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207activity in a mangrove swamp. However, a correct assessment of the contribution ofmangrove forest towards controlling the climate change/global warming is still not availabledue to absence of reliable measurement data. Conversely, the expected changes in carbonbio-geochemical cycle in the mangrove system in relation to the anticipated climatechange/global warming are still to be understood/worked out due to the same reasons.294. The life forms in the Sundarban have a complex inter-related existence in dynamicequilibrium with the extant physical and chemical environment. The mangrove produces richorganic debris (consisting of decaying spores, pollens, seeds, leaves, fruits, twigs andbranches of trees, etc) due to its high biological productivity with unique concentrations ofnutrients in the debris. The nutrients are released both to the water and soil of the mangrovewetland of Sundarban. Parts of these “foods” are consumed by a group of organisms (likefishes, birds, amphibians, mammals, etc) either directly or through the water or the soilmedium to sustain their body metabolic functions. The other parts are assimilated in thesubstrate soil, “consumed” by various forms of microbes which return some part of the“digested” consumed food to the soil as organic fertilizers. The fertilized soil (BYhumification) thus supports further luxuriant growth of the mangrove forest. There is,however, a residual flow of nutrients and organic carbon from the mangrove system to thecoastal water. The microbial diversity of a mangrove forest is mind-boggling and the variousforms interact with the environment at various energy levels to set up a complex food weband growth of mangrove vegetation.Objectives295. The above discussion brings out that there are at least five frontier areas of enquirieson functioning of the Sundarban mangrove forest that can be pursued as part of climatechange program providing important inputs in drawing up an integrated coastal zonemanagement plan of the coastal areas of West Bengal. The objectives of each of the fiveareas of enquiries are as follows: Understanding the functioning of the Sundarban mangrove system through theactivities of the microbes present in the substrate sediments and understandingthe role of microbial diversity in maintaining the system, understanding the natural process of capture of carbon and emission of greenhouse gases from mangrove forests of Sundarban thereby assessing thecontribution of mangrove forest towards controlling global warming, predicting the changes in carbon bio-geochemical cycle in the mangrove systemof Sundarban in relation to climate change/global warming,