Ecosystem of Bangladesh

Bangladesh lies at the head of the Bay of Bengal. Historically part of the area of India
called Bengal, the country gained its independence in 1972. With an area of 144,000
square kilometers -- 55,599 square miles -- and a population of 151.6 million people in
2012, it is one of the most densely populated countries of the world. Primarily a flat
alluvial plain, Bangladesh contains four main types of ecosystems.

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

The western coast of Bangladesh contains part of the world's largest area of mangrove
swamps, the Sundarbans, that continue westward into India. High in biodiversity, they
play an important role in maintaining the life cycles of economically important resources
such as shrimp, crabs and fish. The central coast contains the estuaries of the combined
drainages of the Ganges-Padma, Maghna and Brahmaputra Rivers. The southeastern-
most coastline contains muddy flats and sandy beaches. The offshore marine ecosystem
contains fisheries with 169 species of brackish-water and marine fishes, about 65 percent
of which are edible.

Inland Freshwater Ecosystems

Two major rivers, the Ganges -- called the Ganges-Padma in Bangladesh -- and the
Jamuna or Brahmaputra, unite in the center of the country and continue through the
Ganges Lower River Basin to the Bay of Bengal, forming an extensive delta system.
Prone to seasonal flooding, much of the land in the delta is submerged for five to seven
months annually. Wetlands include shallow lakes in floodplain depressions called beels,
oxbow lakes (bends in rivers or streams that become cut off, forming bow- or "C"-shaped
lakes) called baors and deeply flooded depressions in the northwest called haors.
Freshwater wetlands contain 41 globally threatened animal species.

Terrestrial Forest Ecosystems

Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests grow in hilly eastern Bangladesh. With a
rich flora of more than 2,000 flowering plants, it is home to 34 globally threatened animal
species. Moist deciduous or salt forests, named after the dominant tree species, are
located in central and northern Bangladesh and occupy 0.81 percent of the landmass.
Degraded and fragmented, the forests have land ridges containing forest remnants and
depressions holding rice paddies. Fresh water swamp forests contain flood-tolerant
evergreen trees adapted to monsoon flooding.

Man-made Ecosystems
Agro-ecosystems take up 54 percent of the land of Bangladesh and form the largest of the
country's ecosystems. With its high population level, Bangladesh holds the highest
percentage of cultivated land in South Asia. Diversity occurs in agricultural plants as
well, with 6,000 rice varieties grown historically and currently, growing in all seasons.
Jute grows in the monsoon or Kharif season and the winter or Rabi season sees
cultivation of vegetables, wheat, oilseeds such as soybeans and sesame seeds, potatoes,
spices and legumes such as beans and lentils. Since Bangladesh's population increases by
about 2 million people a year and rice is the main staple, rice cultivation has increased.
Farmers in Bangladesh also raise cotton, sugarcane, livestock, fish, shrimp, flowers and
silkworms.

The western coast of Bangladesh contains part of the world's largest area of mangrove
swamps, the Sundarbans, that continue westward into India. High in biodiversity, they
play an important role in maintaining the life cycles of economically important resources
such as shrimp, crabs and fish. The central coast contains the estuaries of the combined
drainages of the Ganges-Padma, Maghna and Brahmaputra Rivers. The southeastern-
most coastline contains muddy flats and sandy beaches. The offshore marine ecosystem
contains fisheries with 169 species of brackish-water and marine fishes, about 65 percent
of which are edible.