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Sundarban Flora and Fauna-A Biosphere Reserve
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Sundarban being the only mangrove reserve in India and one of the very few remaining in the world, is characterized by the most unusual species of flora and fauna.
The flora of the region is dominated by Baen (Avicennia marina) flanked by foreshore grassland of Dhani Grass (Oryza coarctata). Baen is gradually replaced by Genwa (Excoecaria agallocha ) and Goran (Ceriops spp). The other species of flora include Garjan (Rhizophora spp.), Kankra ( Bruguiera spp.), and few patches of Sundari (Heritiera fomes). Hental (Phoenix spp.) forest exists in relatively high land and compact soil. Dhundul (Xylocarpus granatum), Passur (Xylocarpus mekongensis ) and Golpatta (Nipa fruticans). One can also find some of the palm swamps, but these are extremely limited. |
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The sundarbans is the single largest home of the royal bengal tiger. Sundarbans also harbors a good number of rare and globally threatened animals including estuarine crocodile, common otter, water monitor lizard, gangetic dolphin, snub fin dolphin, marine turtles like olive ridley, green sea turtle, hawksbill turtle. The other mammals are wild boars, spotted deer, porcupines etc.
Sundarban is also know for its avifauna population (248 species recorded). These include a large number of migratory birds. The birds normally found in the sundarbans are the herons, seagulls, wild geese, ducks, green pigeons etc. One of the species of crustaceans found in the mangrove forests are the one armed fiddler crab and the horse shoe crab. |
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