Top dying disease
Top dying disease is a disease that affects Heritiera fomes, a species of mangrove tree known as "sundri", a characteristic tree of the estuarine complex of the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Although an increase in certain trace elements in the sedime…
Top dying disease is the mangrove‑mortality spectacle that haunts the Sundri groves of the Ganges‑Brahmaputra delta, most visible from the riverbanks of Khulna’s Bagerhat fringe and the Khulna‑Mongla stretch of the Sundarbans. The afflicted Heritiera fomes trees turn skeletal, their bark peeling like old newsprint, a stark counter‑point to the lush Avicennia and Nypa that still thrive. The best window is the dry season, November to February, when the tidal flood recedes enough to wade into the lower mangrove channels without the oppressive heat and mosquito swarms of May‑July. Base yourself in the modest guesthouses of Bagerhat’s historic town – the colonial‑era Baitul Maqdis inn offers steam‑room relief after a day of boat‑paddling. Hire a local boatman from the Karamjit jetty; they know the stale water pools where the disease concentrates and can point out the unmistakable “ghost‑tree” horizon without detouring into the heavily tourist‑laden Tiger‑reserve zones. Skip the packaged Sundarbans tours that rush past the mangrove‐watch points – they skirt the affected area to avoid the unpleasant odour of decaying wood. Bring a mask and sturdy boots; the soil can be slick with algae, and the scent of sulphur‑tainted sediment is not for the faint‑hearted. Two days is honest if you want to linger at sunrise on the narrow mudflats and watch the disease progress across the horizon, but a third day allows you to compare the dying Sundri stand with the thriving Rhizophora patches inland, a contrast that makes the ecological mystery all the more palpable.
Source · Wikipedia · Top dying disease · CC-BY-SA
- Tips coming soon — this entry is freshly seeded from Wikipedia.