Author: Sanjay Kumar Samanta
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020300038
Abstract: The Indian Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest contiguous mangrove ecosystem globally, faces an existential threat from escalating surface water and soil salinity. This study investigates the coupled effects of salinity on the physiological and structural dynamics of dominant mangrove flora between January 2023 and December 2025. Utilizing a multi-sectoral monitoring approach across the western, central, and eastern sectors, we assessed changes in Above Ground Biomass (AGB), species zonation, and foliar traits. Our findings reveal a significant decline in AGB for salinitysensitive species like Heritierafomes and Sonneratia apetala, alongside a landward migration and proliferation of salt-tolerant taxa such as Avicennia marina and Excoecariaagallocha. Physiological data indicate a reduction in leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content, coupled with increased leaf succulence, as conservative resource-use strategies under osmotic stress. These results underscore a narrowing of ecological resilience and suggest that without urgent freshwater restoration and transboundary management, the structural integrity of the Sundarbans will continue to deteriorate.
Keywords: Indian Sundarbans; Mangrove Flora; Salinity Intrusion; Climate Change; Species Zonation; Above Ground Biomass (AGB); Resilience.
Page No: 280-284