6. Conclusions
The basic conclusions from this research are consistent with well established ecological principles. From this model, it can be concluded that the litter biomass of the mangrove forest played a major role in maintaining detritus food chain as well as grazing food chain. Higher production may lead to higher nutrient availability to the phytoplankton and zooplankton. Detritus fish population thrives due to ample food resource in Hooghly-Matla estuarine system which can affect other fish population significantly [23].
This modelling study will contribute significantly to an understanding of mangrove ecosystem in general. It will also help to understand the importance of mangrove detritus food web dynamics for sustaining the whole ecosystem as well. The present work also has emphasized controlling role of detritus in the biomass production of other compartments and in turn the effects on the detritus as well as grazing food chains of the adjacent estuarine region. For mathematical complexity all parameters, which govern the detritus dynamics are not incorporated in the present model. Therefore, it cannot be claimed to have presented an absolute realistic picture of the role of detritivorous fishes on mangrove soil organic nitrogen dynamics of sundarban mangrove forest ecosystem. In future, the present model will help to develop a complete and more realistic model of detritus and detritivorous fish by incorporating all important
parameters which requires further experimental works. All survey works and experimental studies are carried out in reclaimed part of Sundarban, if these works are extended to pristine part of Sundarban, a comparative account of the role of detritus and detritivorous fish could be obtained.