Save the Bengal Tigers!

Royal Bengal Tigers are in great danger due to habitat loss because of growing human populations. Because they need a large territory to hunt, their population went from the thousands to the hundreds. Now only a couple hundred tigers live in the Sunderban Mangroves. Tigers are also a target for poaching and hunting which dwindles their population even more. WWF-India is involved in having  priority landscapes for the tigers providing relief for their population. This is their mission statement, "Within these key landscapes, WWF and its partners work to reduce or remove threats to tigers in the wild by restoring their habitat, maintaining connectivity, and securing a wilderness landscape, strengthening anti-poaching efforts, working with villages in critical tiger corridors, mitigating human-wildlife conflict by creating physical barriers (solar fencing, CPTs), providing interim relief schemes to curb retaliatory killing, providing alternatives to reduce pressure on forest resources, exploring and supporting alternative livelihood options, facilitating institutional strengthening of local communities and creating awareness among villagers and local populace for their protection." (http://www.wwfindia.org/royal_bengal_tiger.cfm 2012)

http://www.wwfindia.org/royal_bengal_tiger.cfm 2012)

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bengal-tiger/

Citation:

"WWF India - Royal Bengal Tiger." WWF India - Welcome to WWF-India. Geological Survey of India , n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. <http://www.wwfindia.org/royal_bengal_tiger.cfm>

Nichols, Michael. A mother Bengal tiger and her cub rest in the tall grass of a meadow. Tiger cubs remain with their mothers for two to three years before dispersing to find their own territory.. N.d. Bengal Tigers, India. National Geographic. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.

Important Human Impacts on the Mangroves

                                    Pesticide and Heavy metal values in Sundarbans waters

http://www.indiancoastguard.nic.in/Indiancoastguard/NOSDCP/Marine%20Environment%20Security/sundarbans.pdf

This shows the amount of pesticide in the Sundarban waters and it shows the human impacts on the ecosystem. This is important because of the sediment run-off unto the waters build up excess nutrients 

Water Quality in the Sundarbans 

http://www.indiancoastguard.nic.in/Indiancoastguard/NOSDCP/Marine%20Environment%20Security/sundarbans.pdf

Even though there shouldn't be high amounts of sediment and heavy metal in the water, there is reported high levels of these in the Sundarbans

Citation:
"Sundarbans." Indian Coast Guard. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. <www.indiancoastguard.nic.in/Indiancoastguard/NOSDCP/Marine%20Environment%20Security/sundarbans.pdf>.

Mangrove Pictures

Mangroves

(http://www.indianetzone.com/photos_gallery/40/sundarban-mangroves.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IOrCbO_368Q/TpqnI2reEFI

/AAAAAAAAAFo/RxB_ZsO7JHQ/s1600/Nature.jpg)

Human Impacts

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/24769976@N06/4039028971/)

(http://www.oxfamblogs.org/asia/wp-content/uploads/2012/

05/MG_4571_2_s.jpg)

Consequences of Impacts on Mangroves

(http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sundarban-mangrove-

forest-royalty-free-image/120058333)

(http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sundarban

-mangrove-forest-royalty-free-image/120058216)

Restoration of Mangroves

(http://article.wn.com/view/2012/07/15/25200

_Mangroves_Planted_in_PIK/)

(http://www.knowledge.allianz.com/environment/

climate_change/?1448/forest-protection-redd-or-dead)

Improving Human Impacts on Mangroves

     People need to realize the impacts they are giving off to the mangroves before considering what actions need to take place in order to minimize their effects. First we need to assist developing countries that mainly depend on the ecosystem of mangroves. However, it should be realized that such action could only take place at a high cost. It is said that to restore these vegetation can cost up to $87,000 per acre. In addition realizing that mangroves mainly depends on water as their habitat, we need to improve land use management by the people in the developing countries and infrastructure stream water quality nearby the mangroves. Many who live around the mangrove sites are not aware of what impacts they are giving off and how aqua culture and cutting down mangroves impact the ecology around them. It is vital to alert the people and share how their impacts can be minimized. (http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Mangroves.aspx) As mentioned before in the previous section regarding human impacts on the mangroves, it is clear that aqua culture destroys the mangrove habitats. To combat this, low input aquaculture ‘Silvofishery’ is taking place in many regions to protect mangroves and the people who inhabit near the ecosystem. The approach of minimal input of aquaculture conserves the mangroves but to potentially bring the most economic benefits of aquaculture for the society. There are many ways in which we can help to restore the mangroves but before we do so, we need to realize the impacts we are giving off to the mangroves. It is not possible to completely erase these impacts but we can rather minimize, sustain, and restore the mangroves. (http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001835.html)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIcZ5lkCwnc)

This video explains the impacts that certain

aqua culture can give to mangroves. Here, crabbing

communities are alerted to protect mangroves

from deforestation. 

Citation:

"Effect on Wildlife and Habitat." National Wildlife Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat.aspx>.

Gertz, Emily. "Worldchanging | Evaluation Tools Best Practices: Restoring Mangroves."Worldchanging | Evaluation Tools Best Practices: Restoring Mangroves. World Changing, 04 Dec. 2004. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001835.html>.

Special Features

The Sundarbans means beautiful forests and it is about 20,500 sq. km in area. It is the largest mangrove forest in the world according to the World Heritage Site. It is know because it is the only home to the endangered Bengal Tigers. There are about only 350 Royal Bengal Tigers left.
Some facts:
1. 300 species of tree and herb
2. 165 species of weed and 13 species of orchid
3. 425 species of wildlife
4. 49 species of mammal including about 350 Royal Bengal Tigers
5. 315 species of bird
6. 53 species of reptile and 8 amphibians
7. 400 species of fish
8. 3 varieties of dolphin, sharks, whales, shrimps, prawns, crocidiles, lizards and more

Salinity varies in the Sundurbans due to the changes of the freshwater flow from upstream rivers and the flow of the sea water of the downstream. The salinity can reach to high levels and it is very important that plant and animal species in the Sundurbans are highly adapted to the changes of salinity. This is why many species cannot live in the Sundurbans.

Citation:
HAQ, SYED AZIZUL. "Impact of climate change on “Sundarbans”, the largest mangrove forest: ways forward."Commonwealth Forestry . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. <www.cfc2010.org/papers/session7/Haq-s7.pdf>.