Understanding Blue Carbon and Need of Mangrove Productivity: Reviewing Different Projects along with Assessing their Success Rates and Suggesting Alternatives | Chapter 8 | Surviving Sundarbans: Tragedy and Hope, Edition 1

In this research paper, a detailed explanation of blue carbon and carbon sequestration is undergone. A special emphasis has been laid on Sundarban, as it serves to be the delta, having large mangrove forests. The mechanism of carbon capture of mangroves is explained. Also, a comparison of carbon-capturing capacities of different mangrove species is done. Different factors like salinity, temperature, soil type etc. which cause differences in carbon sequestration capacities of different mangrove species are enlisted. Special adaptations that mangroves require to survive in saline conditions are discussed. Discussions about various techniques for improving mangrove productivity till date are conducted. It is observed that although various scientific approaches and afforestation strategies are suggested by the Government to increase productivity in Sundarban, still results are still not as per expectations. The probable reasons behind such failures are highlighted, among which proper site selection, species variety selections and community participation are considered. Threats which are increasing mangrove mortality rates are emphasized. Lastly, alternative approaches like economic valuation methods and guidelines for the plantation of mangroves as bonsai in households are suggested.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Debaditi Goswami
Institute of Education (P.G.) for Women, Chandernagore, Hooghly, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48859-73-0/CH8

The Transboundary Sundarban Mangroves: A Struggling Ecosystem | Chapter 5 | Surviving Sundarbans: Tragedy and Hope, Edition 1

The Sundarban region is one of the world's most vulnerable coastal ecosystems, facing significant threats from logging, overexploitation, and climate change, including intensified storms, and rising sea levels. Despite being the most productive ecosystem on the earth, the mangrove forests, which support diverse flora and fauna and provide essential services to coastal communities, have declined significantly over the past two centuries. The Sundarban contain 45 mangrove species and 21 species of under-canopy vegetation which experienced an annual degradation rate of about 0.114% from 2005 to 2023. Soil nitrogen content ranges from 0.04% to 0.08%, with high levels of water-soluble and exchangeable magnesium, calcium, and potassium in the Oligohaline zone. The ongoing conflict between resource exploitation and local livelihoods in forested areas underscores the vital role of vegetation in maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity. Typically, there is an inverse correlation between the well-being of local communities and the health of forest ecosystems. As these communities seek to meet their economic needs, pressure on forest resources increases, leading to environmental degradation and reduced biodiversity.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Chandan Surabhi Das
Barasat Govt. College, North 24 Pgs., W.B., India.

 

Pritam Sarkar
West Bengal State University, North 24 Pgs., W.B., India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48859-73-0/CH5