1. Introduction
Mangrove forests in South Asia occur on the tidal sea edge of
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and represent approximately
7% of the global total (Giri et al., 2011b). The largest
contiguous mangrove forest in the world, Sundarbans, is located in
the border of Bangladesh and India. Mangrove species diversity in
the region ranges from 8 to 10 species in Pakistan, 12e13 in
Bangladesh, 18e20 Sri in Lanka, and 30e35 in India (Polidoro et al.,
2010). The mangrove forests of South Asia provide important
ecosystem goods and services to the environment and densely
populated coastal population including shoreline stabilization,
storm protection, water quality maintenance, micro-climate stabilization,
groundwater recharge and discharge, flood and flow control,
sediment and nutrient retention, habitat protection and
biodiversity, biomass, productivity and resilience, recreation,