Author: Sanjay Kumar Samanta
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/04010004
Abstract: Mangrove ecosystems have been recognized as highly productive coastal environments that provide critical ecological services, including shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, and habitat support for diverse biotic communities. The Indian Sundarbans, forming the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, have been exposed to a wide range of environmental stressors driven by natural processes and intensified anthropogenic pressures. The present review synthesized existing scientific literature to examine the major environmental stressors affecting the mangrove ecosystems of the Indian Sundarbans and to assess the resulting vulnerability of biodiversity across multiple trophic levels. Stressors such as salinity intrusion, climate change–induced sea-level rise, cyclonic disturbances, temperature anomalies, pollution, and landuse changes were reviewed in relation to their impacts on mangrove flora, faunal assemblages, and ecosystem functioning. Evidence from long-term ecological studies, remote sensing analyses, and field-based observations indicated that biodiversity loss and structural degradation had been strongly linked to the cumulative and interacting effects of these stressors. Mangrove species composition had been altered, faunal diversity had declined in sensitive zones, and ecosystem resilience had been reduced in several parts of the Sundarbans. The review highlighted critical research gaps, including limited long-term biodiversity datasets and inadequate integration of biotic and abiotic drivers. It was concluded that integrated conservation strategies incorporating climate adaptation, pollution control, and sustainable resource management were urgently required to reduce biodiversity vulnerability and ensure the long-term persistence of the Indian Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem.
Keywords: Indian Sundarbans; Mangrove Ecosystems; Environmental Stressors; Biodiversity Vulnerability; Climate Change; Salinity Intrusion.
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