Question

What is the importance of Sundari trees in the littoral forests?

Answer 1

Hint: The other name for littoral forests are wetland forests or mangrove forests. These types of forest usually occur in patches and narrow strips.

Complete Step by Step answer: India comprises a rich variety of littoral forests. These types of forest occur in patches and narrow strips along the mainland coast. Littoral forests are mainly found in the saline coast of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Gulf of Kutch, along the rivers of Kashmir and Ladakh, Eastern Coast Deltas and swamps in North East India. These forests are a part of natural vegetation in India.
In West Bengal, these forests are termed as ‘Sunderbans’ or ‘Sundarban’, where ‘Sundari’ is the most abundant tree in this region. ‘Sundarban’ is the world’s largest contiguous forest situated in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. The river lies along the Bay of Bengal formed by a confluence of the Hooghly, Ganges, Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.
These trees can grow up to with a height of 60 feet with a girth of six feet. The timber obtained from the Sundari tree is used for bridge-building, boatbuilding and joinery, house construction, utility poles and tool handles. According to several investigations, the Sundari tree possesses significant antinociceptive, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Thus, it is extensively used by local people and traditional health practitioners for treating the hepatic disorder, diabetes, goitre, gastrointestinal disorders and skin diseases.

Note: The Sundari tree is a significant factor in the timber industry as they yield timber and firewood. The word ‘Sundari’ means beautiful in Bengali. It is a species of mangrove in the family of Malvaceae and scientifically is known as ‘Heritiera fomes’.