Sunderban
is the largest Mangrove forest of the earth. It is different from its beauty, site
characteristics and species diversity. This
forest covers 10,000 sq. km. of which about 6,000 are in Bangladesh. It became inscribed as a UNESCO world
heritage site in 1997. The Sunderbans is estimated to be about
4,110 km², of which about 1,700 km² is occupied by waterbodies in the
forms of river, canals and creeks of width varying from a few meters to several
kilometers.
How can we
identify Sunderban as a mangrove forest?
·
This area is a sheltered region for
vegetation growth.
·
Tidal inundation is occurred frequently.
·
Species are halophytic because here
water and soil are very much saline.
Identify characteristics of
mangrove species:
Local Name
|
Scientific Name
|
Special Character
|
||
Sundri
|
Heritiera fomes
|
Grey longitudinally cracked bark,
Shade bearer, climax species, leaves are shortly petiolate and grouped
towards the ends of the branches & dark green
|
||
Gewa
|
Excoecaria agallocha
|
Grey, smooth and coverd with prominent
lenticels; exudes a very acrid poisonous juice; simple, alternate, obovate to
elliptic dark glossy green leaves.
|
||
Goran
|
Ceriops decandra
|
At the ends of the twigs, ovate to
ovate oblong, entire glabrous leathery obtuse and darker green above than
below.
|
||
Keora
|
Soneratia apetala
|
Pioneer strong light demander tallest
species of Sunderban, stand deteriorates very quickly after maturity.
|
||
Poshur
|
Xylocarpus
mekongensis
|
Medium-sized,
evergreen or briefly deciduous, glabrous tree reaching of 10-20 m in height,
with a trunk diameter up to 1 m in diameter with very short or even no
buttresses and an elaborated above ground root system. USES The bark of the
bole is rich in tannin.
|
||
Golpata
|
Nypa fruticans
|
Trunk less palm with tall erect fronds
and an underground short horizontal stem; grows on the bank of the rivers.
|
||
Baen
|
Avicennia alba
|
Scattered isolated trees; pneumetaphores
are thin finger like and covered with numerous lenticels; when over mature,
Baen is usually hollow and rotten.
|
||
Amur
|
Amoora cucullata
|
|||
There
are 64 plant species in Sundarbans and they have the capacity to withstand
estuarine conditions and saline inundation on account of tidal effects. Some
species is also found by us in Sunderban such as Hantle, Sinra etc.
|
||||
