The Sundarbans is a vast forest located along the coast which is one of the natural wonders of the world. Located in the delta area of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins, this magnificent forest covers Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts of Bangladesh and two districts of the Indian state of West Bengal, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. As the largest mangrove forest in the coastal saline environment, the Sundarbans is the largest intact forest in the world. The 10,000 sq km of the Sundarbans covers 6,016 sq km in Bangladesh and the rest in India.
The Sundarbans is entangled like a net with marine currents, mud chars and small archipelagos with salinity of mangrove forests. The Sundarbans is the world's largest deltaic island, the longest saline wetland and a very important ecosystem rich in biodiversity. Apart from the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, the forest is also known as the habitat of many species of animals including birds, deer, crocodiles and snakes. There are about 350 species of plants, 120 species of fish, 260 species of birds, 42 species of mammals, 35 species of reptiles and 6 amphibians. Major reptile species include saltwater crocodiles, pythons, cobras, guisaps, sea snakes, chameleons, turtles and others. About 30 species of snakes are found in the Sundarbans. According to the survey, there are now 108 tigers and 100,000 to 150,000 Chitra deer in the Sundarbans. Besides, the famous Sundari and Golpata trees are also found in this forest. Lots of honey is collected from beehives made by bees in this forest.
The Sundarbans was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 6 December 1997. Although Bangladesh and India are in fact adjacent parts of the same uninterrupted territory, they have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under different names; Named "Sundarbans" and "Sundarbans National Park" respectively. The Sundarbans was declared as the 570th Ramsar Area in 1992 as all the features of the Ramsar area exist as a wetland.
Mystery of the name :
"Sundarbans" literally means "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest". There is no specific reason why the Sundarbans is called 'Sundarbans'. However, according to popular belief, the Sundarbans may have been named after the beautiful tree (Heritiera fomes), which grows abundantly there. Many people think that the Sundarbans was named after the forest of the sea of the sea or the indigenous Chandra-dam here. However, the most widely accepted explanation is that the Sundarbans was named after Sundari, the main tree of the Sundarbans. This name has been given its present form in later times.
The Sundarbans is a place of natural beauty, adventure, fear and trembling. Crocodile tiger in the water. The creation of the ungrateful hand of nature. The Royal Bengal Tiger, Chitral deer, snakes, monkeys, fish and many other species of wildlife in the Sundarbans are world famous. The attraction of the Sundarbans to tourists is so bad. The only way to get inside the Sundarbans is by water. Winter is a good time to visit the Sundarbans.
The Sundarbans is a wonderful forest. It is the single largest mangrove forest in the world.
Climate :
As the Sundarbans is located south of the Tropic of Cancer and extends along the northern boundary of the Bay of Bengal, it 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.
Botany:
Most of the vegetation in the Sundarbans is mangrove and has a wide variety of vegetation, including trees, shrubs, grasses, parasites and climbing plants. Most are evergreen, so their physiological and anatomical orientations are more or less the same. Most trees have pneumatophore,
Which allows them to take in oxygen directly from the air for respiration.
The main tree species of this forest are Sundari and Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha). In 1903 d. In his book on the vegetation of the Sundarbans, Praine lists 334 plant species under 245 genera; Of these, 16 are pteridophytes, 7 are monocotyledons and the remaining 230 are dicotyledons. The species includes 35 legumes, 29 herbaceous plants, 19 hogla species and 16 euphorbias. Of the approximately 50 genuine mangrove plant species known to date, only 35 are found in the Sundarbans. Most mangrove plants are evergreen, short, shrubby or tall arboreal. Many of them usually grow in groups without leaving the bottom of the forest empty. Compared to other coastal mangrove forests and highland forests that are not deltaic, there is a huge difference in plant life flow in mangrove forests of Bangladesh. The variation in the plant life cycle of the former has been explained on the basis of the effects of pure water and low salinity in the northeast and water drainage and sedimentation.
Sundarbans under threat :
The catastrophic cyclone Sidr of 2006 caused severe damage to the Sundarbans. According to a UNESCO report, about 40 parts of the Sundarbans have been affected by the Sidr. Many animals and birds have lost their lives and many plants have been destroyed. In 2014, the oil tanker OT Southern Star-6 sank in the Shyala River in the Sundarbans. As a result, more than 3.5 lakh liters of fuel (Furnace Oil) oil spread throughout the Sundarbans through the Shyala River. In this way, a dark darkness descends on the biodiversity of the Sundarbans. In this part of the Sundarbans, the Irrawaddy Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin Finlage Dolphin Indo-Pacific Bottle Nose Dolphin Spinner Dolphin Purpose Dolphin Spotted Dolphin Ganges River Dolphin In addition to a species of bird called Brides Hoys. In this case, the lives of all these animals were threatened.
In recent times, the Rampal Power Project has become the most feared cause for the Sundarbans. The Rampal Power Plant is being built just 14 km from the Sundarbans, which UNESCO has described as a threat to the Sundarbans. And the international environmental group has written to the Bangladesh government to set up the project somewhere far from the Sundarbans. UNESCO has released a report on the potential damage to the Sundarbans due to the Rampal power project. According to the report, the coal ash to be burned in power generation is harmful to the environment. In addition, waste from power plants poses a threat to wetlands. The report also said that all the ships plying the Sundarbans around the project and the industrialization that would take place in the vicinity would endanger the biodiversity of the Sundarbans. UNESCO has decided to include the Sundarbans in the list of endangered World Heritage Sites.
Just as a mother protects her child in the midst of all storms and dangers with deep compassion, so does the Sundarbans protect Bangladesh. The lion's share of the oxygen needed for our survival comes from the forests of the Sundarbans. Therefore, it is important for the survival of the Sundarbans in the interest of human welfare. Because if the Sundarbans survives, Bangladesh will survive. The biodiversity of this country will survive. The people of this country will survive.
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