A Comparative Study on the Properties of Mangrove and Non - Mangrove Soils of Sundarbans, West Bengal, India

Substrate characteristics are important determining factors that control the community structure and growth of mangrove ecosystem. On the other hand, occurrence of mangrove vegetation may also exert considerable influence on nature and properties of coastal saline soils. In view of this interdependence of mangrove vegetation and their habitats, a comparative study was carried out to assess the difference between mangrove soils and their adjacent ones which were devoid of mangrove vegetation. It has been hoped that the study would be helpful in generating a gross idea about the nature and properties of mangrove soils with relation to the non-mangrove coastal saline soils of Sundarbans. During this study, soil samples were collected from a mangrove dominated and an adjacent without mangrove soil in ten locations in Sundarban Island. The collected samples were analyzed for different soil properties between mangrove and nonmangrove soils..