True mangrove species of Sundarbans Delta, West Bengal, eastern India

By

Barik, Jyotiskona
Chowdhury, Soumyajit

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2014-5-1

Original Publication

Check list : journal of species lists and distribution

Volume

10

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

329--334

Subjects

Bengal , India , inventory , mangroves , Rhizophoraceae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[São Paulo, Brazil] Luís Felipe Toledo 2005-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/10.2.329

 

Abstract

Varied opinions exist as to the species composition and ecological distinction of mangrove habitats of the Indian Sundarbans. Furthermore, distinction of true or major mangroves from mangrove-associate and minor species was left unresolved by past authors. The present study thus aimed to revise a species list of true mangroves in the Indian Sundarbans delta. An indexing of adaptive morpho-physiological characters of mangroves for the tidal-saline environment was conducted. The analysis illustrated 24 species of true mangroves in Indian Sundarbans, belonging to nine families. Of these, Rhizophoraceae showed maximum richness at each of the generic and specific categories assessed. The current study has highlighted the taxonomic richness and status of true mangrove from Indian Sundarbans, resolving the long debated distinction of true from minor and associate mangroves.