Biochemical and metagenomic insight into the impact of climate change on an epiphytic fern of the Indian Sunderbans

Abstract

Sea Level Rise (SLR) as a result of Climate change in combination with anthropogenically altered environment results in alterations in rapid land dynamics in forms of erosion and accretion; along with the associated alteration in species diversity, energy cycling and productivity, significantly in sensitive ecosystems such as river deltas. Geologically, interglacial periods follow bouts of glaciation and presently we are passing through one of those phases wherein, sea level rise (SLR) is being evidenced in case of the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. It has become more than 100 m higher in the last 18,000 years. Over the years due to the loss of landmass as a rise in sea level, human population has migrated from the different parts of the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve area to specific islands of the Indian Sunderbans. This process of migration has resulted in the removal of forest cover. As a result, extensive loss of epiphytic ferns has occurred. In this work, we have evaluated the distribution of Drynaria across the Indian Sunderbans region from an ecological, biochemical and metagenomic perspective. Results indicate that anthropogenic influences results in gradual depletion of Drynaria abundance and thus can be used as an important indicator for understanding the effects of migration of human population.