Sundarbans:The beauty queen

Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, located in the delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra in the southern part of Bangladesh. The forest is located between the coasts of India and Bangladesh, 21 ° 306-22 ৮ 308 north latitude and 89 ´ 008-69 ° 558 east longitude, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. The exquisite variety of plants and the unique combination of wildlife have made this forest a unique natural feature. It is also considered a significant center of economic activity; Forest trees suitable for various purposes are collected from here, and a large quantity of honey, beeswax and fish are extracted. The Sundarbans of Bangladesh extends over parts of Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat districts. There are about 400 interconnected rivers, canals and about 200 small and large islands scattered in the Sundarbans.

Even about 200 years ago, the area of ​​the original Sundarbans was about 16,600 sq km. It has now shrunk to one-third of its actual size. After the partition of British India, two-thirds of the forest fell in Bangladesh and the rest in India. The present area of ​​this forest will be about 4,110 sq km, of which about 1,600 sq km is wetlands. The entire Sundarbans consists of two forest divisions. There are four administrative ranges - Burigoalini, Khulna, Chandpai and Sharankhola; And 16 forest stations. The Sundarbans has been divided into nine blocks and 55 compartments for ease of management. In 1855, the Sundarbans was declared a protected forest. About 32,400 hectares of this forest area has been identified as a wildlife sanctuary and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The sanctuaries of the Sundarbans were established in 1987 in accordance with the Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation) Order (Amendment), 184.

The three areas covered are: Sundarbans West (9,089 ha), Sundarbans South (18,6 ha) and Sundarbans East (5,439 ha).

The name 'Sundarbans' is probably due to the abundance of beautiful trees (Sundari-forest) or the forest of the sea (sea-forest) or the indigenous Chandraveda of this forest. The general interpretation is that the forest is named after the main plant, the beautiful tree (Heritiera fomes).

In terms of geological origin, the Sundarbans landscape is recent and its formation is due to the erosion of sediments in the Himalayas. The topography process has been accelerated due to the tides of the sea. Its lower layers are mainly composed of Quaternary sediments, which are composed of sand, silt, sea salt and clay. Geologists have found a slight slope to the south-east in the topography here, as well as the tilting of the Bengal Basin during the Tertiary period. As a result of the neo-geological movement of the tenth to twelfth centuries, the Bengal Basin tilted to the east. Borehole research shows that although the western part of the Sundarbans is relatively stable, the southeastern part of the Sundarbans is an active pale area and is gradually declining.

Soils The soils of the Sundarbans mangrove forest are different from other soils in the interior of Bangladesh and the effects of waterlogging and salinity are evident in these forests due to the tides. Due to such a unique feature of the soil, the flora is also characteristic. The soil in some parts of this tidal forest is semi-solid and not very strong; The range of pH values ​​is wide, from 5.3 to 6.0. Although the soils of the Sundarbans are of medium texture and sandy loam, silty loam or muddy loam in nature, there are significant differences in the size and extent of the soil grains. Sedimentary loam is the main constituent of the soil here.

Sodium and calcium levels are 5.7 to 29.6 meq per 100 g of dry soil and are generally lower in the eastern part of the forest and gradually higher in the west. Potassium content is relatively low, 0.3 to 1.3 meq per 100 g of dry soil. The level of organic matter in the dry soil is 4 to 10 percent. Soil salinity is slightly moderate in the eastern region, but gradually increases and is significantly higher in the western region. There is no consistency between the salinity of the land from north to south in the whole forest.

Climate As the Sundarbans is located south of the Tropic of Cancer and extends along the northern boundary of the Bay of Bengal, this forest is classified as a tropical moist forest. The temperature of the Sundarbans is fairly balanced as compared to the forest lands. The average annual maximum and minimum temperatures in different parts of the country range from 31 ° C to 21 ° C. Temperatures are highest from mid-March to mid-June and lowest in December and January. In the Patuakhali area east of the Sundarbans, temperatures reach 32.4 ° C during the warmer months.

Average annual relative humidity fluctuates between 60% in Satkhira and 40% in Patuakhali. Relative humidity is highest in June to October and lowest in February. Annual rainfall in the Sundarbans 1840-2000 mm; Rainfall is relatively high from west to east of the forest. Most rainfall occurs during the monsoon season, between May and September. There is sometimes heavy rainfall between mid-June and mid-September. Storms and marine