Mangroves: Structure, Functions, Ecology and Biodiversity
Description:... Marine ecosystems are diverse habitats, endowed with physical, chemical, and geographical variations in the ecosystems, where the gradation from highly productive organisms to highly specialized organisms exists. India has almost 7,517 km long coast, of which 5,423 km belongs to the peninsular India, and around 2,094 km to the Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The mainland coast of India consists of 43% sandy beaches; 11% rocky coast including cliffs; and 46% mudflats or marshy coast. This massive coastline of India supports the human population tremendously through marine resources. Nearly 250 million people live within the fringe of 50 km from the coastline of India. Hence, a vital role in India’s economic growth is played by the ecological services that the marine and coastal ecosystems provide. The MPAN (Marine Protected Area Network) in India regulates the natural marine resources to conserve the depleting biodiversity for the betterment of people that are dependent on these coastal resources. Moreover, Gujarat State is bestowed with one of the longest coastline of India (1,650 km). The Gulf of Kachchh (Gujarat) is India’s first Marine National Park (MNP) contributing to the ecological importance of the state’s coastal ecosystem; exhibiting the most vulnerable biological diversity in intertidal mudflats, gulfs, bays wetlands, mangroves, salt marshes, coral reefs, beaches, dunes, and estuaries. The book Mangroves: Structure, Functions, Ecology and Biodiversity focuses on environmental and ecological studies of Gulf of Kachchh, Western Gujarat, India, in relation to eutrophication, biotic components, structure and functions of mangroves, and biomonitoring of metals. The book covers an in-depth study of surface water and bottom sediment quality, diversity, density, abundance, commonness, rarity of shells, ecological structure and functions of mangrove environment including composition, population dynamics, community structure of floral and faunal species, phytochemical constituents of selected mangrove tree species, and biomonitoring of nutrients in Avicennia marina. The book would unquestionably be the need of an hour for mangroves managers, marine conservationists, and policy makers or decision authorities to prevent the unrestrained exploitation of marine biodiversity, destruction of potential mangrove habitats, and uncontrolled interactions of man and technology with mangrove ecosystems around the world.
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