Status of coastal biodiversity in the face of climate change with respect to islands

Abstract

The ecosystem services rendered to the humankind is countless. However, the structural composition of these very ecosystems is under threat due to some unforeseen factors associated with the changing climate conditions. The island ecosystem, which is unique in terms of its endemic flora and faunal distribution pattern with ecological sustainability, is under tremendous pressure. In addition, it is isolation from the main continental landmass makes them more fragile, unstable and highly vulnerable to any imminent changes occurring in their vicinity. The most common issues associated with them are biodiversity loss and probable threat to the bioresources of the islands due to several issues of concern about the climate change, sea-level rise, pollution, land stratification and several other anthropogenic activities. Islands too, have vivid form of ecosystems like terrestrial and aquatic (including both freshwater and marine), with heterogenic coastal habitats including sandy beaches, mudflats, marshlands, mangroves, creeks, grasslands, etc. But percentage of endangered species is very high in case of Islands, where factors like pollution, global warming, climate change, natural calamities and habitat utilization pattern play major role in this respect. In recent times, it has also been well documented that the variation in environmental conditions due to climate change impact and change in coastal geomorphology compounded with the sea level rise has become a matter of concern. This has invited enormous attention from think tanks from different walks of life to moot strategies for restoration and management of the coastal and island ecosystems.