Mangrove Forest In India

A survey of the mangrove forests in India: Data obtained from: Forest Survey of India Report, 2013.

What Are Mangroves? 

Mangroves are a special ecosystem of trees that grow in nearly stagnant coastal waters, river banks and estuaries. The trees have an intricate and exposed root system which pulls much-needed nutrients from the muddy soil that is nearly void of oxygen. They can tolerate high salt content and widely varying water levels. Given their unique locations, these plants are often on the frontline of extreme ocean weather and storms. Although mangrove tree species are particularly hardy, they do not survive outside of tropical and subtropical zones. They can be found throughout the world: the Americas, Africa, Australia and India. The mangrove forests in India are particularly famous, for their rich biodiversity.

Mangrove Coverage of Indian States

Mangrove forests in India represent around 3% of the global presence and are spread out over more than 4,600 square kilometers. They are located in various states which include: Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, A&N Islands, Goa, Daman & Diu and Kerala. This list comprises almost half of all Indian states. 

When considering mangrove location and coverage, density is an important factor to discuss as not all forests are equal in plant numbers and growth. The three measurements of density are Very Dense, Moderately Dense, and Open. What does this mean? Very dense coverage indicates a canopy density of 70%. Moderately dense is used to describe a canopy density of more than 40% but less than 70%. And Open density is the term that defines canopy density of more than 10% but less than 40%. 

The Indian states with very dense mangrove coverage are Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The total area of very dense coverage is 1,351 square kilometers. That is divided as 82km² in Odisha, 993 km² in West Bengal and 276 km² in the A&N islands. Since West Bengal provides the largest area of very dense coverage, it is of note that the Sundarbans Mangroves are located here. The Sundarbans are the largest mangrove forest in the world and a noted UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

To provide a complete picture of mangrove forests in India, it is also important to define the states with the highest amount of square kilometers. As previously mentioned, the total mangrove coverage in India is 4,628 km². The five Indian states with the highest mangrove coverage are West Bengal (2,097 km²), Gujarat (1,103 km²), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (604 km²), Andhra Pradesh (352 km²) and Odisha (213 km²). As you can see, West Bengal accounts for nearly half of all of India’s mangrove forest coverage. 

The Need to Conserve Mangrove Forests In India

What can we do with all of this information? The next step would be to discuss the need for mangrove conservation in India and all over the world. Mangroves cannot be replaced. Not only are these forests unique for their survival capabilities, but also for the specialized ecosystems and indirect protection they provide for the ocean, plant and animal life. Those unique roots serve as more than something to be studied and photographed; they also prevent pollutants and sediment from being washed out to sea by trapping them within their elaborate system. These same roots also serve as hideaway spots for many fish species, allowing them to breed and hatch their young in relative peace and safety. The majority of the world’s commercially caught fish spend significant time in mangroves and rely on their existence for survival. But one shouldn’t forget the other creatures that rely on mangroves. Insects are abundant within these forests which attract many birds to the treetops for nesting. An innumerable number of predators such as tigers, macaque monkeys, turtles, and lizards are also drawn to the mangrove forests to hunt for fish, crab and shrimp who are in turn there to scour the muddy soil for food. Without mangrove forests, all of these plants and animals would be at risk of endangerment or extinction. Their threatened survival is our threat as well.

Writer: Amber Periona, Peru