Sundarbans Mangrove Forest Research Articles

Indigenous Survival Mechanisms of the Sundarban Mangrove Forest People of Bangladesh: An Analytical Explanation on Munda And Mahato People

Indigenous Survival Mechanisms of the Sundarban Mangrove Forest People of Bangladesh: An Analytical Explanation on Munda And Mahato People

Estimation of ammonia exchange at the land–ocean boundary condition of Sundarban mangrove, northeast coast of Bay of Bengal, India

Abstract The Sundarban mangrove forest (4264 km 2 ) is about 3% of the total area of the world mangrove is interdependent on the coastal aquatic subecosystem (1781 km 2 ). Ammonia concentration and flux measurements in the mangrove ecosystem and measurements in such tropical land–ocean boundary conditions are few and far between. A micrometeorological method was used to measure ammonia exchange over Sundarban mangrove forest and aquatic subecosystem. Results showed both emission and gaseous dry deposition in the forest area at a rate 1.79×10 3 and 2.26×10 3 kg N km –2 yr −1 , respectively. Flux of ammonia in the aquatic subecosystem was found always from air to water with a rate of 775.7 kg N km –2 yr −1 . The annual particulate dry and wet atmospherically deposited ammonia flux were calculated to be 69.0 and 21.5 kg N km –2 yr −1 , respectively. Exchange of gaseous ammonia in the mangrove forest showed net deposition with a rate of 4.90×10 2 kg N km –2 yr −1 . Annual imported flux from the proximate terrestrial source to this virgin forest was found to be 4.26×10 6 kg N yr −1 out of which 32.9% was deposited to the coastal water. Ammonia compensation point for mangrove vegetation was found to occur between 51 and 421 nmol m −3 and its variation was related to wind velocity, temperature, and humidity.

MOSQUITOES OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF INDIA: PART 2—SUNDARBANS, WEST BENGAL

Mosquitoes of 19 species belonging to 9 subgenera and 6 genera, Aedes, Aedeomyia, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia, were recorded in Sundarbans mangrove forest in West Bengal, India. With 6 and 5 species, respectively, the 2 genera Culex and Anopheles were found to be more diverse while less than 3 species were recorded in the other 4 genera. Adults were mainly collected resting on walls in the guesthouse, tree holes in the forest, landing on humans in the guesthouse, and in the forest, and in light traps. Larvae were obtained from tree holes in the forest. The list of species recorded is not conclusive due to the restriction in access to most parts of the mangroves due to the presence of tigers. The occurrence of the urban species Cx. quinquefasciatus within the Sajnakhali sanctuary is indicative of the need to monitor environmental changes that result with the introduction of man-made facilities.

Some Physico-chemical Parameters of Soil and Water of Sundarban Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh

Some Physico-chemical Parameters of Soil and Water of Sundarban Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh

Biogenic controls on the air—water carbon dioxide exchange in the Sundarban mangrove environment, northeast coast of Bay of Bengal, India

The Sundarban mangrove forest (4,264 km2) constitutes about 3% of the total area of the world mangrove. We measured diurnal and seasonal variations of air—water CO2 exchange in relation to the occurrence of phytoplankton during January—December 2001. Diurnal variations of airflows showed that the minimum and maximum CO2 flux of ‐16.2 µmol m−2 h−1 and 49.9 µmol m−2 h−1, respectively, occurred during the higher sea breeze. The average ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN = 13.85 କ 7.19 µmol L−1) to dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP = 1.23 କ 0.57 µmol L−1) was 11 କ 4 and the surface water was undersaturated with respect to dissolved oxygen. The mean value of 0.1 କ 0.08 for the ratio of phytoplankton production (P) to community respiration (R) indicated that the ecosystem was heterotrophic. The saturation of dissolved carbon dioxide with respect to the atmosphere varied seasonally between 59% and 156%, with minimum levels in postmonsoon and maximum levels in premonsoon/ early monsoon (June/July). Out of the 36 genera of diatoms, 1 blue green alga, and 3 dinoflagellates that occurred throughout the year, only 6 reached bloom proportions in postmonsoon, when mangrove water was a sink of atmospheric CO2. Although 59.3% of the emitted CO2 was removed from the atmosphere by biological processes, on an annual basis, the Sundarban mangrove forest supplies 13.8 kg C ha−1 yr−1 of CO2 from water surface to the atmosphere. Even though it is important to compare all in and out fluxes, there is no direct link between CO2 emission and the later CO2 removal by biological processes.

WATER QUALITY CHARACTERIZATION OF SUNDARBANS MANGROVE FOREST OF BANGLADESH: ON THE PERSPECTIVE OF AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY

The paper describes the characterization of water quality of Sundarbans Mangrove Forest of Bangladesh. Water samples of 28 stations, selected from the four major river systems of Sundarbans were collected. The sampling period was from January 2001 to July 2001. The values of ten water quality parameters, such as Temperature, Conductivity, pH, Alkalinity, Free CO2, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Hardness and Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) were measured. The values of the parameters obtained indicate that the Sundarbans aquatic habitat is at suitable range for aquatic species.

A Laboratory Approach for Determining Effects of Potential Oil Spillage on Water Quality of Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh

This study was conducted in laboratory as a microcosm approach in order to know the effect of oil (diesel) spillage on water quality of Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (SMF), Bangladesh. A series of laboratory tanks were filled with water of SMF with different concentrations of oils dispersed onto the waters. The water quality parameters viz. alkalinity, free CO2, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, hardness, major anions (sulfate and chloride) and major cations (Na+, K+, Ca+2 and Mg+2) were determined three times at nearly weekly intervals. Results indicate the degradation of oil followed by reduction of dissolved oxygen and evolution of free CO2, coupled with depletion of the concentration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in tank waters. This might be due the complex formation of Ca2+ and Mg2+ with hydrocarbons which were insoluble in water. The water quality parameters of different laboratory tanks were also compared with those of different locations of SMF determined before the microcosm approach, suggesting that oil spillage deteriorates the water quality of SMF. Key words: Water quality; simulation; oil spillage; Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (SRF) DOI: 10.3329/jles.v3i0.7441 J. Life Earth Sci., Vols. 3-4: 23-28, 2009