The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts

Andrew C. G. Henderson; Sourav Das; Tuhin Ghosh; Virginia N. Panizzo; Heather L. Moorhouse; Lucy R. Roberts; Richard E. Walton; Ying Zheng; Adrian M. Bass; Suzanne McGowan

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts

Andrew C. G. Henderson, Sourav Das, Tuhin Ghosh, Virginia N. Panizzo, Heather L. Moorhouse, Lucy R. Roberts, Richard E. Walton, Ying Zheng, Adrian M. Bass, Suzanne McGowan

Research output: Chapter in book/volume › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The Sundarbans region is one of the richest ecosystems in the world and is located on one of the world’s largest deltas – the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system. The Indian Sundarbans have exceptional biodiversity, including rare and globally threatened species, and is made up of a mangrove forest ecosystem with an interconnected network of rivers. The hydrology of the Sundarbans underpin ecosystem health and the potential impact of humans on the region, as the tidal cycle changes water salinity diurnally and freshwater supply changes seasonally with the monsoon. The Indian Sundarbans face multiple pressures with both a reduction in freshwater supply and rising relative sea-level, leading to increased salinization of the mangrove forest. Human-driven alteration of the Sundarbans river catchments is reducing sediment flow, and when coupled with land-use change, is leading to subsidence, deforestation, nutrient enrichment, and heavy metal pollutants impacting the health of the ecosystem. All of these impacts have important ramifications for carbon fluxes that could exacerbate climate change and ecosystem health. In this chapter, we present an overview of our current understanding of biogeochemical dynamics and anthropogenic impacts on the Indian Sundarbans, with a particular focus on water quality, aquatic ecology, and carbon dynamics.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India
Editors	Sourav Das, Tuhin Ghosh
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Springer International Publishing AG
Pages	239-260
Number of pages	22
ISBN (Print)	978-3-030-68980-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15
Publication status	Published - 2021
Externally published	Yes

Publication series

Name	Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

Cite this

Henderson, A. C. G., Das, S., Ghosh, T., Panizzo, V. N., Moorhouse, H. L., Roberts, L. R., Walton, R. E., Zheng, Y., Bass, A. M., & McGowan, S. (2021). The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts. In S. Das, & T. Ghosh (Eds.), Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India (pp. 239-260). (Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India). Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

@inbook{b1e82442d64348e9be77a017b770f1e0,

title = "The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts",

abstract = "The Sundarbans region is one of the richest ecosystems in the world and is located on one of the world{\textquoteright}s largest deltas – the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system. The Indian Sundarbans have exceptional biodiversity, including rare and globally threatened species, and is made up of a mangrove forest ecosystem with an interconnected network of rivers. The hydrology of the Sundarbans underpin ecosystem health and the potential impact of humans on the region, as the tidal cycle changes water salinity diurnally and freshwater supply changes seasonally with the monsoon. The Indian Sundarbans face multiple pressures with both a reduction in freshwater supply and rising relative sea-level, leading to increased salinization of the mangrove forest. Human-driven alteration of the Sundarbans river catchments is reducing sediment flow, and when coupled with land-use change, is leading to subsidence, deforestation, nutrient enrichment, and heavy metal pollutants impacting the health of the ecosystem. All of these impacts have important ramifications for carbon fluxes that could exacerbate climate change and ecosystem health. In this chapter, we present an overview of our current understanding of biogeochemical dynamics and anthropogenic impacts on the Indian Sundarbans, with a particular focus on water quality, aquatic ecology, and carbon dynamics.",

author = "Henderson, {Andrew C. G.} and Sourav Das and Tuhin Ghosh and Panizzo, {Virginia N.} and Moorhouse, {Heather L.} and Roberts, {Lucy R.} and Walton, {Richard E.} and Ying Zheng and Bass, {Adrian M.} and Suzanne McGowan",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-030-68980-3",

series = "Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India",

publisher = "Springer International Publishing AG",

pages = "239--260",

editor = "Sourav Das and Tuhin Ghosh",

booktitle = "Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India",

address = "Switzerland",

}

Henderson, ACG, Das, S, Ghosh, T, Panizzo, VN, Moorhouse, HL, Roberts, LR, Walton, RE, Zheng, Y, Bass, AM & McGowan, S 2021, The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts. in S Das & T Ghosh (eds), Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India. Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India, Springer International Publishing AG, Cham, pp. 239-260. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts. / Henderson, Andrew C. G.; Das, Sourav; Ghosh, Tuhin et al.
Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India. ed. / Sourav Das; Tuhin Ghosh. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, 2021. p. 239-260 (Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India).

Research output: Chapter in book/volume › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts

AU - Henderson, Andrew C. G.

AU - Das, Sourav

AU - Ghosh, Tuhin

AU - Panizzo, Virginia N.

AU - Moorhouse, Heather L.

AU - Roberts, Lucy R.

AU - Walton, Richard E.

AU - Zheng, Ying

AU - Bass, Adrian M.

AU - McGowan, Suzanne

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - The Sundarbans region is one of the richest ecosystems in the world and is located on one of the world’s largest deltas – the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system. The Indian Sundarbans have exceptional biodiversity, including rare and globally threatened species, and is made up of a mangrove forest ecosystem with an interconnected network of rivers. The hydrology of the Sundarbans underpin ecosystem health and the potential impact of humans on the region, as the tidal cycle changes water salinity diurnally and freshwater supply changes seasonally with the monsoon. The Indian Sundarbans face multiple pressures with both a reduction in freshwater supply and rising relative sea-level, leading to increased salinization of the mangrove forest. Human-driven alteration of the Sundarbans river catchments is reducing sediment flow, and when coupled with land-use change, is leading to subsidence, deforestation, nutrient enrichment, and heavy metal pollutants impacting the health of the ecosystem. All of these impacts have important ramifications for carbon fluxes that could exacerbate climate change and ecosystem health. In this chapter, we present an overview of our current understanding of biogeochemical dynamics and anthropogenic impacts on the Indian Sundarbans, with a particular focus on water quality, aquatic ecology, and carbon dynamics.

AB - The Sundarbans region is one of the richest ecosystems in the world and is located on one of the world’s largest deltas – the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system. The Indian Sundarbans have exceptional biodiversity, including rare and globally threatened species, and is made up of a mangrove forest ecosystem with an interconnected network of rivers. The hydrology of the Sundarbans underpin ecosystem health and the potential impact of humans on the region, as the tidal cycle changes water salinity diurnally and freshwater supply changes seasonally with the monsoon. The Indian Sundarbans face multiple pressures with both a reduction in freshwater supply and rising relative sea-level, leading to increased salinization of the mangrove forest. Human-driven alteration of the Sundarbans river catchments is reducing sediment flow, and when coupled with land-use change, is leading to subsidence, deforestation, nutrient enrichment, and heavy metal pollutants impacting the health of the ecosystem. All of these impacts have important ramifications for carbon fluxes that could exacerbate climate change and ecosystem health. In this chapter, we present an overview of our current understanding of biogeochemical dynamics and anthropogenic impacts on the Indian Sundarbans, with a particular focus on water quality, aquatic ecology, and carbon dynamics.

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-3-030-68980-3

T3 - Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India

SP - 239

EP - 260

BT - Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India

A2 - Das, Sourav

A2 - Ghosh, Tuhin

PB - Springer International Publishing AG

CY - Cham

ER -

Henderson ACG, Das S, Ghosh T, Panizzo VN, Moorhouse HL, Roberts LR et al. The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts. In Das S, Ghosh T, editors, Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. 2021. p. 239-260. (Estuarine Biogeochemical Dynamics of the East Coast of India). doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-68980-3_15

The Indian Sundarbans: Biogeochemical Dynamics and Anthropogenic Impacts

Abstract

Publication series

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this