Environmental degradation on a global scale drastically impacts the Sundarbans, as this mangrove forest is one of the most delicate and complex ecosystems in existence. Mangrove forests across the globe are at great risk of disappearing because of human-caused changes to the environment. As of 2015, the total area of mangrove forest ecosystems was approximately half of what it once was, when mangrove forests were originally mapped. Loss of mangrove forest is occurring at a faster rate than the disappearance of tropical forests and coral reefs. If the rate of mangrove loss continues as is, scientists predict that 100% of global mangrove forests could disappear in the next century.
In addition to a definition of mangrove forests, below are five pages discussing five of the greatest threats to the stability of mangrove forests: extreme weather, deforestation, carbon sequestration, loss of species biodiversity, and eutrophication (increased water and soil salinity).
