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Analysis of Direct Human Influences and Its Adverse Impacts on the Ecosystems of World Heritage Site (Sundarbans)

Received: 4 August 2014    Accepted: 16 August 2014    Published: 30 August 2014
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Abstract

The Sundarbans is the largest single tract of mangrove forest in the world, occupying about 6,029 km2 in Bangladesh and the rest in India. At the advent of British rule in 1765, the Sundarbans forests were double their present size. Although, Sundarbans importantly supports local societies and economics, it is suffering a serious killer disease (top dying) which is affecting millions of the trees. The loss of H. fomes will have a major impact on the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem and economic losses as well.The forest is seriously threatened by human destruction and by ecological pollution. The cause of this dieback is still unknown. The present work investigates one of the possible factors that might be causing this top-dying namely the concentrations of various chemical elements present in the soil or sediments, particularly, exchangeable Kand heavy metals concentrations, though other chemical parameters such as the pH, moisture content of the soil or sediment and nutrient status were also assessed. A questionnaire survey was conducted among different groups of people inside and outside of Sundarbans to explore local perceptions as to the possible causes of top dying This confirmed the increase in top-dying prevalence due to human destructions and environmental pollutions.

Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14
Page(s) 209-219
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Human Destruction, Direct Extractions, Activities, Chemical Contamination, Causal Factors, Pollution, Heavy Metal Concentrations, Chemical Contamination, Sundarbans, Top-Dying

References
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[2] Awal, M.A., Hale, W.H.G. & Stern, B. (2009). Trace element concentrations in mangrove sediments in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(12), 1944-1948.
[3] Awal, M.A. (2014). “Correlation between the chemical composition of the surface sediment and water in the mangrove forest of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh, and the regeneration, growth and dieback of the forest trees and people health”.Journal of Science Innovation; 2014. 2(2): pp.11-21.Science Publishing Group, USA; May 20th, 2014(2):11-21;doi: 10.11648/j/si.20140202.11.
[4] Anonymous, 1975. Under-exploited tropical plants with promising economic value. National Academy of Sciences, Washington.
[5] Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2006. Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh, Statistics Division. Ministry of Planning. Dhaka, Bangladesh.
[6] Bari, A. 1993. Afforestation and the nutrient sink. Assistance to Fisheries Research Institute. Mymensingh. BGD / 89 / 012, Field Document-3.
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[10] Chaffey, D. R; Miller, F.R; Sandom, J. H. 1985. A forest inventory of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh, Main report, Project Report No.140, 196 pp; Overseas Development Administration, London, U.K:195-196.
[11] Chantarasri, S. 1994. Integrated Resource Development of the Sundarban, Fisheries Resources Mangagement for the Sundarban, UNDP / FAO, BGD / 84 / 056, Khulna, Bangladeshp: 170-172.
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[14] FAO, 1982. Management and utilization of mangroves in Asia and the Pacific.1982. FAO Environment Paper, 3.Rome:160-168.
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[16] FAO, 1997. State of the World’s Forests. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy.
[17] Government of Republic of Bangladesh, 1985. The draft of (1985-90) 5th five year plan, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
[18] Government of Bangladesh, (1993). Forestry Master Plan: Executive Summary. Asian Development Bank, UNDP/FAOBGD/88/025, Forest Department, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka.31p.
[19] Guha, R. (1989). Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique. Environmental Ethics, 11, pp.71-83.
[20] Hambrey, J. 1999. Mangrove, Fisheries and Economic. Aquaculture and Aquatic Resource Management Program. Asian Institute of Technology. Thailand: 1-4.
[21] Hussain, Z. and Karim, A. (1994). Introduction. In: Mangroves of the Sundarbans. Volume 2: Bangladesh, Z. Hussain and G. Acharya (Eds.) IUCN. Bankok, Thailand. !-18 pp.
[22] Islam, A. K. M. N. 1973. The algal flora of the Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Botany. 2 (2): 11-36.
[23] Khan, J. A. 1997. Estimation of unregulated densities by line transects method in Gir forest, India. Tropical Ecology. 38(1): 65-72.
[24] Mukharjee, A. K. 1975. The Sundarbans of India and its biota. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 72 (1):1-20.
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  • APA Style

    Awal, Mohd Abdul. (2014). Analysis of Direct Human Influences and Its Adverse Impacts on the Ecosystems of World Heritage Site (Sundarbans). International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 2(4), 209-219. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14

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    ACS Style

    Awal; Mohd Abdul. Analysis of Direct Human Influences and Its Adverse Impacts on the Ecosystems of World Heritage Site (Sundarbans). Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2014, 2(4), 209-219. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14

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    AMA Style

    Awal, Mohd Abdul. Analysis of Direct Human Influences and Its Adverse Impacts on the Ecosystems of World Heritage Site (Sundarbans). Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2014;2(4):209-219. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14,
      author = {Awal and Mohd Abdul},
      title = {Analysis of Direct Human Influences and Its Adverse Impacts on the Ecosystems of World Heritage Site (Sundarbans)},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {209-219},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20140204.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20140204.14},
      abstract = {The Sundarbans is the largest single tract of mangrove forest in the world, occupying about 6,029 km2 in Bangladesh and the rest in India. At the advent of British rule in 1765, the Sundarbans forests were double their present size. Although, Sundarbans importantly supports local societies and economics, it is suffering   a serious killer disease (top dying) which is affecting millions of the trees. The loss of H. fomes will have a major impact on the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem and economic losses as well.The forest is seriously threatened by human destruction and by ecological pollution. The cause of this dieback is still unknown. The present work investigates one of the possible factors that might be causing this top-dying namely the concentrations of various chemical elements present in the soil or sediments, particularly, exchangeable Kand heavy metals concentrations, though other chemical parameters such as the pH, moisture content of the soil or sediment and nutrient status were also assessed. A questionnaire survey was conducted among different groups of people inside and outside of Sundarbans to explore local perceptions as to the possible causes of top dying This confirmed the increase in top-dying prevalence due to human destructions and environmental pollutions.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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    AB  - The Sundarbans is the largest single tract of mangrove forest in the world, occupying about 6,029 km2 in Bangladesh and the rest in India. At the advent of British rule in 1765, the Sundarbans forests were double their present size. Although, Sundarbans importantly supports local societies and economics, it is suffering   a serious killer disease (top dying) which is affecting millions of the trees. The loss of H. fomes will have a major impact on the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem and economic losses as well.The forest is seriously threatened by human destruction and by ecological pollution. The cause of this dieback is still unknown. The present work investigates one of the possible factors that might be causing this top-dying namely the concentrations of various chemical elements present in the soil or sediments, particularly, exchangeable Kand heavy metals concentrations, though other chemical parameters such as the pH, moisture content of the soil or sediment and nutrient status were also assessed. A questionnaire survey was conducted among different groups of people inside and outside of Sundarbans to explore local perceptions as to the possible causes of top dying This confirmed the increase in top-dying prevalence due to human destructions and environmental pollutions.
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