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1980s-2010s: The world's largest mangrove ecosystem is becoming homogeneous.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge gaps in spatiotemporal changes in mangrove diversity and composition have obstructed mangrove conservation programs across the tropics, but particularly in the Sundarbans (10,017 km2), the world's largest remaining natural mangrove ecosystem. Using mangrove tree data collected from Earth's largest permanent sample plot network at four historical time points (1986, 1994, 1999 and 2014), this study establishes spatially explicit baseline biodiversity information for the Sundarbans. We determined the spatial and temporal differences in alpha, beta, and gamma diversity in three ecological zones (hypo-, meso-, and hypersaline) and also uncovered changes in the mangroves' overall geographic range and abundances therein. Spatially, the hyposaline mangrove communities were the most diverse and heterogeneous in species composition while the hypersaline communities were the least diverse and most homogeneous at all historical time points. Since 1986, we detect an increasing trend of compositional homogeneity (between-site similarity in species composition) and a significant spatial contraction of distinct and diverse areas over the entire ecosystem. Temporally, the western and southern hypersaline communities have undergone radical shifts in species composition due to population increase and range expansion of the native invasive species Ceriops decandra and local extinction or range contraction of specialists including the globally endangered Heritiera fomes. The surviving biodiversity hotspots are distributed outside the legislated protected area network. In addition to suggesting the immediate coverage of these hotspots under protected area management, our novel biodiversity insights and spatial maps can form the basis for spatial conservation planning, biodiversity monitoring and protection initiatives for the Sundarbans.

SUBMITTER: Sarker SK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6716549 | biostudies-other | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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1980s-2010s: The world's largest mangrove ecosystem is becoming homogeneous.

Sarker Swapan Kumar SK Matthiopoulos Jason J Mitchell Sonia N SN Ahmed Zahir Uddin ZU Mamun Md Bashirul Al MBA Reeve Richard R

Biological Conservation. 20190801

Knowledge gaps in spatiotemporal changes in mangrove diversity and composition have obstructed mangrove conservation programs across the tropics, but particularly in the Sundarbans (10,017 km<sup>2</sup>), the world's largest remaining natural mangrove ecosystem. Using mangrove tree data collected from Earth's largest permanent sample plot network at four historical time points (1986, 1994, 1999 and 2014), this study establishes spatially explicit baseline biodiversity information for the Sundar ...[more]

PMID: 31496538

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Project description:Toxic metal pollution is a global issue, and the use of metal-accumulating plants to clean contaminated ecosystems is one of the most rapidly growing ecologically beneficial and cost-effective technologies. In this study, samples of sediment and three mangrove species (Excoecaria agallocha, Avicennia officinalis, Sonneratia apetala) were collected from the world's largest mangrove forest (along the Northern Bay of Bengal Coast) with the aim of evaluating metal concentrations, contamination degrees, and phytoremediation potentiality of those plants. Overall, the heavy metals concentration in sediment ranged from Cu: 72.41-95.89 mg/kg; Zn: 51.28-71.20 mg/kg; Fe: 22,760-27,470 mg/kg; Mn: 80.37-116.37 mg/kg; Sr: 167.92-221.44 mg/kg. In mangrove plants, the mean concentrations were in the order of E. agallocha > A. officinalis > S. apetala. The mean (± SD) concentration of each metal in the plant tissue (root) was found following the descending order of Fe (737.37 ± 153.06) > Mn (151.13 ± 34.26) > Sr (20.98 ± 6.97) > Cu (16.12 ± 4.34) > Zn (11.3 ± 2.39) mg/kg, whereas, in the leaf part, the mean concentration (mg/kg) of each metal found in the order of Fe (598.75 ± 410.65) > Mn (297.27 ± 148.11) > Sr (21.40 ± 8.71) > Cu (14.25 ± 2.51) > Zn (12.56 ± 2.13). The contamination factor (CF) values for the studied metals were in the descending order of Cu > Sr > Zn > Fe > Mn. The values of Igeo (Geo-accumulation index) and CF showed that the area was unpolluted to moderately polluted by Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu and Sr. Enrichment factor (EF) values in both sampling stations portrayed moderate to minimum enrichment. Phytoremediation potentiality of the species was assessed by bio-concentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF). BCF values showed less accumulation for most of the heavy metals (<1) except Mn which was highly accumulated in all mangrove plants. The translocation factor (TF) values depicted that most of the heavy metals were strongly accumulated in plant tissues (>1). However, the BCF value depicts that Mn was highly bioconcentrated in E. agallocha, but the translocation on leaves tissue were minimum, which reveals that E. agallocha is phytoextractor for Mn, and accumulated in root tissues. All the examined plants can be used as phytoextractors as they have bioconcentration factors <1 and translocation factors >1. However, A. officinalis is clearly more suitable for metal extraction than S. apetala and E. agallocha in terms of hyper-metabolizing capabilities.

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1980s-2010s: The world's largest mangrove ecosystem is becoming homogeneous.

Publications

1980s-2010s: The world's largest mangrove ecosystem is becoming homogeneous.

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