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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Drivers of biocapacity and global impact of the world's largest mangrove in ecological footprint accounting
Journal of Environmental Management, Vol.395, pp.1-12
2025
Abstract
Mangrove forests play a vital role in climate regulation, carbon storage, and biodiversity conservation, yet their capacity to meet ecological demands remains poorly quantified. The Sundarbans, the world's largest contiguous mangrove ecosystem, faces escalating environmental pressures that threaten its biocapacity—the ability of ecosystems to provide renewable resources and absorb human-generated waste. This study evaluates biocapacity and ecological deficit/reserve at local, national, and global scales by integrating key environmental drivers, including salinity, stand structure, and climate variables. Data were collected from 54 georeferenced plots covering 54 management compartments, and analyses were conducted at plot-level, compartment-level, and broader regional scales. Results reveal significant spatial variability, with the oligohaline zone supporting the largest ecological reserve (1.87 ± 0.164 gha/person), followed by the mesohaline (1.13 ± 0.167 gha/person), whereas polyhaline regions exhibit the lowest reserve (0.48 ± 0.1 gha/person). Globally, polyhaline zones face severe ecological deficits (−1.11 ± 0.1 gha/person), highlighting their vulnerability to environmental stressors. Biocapacity correlates with salinity (r = −0.39), temperature (r = −0.42), precipitation (r = 0.32), and elevation (r = 0.35), while structural attributes such as tree height (r = 0.33) and wood density (r = 0.34) further shape ecosystem capacity. To strengthen environmental management, biocapacity assessments should be integrated into policy and conservation planning frameworks for sustainable resource allocation. As climate change alters temperature and salinity regimes, proactive mitigation strategies, ecosystem-based adaptation, and sustainable management practices are essential for maintaining ecological balance, reducing biodiversity loss, and ensuring the stability of mangrove ecosystem services.
Details
- Title
- Drivers of biocapacity and global impact of the world's largest mangrove in ecological footprint accounting
- Authors
- Md Rezaul Karim (Corresponding Author) - University of TorontoMd. Shamim Reza Saimun - Shahjalal University of Science and TechnologyHossain Mahmud Sammi - Shahjalal University of Science and TechnologyAriful Khan - Shahjalal University of Science and TechnologyMd. Sahinur Islam Fahim - Shahjalal University of Science and TechnologyFahmida Sultana - Shahjalal University of Science and TechnologySanjeev Kumar Srivastava - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringPallab Mozumder - Florida International UniversityDaniel A. Friess - Tulane UniversitySharif A Mukul - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringMohammad A S Arfin-Khan (Corresponding Author) - Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
- Publication details
- Journal of Environmental Management, Vol.395, pp.1-12
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127815
- ISSN
- 1095-8630; 0301-4797
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- Data will be made available on request.
- Grant note
- Sharif A. Mukul was supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society, USA (Grant reference number: NGS-78528R-22) and the British Ecological Society, UK (Grant reference number: BES LRB20-1006); and Mohammed A. S. Arfin-Khan was supported by three grants from the SUST Research Center, Bangladesh (Grant reference numbers: FES/2021/2/04, FES/2022/1/09, and FES/2023/2/01).
- Organisation Unit
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991175845902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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