122 ha, 54 ha/yr), and Shibsa (1809, 46.5 ha/yr) rivers compared to the other three rivers (Arpangasia-995 ha, 26 ha/yr; Malancha-774 ha, 20 ha/yr; Shella-332 ha, 8.5 ha/yr). The spatial pattern of lateral erosion was not uniform for all major rivers. The southern parts of all the rivers were prone to severe erosion compared to the central and northern parts. Reduced freshwater flow has less effect on the lateral erosion of major rivers of the Sundarbans. Besides, NDVI analysis shows that vegetation density has declined tremendously over the last 40 years (highest NDVI value in 1980 and 2019 was 0.87 and 0.44 respectively) along the major river banks as well as in whole Sundarbans which in turn reduces soil binding capacity. Hence, our work suggests that mangrove restoration with careful consideration of biophysical characteristics in the degraded site will aid better resistance against strong wave action.

Solving the fourth‐corner problem: forecasting ecosystem primary production from spatial multispecies trait‐based models

AbstractForecasting productivity and stress across an ecosystem is complicated by the multiple interactions between competing species, the unknown levels of intra‐ and interspecific trait plasticity, and the dependencies between those traits within individuals. Integrating these features into a trait‐based quantitative framework requires a conceptual and quantitative synthesis of how multiple species and their functional traits interact and respond to changing environments, a challenge known in community ecology as the “fourth‐corner problem.” We propose such a novel synthesis, implemented as an integrated Bayesian hierarchical model. This allows us to (1) simultaneously model trait–trait and trait–environment relationships by explicitly accounting for both intra‐ and interspecific trait variabilities in a single analysis using all available data types, (2) quantify the strength of the trait–environment relationships, (3) identify trade‐offs between multiple traits in multiple species, and (4) faithfully propagate our modeling uncertainties when making species‐specific and community‐wide trait predictions, reducing false confidence in our spatial prediction results. We apply this integrated approach to the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, a sentinel ecosystem impacted simultaneously by both climate change and multiple types of human exploitation. The Sundarbans presents extensive variability in environmental variables, such as salinity and siltation, driven by changing seawater levels from the south and freshwater damming from the north. We find that tree species growing under stress have a typical functional response to the environmental drivers with inter‐specific variability around this average, and the amount of variability is further contingent upon the nature and magnitude of the environmental drivers. Our model captures the retreat in traits related to resource acquisition and a plastic enhancement of traits related to resource conservation, both clear indications of stress. We predict that, if historical increases in salinity and siltation are maintained, one‐third of whole‐ecosystem productivity will be lost by 2050. Our integrated modeling approach bridges community and ecosystem ecology through simultaneously modeling trait–environment correlations and trait–trait trade‐offs at organismal, community, and ecosystem levels; provides a generalizable foundation for powerful modeling of trait‐environment linkages under changing environments to predict their consequences on ecosystem functioning and services; and is readily applicable across the Earth’s ecosystems.

Potential carbon storage of Indonesian mangroves

Even though it only covers 0.1% of the surface of the continent, mangrove forests recorded as carbon-rich forests on earth. Forest loss and degradation together, especially in the tropics contributes about 12% of the total annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Mangrove forests ecosystem have high carbon storage potential. The study results show that the ratio of carbon to area in mangrove ecosystems is almost 13 times greater than that of tropical rainforest ecosystems in Indonesia. This study has used published data recorded in Google Scholar and Science Direct. Indonesia’s mangroves, with a total area of 3.1 million ha, store a total carbon of 5.2 Gt. The average stand biomass or aboveground biomass is around 407.15 tons ha−1, storing carbon as much as 191.36 tons ha−1 which is equivalent to the potential for CO2 absorption (CO2e) by mangrove stands of 702.29 tons ha−1. Papua has the largest mangrove forest in Indonesia that has the potential for CO2e. Assessment of carbon storage in soil needs to be done in estimating the total carbon stored in mangrove ecosystems, given the large potential for stored carbon that plays a role in climate change mitigation.

A REVIEW OF WETLANDS AND COASTAL RESOURCES OF THE NIGER DELTA: POTENTIALS, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. The Niger Delta in Nigeria is the largest wetland in Africa and the third largest mangrove forest in the world with three sites listed as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance. The Niger Delta wetlands and coastal resources are of high monetary significance to the local dwellers and the nation in general. This highly coveted wetland is changing rapidly, raising concern for its attendant implication on the communities relying upon its ecosystem potentials. A comprehensive data of the facilities delivered by wetlands is a significant key for real-time wetland ecosystem management. Existing literatures, were synthesized for this review on the potentials, challenges and prospects of the Niger Delta wetlands. It is pertinent from this review that the Niger Delta Wetland is wealthy in aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity of high financial significance to development of Nigeria, and is being challenged by natural and human activities such as dam construction, logging/lumbering, over-grazing, unrestrained tilling of soil for crop production, wetland reclamation, dredging, oil and gas exploration, over-fishing, invasive plant infestation, pollution, Coastal Infrastructure construction, poverty, droughts, desertification, sand storm, alien invasion, sea rising, erosion, etc. The Niger Delta Wetlands harbor tremendous wealth and supply many services that are necessary for human well-being such as location for spiritual renewal and recreation (eco-tourism), flood control, climate regulation, crop pollination, soil regeneration, raw material, energy, air and water purification; food chain supply, and medicines (Herbal solutions). This review postulates that in view of the immense significance and status of the Niger Delta Wetlands, effective and sequential monitoring be put in place by the establishment of centers of excellence in all universities in the Niger Delta Region with emphasis on studying the rich economic diversity of the wetland using remote sensing and Geographic Information System technologies for efficient conservation and management of the wetland resources.

An Evaluation of Economic Prospects and Constraints of the Sundarbans - A Rising Tourist Spot in Khulna

Sundarban is the largest mangrove forest of the earth which covers almost 10000 square kilometers (3,900 sq. mi) in the Northern Bay of Bengal of which 6017 km2 (2323 sq ml) extended through the Khulna division of Bangladesh. Mangrove forests are extremely prolific and diverse ecosystems, providing a comprehensive array of direct ecosystem facilities for inhabitants. Dhaka & Kolkata is the most crowded cities in the world and Sundarban helps the people who lived in those cities from the different natural calamities like cyclone, strong disaster, and their worst effects. Bangladesh is a country where nature has exposed all its beauties. The aesthetic beauty of mountains, a unique ecosystem of the Sundarbans, the amity of mountains and clouds, bright shade of green trees and forests, the vastness of the sea, the world's longest sea beach, archaeological sites, religious places, ample tea gardens have brought the great potential for Bangladesh in the world tourism industry.Though the Sundarbans is one of the three world heritage sites in Bangladesh, it badly lacks proper tourist facilities. Proficient supervision of the tourist economy at any destination not only contributes to the visitors’ experience augmentation but supplements the opportunities available also and guards the atmosphere whilst safeguarding the interest of the host municipal and businesses functioning within it. The main purpose of this study was to find out how to develop the tourism economy in the Sundarbans effectively. Using a comparison with a high-quality visitor's gladness can be confirmed and the impact of tourism on Sundarbans’ atmosphere and to its host municipal can be accomplished.The study found, two main reasons are liable not to fostering the tourism economy in Bangladesh. The first one is the lack of resource constraints and the second is inadequate initiatives from the government to uplift (particularly infrastructural facilities) tourism in the country to make it known to prospective visitors in the world. The study recommends public and private investments and initiatives to foster the potential of the Sundarbans. Keywords: Sundarbans, World Heritage, Tourism Economy, Tourism Products, Growth Trend of Tourism, Public and Private Sector Initiatives Towards Tourism. DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/12-6-01 Publication date: March 31 st 2021

The Development of a Framework for the Integrated Assessment of SDG Trade-Offs in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their corresponding targets are significantly interconnected, with many interactions, synergies, and trade-offs between individual goals across multiple temporal and spatial scales. This paper proposes a framework for the Integrated Assessment Modelling (IAM) of a complex deltaic socio-ecological system in order to analyze such SDG interactions. We focused on the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR), India, within the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta. It is densely populated with 4.4 million people (2011), high levels of poverty, and a strong dependence on rural livelihoods. It is adjacent to the growing megacity of Kolkata. The area also includes the Indian portion of the world’s largest mangrove forest––the Sundarbans––hosting the iconic Bengal Tiger. Like all deltaic systems, this area is subject to multiple drivers of environmental change operating across scales. The IAM framework is designed to investigate socio-environmental change under a range of explorative and/or normative scenarios and explore associated policy impacts, considering a broad range of subthematic SDG indicators. The following elements were explicitly considered: (1) agriculture; (2) aquaculture; (3) mangroves; (4) fisheries; and (5) multidimensional poverty. Key questions that can be addressed include the implications of changing monsoon patterns, trade-offs between agriculture and aquaculture, or the future of the Sundarbans’ mangroves under sea-level rise and different management strategies. The novel, high-resolution analysis of SDG interactions allowed by the IAM will provide stakeholders and policy makers the opportunity to prioritize and explore the SDG targets that are most relevant to the SBR and provide a foundation for further integrated analysis.

Molecular characterization of cellulolytic (endo- and exoglucanase) bacteria from the largest mangrove forest (Sundarbans), Bangladesh

PurposeCellulase, due to its massive applicability, has been used in various industrial processes such as biofuels (bioethanol, triphasic biomethanation), agricultural and plant waste management, chiral separation, and ligand binding studies. The finding of a novel cellulase-producing bacterium will benefit the industries, which rely on yeast to produce cellulase in fermentation technology, because bacteria can easily be manipulated and fermented cost-effectively.MethodsCellulase enzyme-secreting bacteria were isolated from different regions of the world’s largest mangrove forests, Sundarbans in Bangladesh. Biochemical, morphological, and 16S rRNA identification protocol was followed to precisely characterize the bacterial strains.ResultWe have determined that the strain T2-D2 (Bacillus sp.), E1-PT (Pseudomonas sp.), and D1-PT (Pseudomonas sp.) showed maximum endoglycolytic and strain C1-BT (Bacillus sp.), E1-BT (Bacillus sp.), and T-4 (E) showed relatively higher exoglycolytic activity during the test. So, it can be easily cultured at a normal temperature (97.7–99.5 °F). On the one hand, T2-D2 (Bacillus sp.) and E1-PT (Pseudomonas sp.) have shown the highest growth rate at pH 7 as it was neither acidic nor basic.ConclusionIt was concluded that the strain T2-D2 (Bacillus sp.) and E1-PT (Pseudomonas sp.) would be our target cellulolytic strains wherein the experimental isolates belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae, Psuedomonacea, Bacillacea, and Morganellacea family.

Land Cover Dynamics and Mangrove Degradation in the Niger Delta Region

The Niger Delta Region is the largest river delta in Africa and features the fifth largest mangrove forest on Earth. It provides numerous ecosystem services to the local populations and holds a wealth of biodiversity. However, due to the oil and gas reserves and the explosion of human population it is under threat from overexploitation and degradation. There is a pressing need for an accurate assessment of the land cover dynamics in the region. The limited previous efforts have produced controversial results, as the area of western Africa is notorious for the gaps in the Landsat archive and the lack of cloud-free data. Even fewer studies have attempted to map the extent of the degraded mangrove forest system, reporting low accuracies. Here, we map the eight main land cover classes over the NDR using spectral-temporal metrics from all available Landsat data centred around three epochs. We also test the performance of the classification when L-band radar data are added to the Landsat-based metrics. To further our understanding of the land cover change dynamics, we carry out two additional assessments: a change intensity analysis for the entire NDR and, focusing specifically on the mangrove forest, we analyse the fragmentation of both the healthy and the degraded mangrove land cover classes. We achieve high overall classification accuracies in all epochs (~79% for 1988, and 82% for 2000 and 2013) and are able to map the degraded mangroves accurately, for the first time, with user’s accuracies between 77% and 87% and producer’s accuracies consistently above 82%. Our results show that mangrove forests, lowland rainforests, and freshwater forests are reporting net and highly intense losses (mangrove net loss: ~500 km2; woodland net loss: ~1400 km2), while built-up areas have almost doubled in size (from 1990 km2 in 1988 to 3730 km2 in 2013). The mangrove forests are also consistently more fragmented, with the opposite effect being observed for the degraded mangroves in more recent years. Our study provides a valuable assessment of land cover dynamics in the NDR and the first ever accurate estimates of the extent of the degraded mangrove forest and its fragmentation.

Unwrapping the Memory Box

Abstract The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, has been undergoing significant ecological changes due to climate change-related weather events since the late 1990s. This forest, situated in south-west Bangladesh, provides livelihood services to 3.5 million people. The livelihood provision of the Sundarbans forest has been invented due to climate-induced disasters, such as cyclones, sea-level rise, salinisation, heat waves, and flooding. Considering the impacts of cyclones Aila and Sidr, this autoethnographic study closely examines the long-established perceptions of women and men about the resources of the Sundarbans. While doing so, this study uses feminist political ecology as a theoretical framework. This study examines how these two cyclones transformed lives and gendered livelihoods of the villagers of Shora in the Sundarbans forest.

Changing pollinator communities along a disturbance gradient in the Sundarbans mangrove forest: A case study on Acanthus ilicifolius and Avicennia officinalis

The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site has been facing increasing pressure of habitat destruction. Yet, no study has been conducted to test how human disturbances are affecting plant-pollinator interactions in this unique ecosystem. Hence, we aimed to provide the first insight into the impact of habitat loss and human disturbances on the pollinator communities in the Sundarbans. We selected 12 sites in the North-Western region of the Sundarbans, along a gradient of decreasing habitat loss and human activities from forest fragments near human settlements to continuous pristine forest, where we studied insect pollinators of two mangrove plant species, Acanthus ilicifolius and Avicennia officinalis. Our results show that different pollinator groups responded to the disturbance gradient differently. For example, the abundance of Apis dorsata, one of the three local species of honey bees, increased gradually from the village area towards the deep pristine forest. On the other hand, A. cerana and A. florea were found in the village sites and completely absent in the deep forest. Although pollinator community composition changed along the disturbance gradient, their efficacy in pollination did not seem to be significantly affected. However, lower plant diversity and low understory plant cover in the forest patches nearby the village indicated that human disturbances not only affected pollinator community composition but also played a major negative role in the regeneration of the forest. Our study provides first insights into plant-pollinator interactions in the Sundarbans and demonstrates that more research is needed to imply conservation strategies for this unique habitat.

Physical model investigation of mid-scale mangrove effects on flow hydrodynamics and pressures and loads in the built environment

Large (km-scale) mangrove forests can provide protection to shorelines and near-coast structures during extreme coastal flood events, including tsunamis and tropical cyclones. However, little is known about the effects of mangroves with a modest cross-shore thickness (~10–50 m), on flow hydrodynamics and resulting inland pressures and forces on near-coast structures. We constructed a 1:16 geometric-scale physical model of a Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) fringe with modest cross-shore thickness to measure the effects of a mangrove forest's cross-shore thickness on wave attenuation and subsequent load reduction on near-coast structures, idealized during experiments with an array of cubes. Three configurations, one baseline with zero mangroves and two with mangrove cross-shore thicknesses corresponding to prototype-scale forest widths of 8.2 m and 19.0 m, were considered in front of an array of idealized slab-on-grade residential buildings. Transient wave conditions with varying incident parameters (wave amplitude, wave representative time scale, water level/mangrove emergence, and presence of a background current) were considered. Water surface elevations, water velocities, cross-shore forces, and pressures measured near and against the building array indicate that mangroves affected inland flow hydrodynamics and forces. The presence of mangroves was associated with elevated water levels and reduced peak velocities between the mangroves and inland structures. Increasing the mangrove cross-shore thickness reduced the cross-shore force on a structure by 11%–65% compared to the baseline case without mangroves. The force reduction by the mangrove configurations varied with incident wave representative time scale; waves with longer representative time scales required larger cross-shore thicknesses to provide similar force reductions to those observed for shorter waves. Further investigation into a wider range of mangrove cross-shore thicknesses, trunk densities, and wave conditions is needed to inform engineering performance of natural and nature-based features for resilient coastal design.

Karakteristik dan Aktivitas Antioksidan Pedada Beserta Turunannya

Indonesia is a country with the largest mangrove forests in the world. Indonesia also has various types of mangrove plants, one of which is pedada fruit (Sonneratia caseolaris). Pedada fruit is one type of mangrove whose fruit can be eaten. This fruit has good nutritional content and a source of vitamins A, B and C that are needed by the body. In addition, pedada fruit also contains phytochemical compounds that are closely related to antioxidant activity. With natural resources and abundant availability and nutrient content, pedada fruit is recommended to be used as processed food in order to increase food diversification. Pedada fruit has been processed into food processed products such as dodol, syrup, flour, ice cream, hard candy flavor, and jam. This study aims to study the characteristics of pedada fruit and its processed products into jam. Pedada fruit and jam have weak antioxidant activity values where the antioxidant activity is 549.91 ppm and 646.25 ppm, respectively.

Assessing cyclone disturbances (1988–2016) in the Sundarbans mangrove forests using Landsat and Google Earth Engine

Cyclone disturbances can cause significant damage to forest vegetation. The Sundarbans spreading across Bangladesh and India, the world’s largest mangrove forest, is frequently exposed to cyclones of various magnitudes. However, the extent and pattern of forest disturbances caused by cyclones in the Sundarbans (both parts) remain poorly understood, and a long-term dataset focused on cyclones and forest disturbances is required. In this study, Google Earth Engine and Landsat images were used to evaluate changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) before versus after 21 cyclones that occurred between 1988 and 2016. Supervised classification successfully classified the forest area with an overall accuracy of 86% and Kappa coefficient of 0.80. The percentage of affected forest area (i.e., the area that exhibited negative changes in NDVI values following a cyclone) ranged from 0.5 to 24.1% of the total forest area. Of the 21 focal cyclones, 18 affected less than 10% of the forest area, while two cyclones, Sidr in 2007 (category H5) and a cyclone in 1988 (category H3), affected 24.1% and 20.4%, respectively. Among the cyclone parameters (i.e., maximum wind speed, distance from the Sundarbans, and river water level), wind speed was significantly and positively correlated with affected forest area. Wind speed and affected forest area were nonlinearly related indicated by the piecewise linear regression and cubic regression. The piecewise model estimated a threshold point, suggesting that wind speed had little effects below a breakpoint of 101.9 km h−1. Our analyses, based on a 29-year dataset, suggest that, although the region experienced cyclones almost every year, only the largest cyclones (i.e., in the H3 category or higher) affected 20% or more of the mangrove forest area, and these occurred around once per 7- to 12-year period. Trees with broken stems or uprooted canopies as a result of strong winds are likely to contribute to the reduction in NDVI in the aftermath of a cyclone. From a long-term perspective, such rare yet intense cyclones may have a significant effect on regeneration and species composition in the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Since previous studies only focused on a few cyclones, our results based on 21 cyclones will certainly help better understanding of the effects of cyclones on mangrove forest disturbance.

The Significance of Civil Intellectuals’ Activism: A Case of Eco-Nationalistic Social Movement in Bangladesh

This article examines how the civil intellectuals of Bangladesh oppose the state-sponsored political imposition that consistently approached to establish a coal-fired power plant, thus, risking the Sundarbans—one of the world’s largest mangrove forests. By incorporating five points of significance, this article argues that civil intellectuals, as the only acceptable spokespersons, not only play a vital ‘counteracting’ role in differing the government’s adamant decision, but also are impeded by their functional limitations. This study appraises the position of civil intellectuals in this movement through using intensive interviews, focus group discussions, and participation-observation. The results find that civil intellectuals: (1) respond to governmentality by producing counter-discourse and are struggling state hegemony through the phases of the movement; (2) conceive an eco-nationalistic ideology that is in contrast to the state’s development-nationalistic motives; (3) oppose sense of eco-governance by offering scientific counter-discourse; (4) are revealed as having significant functional limitations in associating with local people from the affected area; and (5) are inherently political entities, whose identity is understood through their reflective functional behavior. The study suggests that civil intellectuals need to solve the constraints of ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ to gain ultimate success in operating social resistance to oppose issues of injustice.

Geographic information system change forest mangrove primary at Districts Merauke

Mangrove forests are the main types of plants with excellent ability to store and absorb carbon. Merauke Regency is one of the districts with the largest mangrove forest in Indonesia. The results of calculations in this study use Geographic Information System technology in 2012 the primary area of primary mangrove forest reached 195,401, 20 ha and in 2016 the total area of primary mangrove forest reached 210,310 ha. The most dominant addition of primary mangrove forest occurred in the Waan sub-district reaching 3,862.01 Ha with an area of 71,199.99 Ha and the most dominant decline in forest area occurred in the Merauke sub-district reaching 0.12 Ha with an area of 1,195.12 Ha.

The Rampal Power Plant, Ecological Disasters and Environmental Resistance in Bangladesh

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the conflict between state and society which surrounds the potential social and environmental impacts of the coal-based Rampal Power Plant in Bangladesh. The project, if implemented, would create a risk of serious social and environmental damage in Bangladesh and would potentially displace impoverished communities. Near Rampal, the world’s largest mangrove forest and a world heritage site – the Sundarbans – is at risk. Rampal brings the inherent contradictions of the vague ‘sustainable development’ slogan into sharp contrast. The ‘environmentalism of the poor’ is offered as an alternative source for solutions to environmental problems.

Organochlorine concentrations in aquatic organisms from different trophic levels of the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem and their implications for human consumption

The Sundarbans, a highly biodiverse tropical ecosystem stretching across India and Bangladesh, is also the largest mangrove forest in the world. Organochlorine compounds (OCs) have been extensively used for agriculture and sanitary purposes in the region. OCs can accumulate in biological tissues and biomagnify in organisms through food webs, for which reason they reach high concentrations in top predators. Because marine food webs are long and marine predators are extensively used in the region as human food, assessment of potential health-related risks caused by OC pollution is in order. This study is the first to determine the concentration of PCBs in fish and crustaceans from the Sundarbans mangroves, their accumulation trends through the food web, and the potential toxicological risk that their consumption poses to humans. DDT concentrations, which had already been assessed in the region, were also determined. The median concentrations ranged from below detection limits to 176.3 ng g−1 lipid weight for tDDT and 275.9 ng g−1 for PCBs. Overall, these concentrations were lower than those usually observed in other regions of the world, apparently as a result of the interplay of several factors: low environmental organochlorine inputs, the physical and climatic characteristics of an ecosystem dominated by high temperatures in a highly flushed ecosystem that dilutes and rapidly disperses pollutants, and the comparatively short food chain lengths that, similarly to other mangrove ecosystems, characterize the Sundarbans. Organochlorine concentrations were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than commonly accepted tolerance levels, so their consumption do not pose a sensible risk to the population. However, concentrations of DDT in dry fish from retail markets were higher because this compound is used for pest control during fish processing. Potential risks involved in this practice likely outweigh potential benefits, so it is recommended that this compound is substituted by less hazardous alternatives.

An Ecological Model for Sustainable Forest Management of Eco-system Based on Optimal Control Theory

Sustainable forest management is one of the challenging issues in the present century. In this manuscript, we have employed the model of control theory to control the consequence of toxicity and illegal logging of mature trees in the ecosystem of Sundarban, the largest mangrove forest in the world. In this investigation, we have momentarily mentioned some of the fields in which these challenges are present. These fields especially consist of sustainable forest management of ecosystem. We have reflected on the modified Leslie-Gower response function to set up as the alternative resource for industries when forestry resources are devastated. The boundedness, persistence, equilibria and stability are examined along with bionomic equilibria and optimal harvesting strategy. Our main aim is to investigate the spans and applications of control theory in real life situation, especially in efficient and sustainable forest growth.

Quantitative analysis of erosion and accretion (1975–2017) using DSAS — A study on Indian Sundarbans

Sundarbans, world’s largest mangrove forest is now struggling to maintain its existence in the face of severe erosion. Any management process to protect this vulnerable ecosystem and to rescue millions of people living here, require place specific erosion measurement. This paper attempted to assess point specific erosion/accretion rate between 1975–2017 using LANDSAT Images. Permanent waterline was demarcated from the rectified images using the algorithm Land Surface Water Index (LSWI) > Normalize Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI). 178 inhabited Mouzas (smallest revenue unit) and 48 islands located along the major estuaries from Hooghly to Raimangal are taken for predicting shore/bank movement using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). 7723 transects along the main river and 855 along the coast are generated at an interval of 100m for calculating End Point Rate (EPR), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) and Land net Loss/Land Gain (LL/LG). From the EPR we found 62% and 85% transects are eroding along the estuarine channels and coast respectively. Multiplying mean EPR and transect interval (100m) between two transect, inter transects net land loss or gain were calculated. Among the channels intensive erosion were observed along the eastern bank of Muriganga in all successive years. Accretion increases landward from the coast in almost all channels. A sharp difference of erosion/accretion observed between reclaimed mouzas and islands covered by dense mangrove swamp. 54% mouza having embankments are retreating at an average rate of 6.14 metre/year, contrary to this only 35% mangrove islands are moving landward at a much slower rate (4.78 m/yr.) in comparison to habitat areas. Process of new land formation is also very steady in mangrove areas (4.78 hec./yr.) than habited areas (6.84 hec./yr.) which indicates channel stability and erosion resistance provided by Mangrove. Mangrove plantation can be a useful option for erosion management.

An ecological model for sustainable wildlife management of the Sundarbans' eco-system based on optimal control theory

The threats to wildlife in Sundarban, the largest mangrove forest in the world arepoaching, recurrent coastal flooding, cyclone and toxicity. Optimal control theory is applied toinvestigate optimal strategies for controlling these threats in the system where anti-poaching patrolsare used for poaching, strong Bomas are constructed to stopping retaliatory killing, green fenceis built for controlling coastal flood and cyclone and re-rout is applied for for toxic control. Thecombination of the three controls is used to control its possible impact on the threats that thepredator prey facing in Sundarbans. The system is also examined so that the best result is achieved.In this study we have also analyzed the optimal control theory where the existing condition isdiscussed. However different control strategies are considered and the achieved results are discussedtogether with the effect of variation of prey refuge.