{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T11:06:49Z","timestamp":1782299209857,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,1,11]],"date-time":"2013-01-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1357862400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Mangroves are an important bulkhead against climate change: they afford protection for coastal areas from tidal waves and cyclones, and are among the most  carbon-rich forests in the tropics. As such, protection of mangroves is an urgent priority. This work provides some new information on patterns of degradation in the Sundarbans, the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world, which are home to more than 35 reptile species, 120 commercial fish species, 300 bird species and 32 mammal species. Using radar imagery, we contrast and quantify the recent impacts of cyclone Sidr and anthropogenic degradation on this ecosystem. Our results, inferred from changes in radar backscatter, confirm already reported trends in coastline retreat for this region, with areas losing as much as 200 m of coast per year. They also suggest rapid changes in mangrove dynamics for Bangladesh and India, highlighting an overall decrease in mangrove health in the east side of the Sundarbans, and an overall increase in this parameter for the west side of the Sundarbans. As global environmental change takes its toll in this part of the world, more detailed, regular information on mangroves\u2019 distribution and health is required: our study illustrates how different threats experienced by mangroves can be detected and mapped using radar-based information, to guide management action.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs5010224","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,1,11]],"date-time":"2013-01-11T11:16:17Z","timestamp":1357902977000},"page":"224-237","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":67,"title":["Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Array Type L-Band SAR (ALOS PALSAR) to Inform the Conservation of Mangroves: Sundarbans as a Case Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"William","family":"Cornforth","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1130-6748","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Temilola","family":"Fatoyinbo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Terri","family":"Freemantle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nathalie","family":"Pettorelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,1,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being, World Resources Institute."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Tomlinson, P.B. (1986). The Botany of Mangroves, Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Spalding, M., Blasco, F., and Field, C (1997). World Mangrove Atlas, The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1466-8238.2010.00584.x","article-title":"Status and distribution of mangrove forests of the world using earth observation satellite data","volume":"20","author":"Giri","year":"2011","journal-title":"Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/S0065-2881(01)40003-4","article-title":"Biology of mangroves and mangrove ecosystems","volume":"40","author":"Kathiresan","year":"2001","journal-title":"Adv. Mar. Biol"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1017\/S0376892902000231","article-title":"Present state and future of the world\u2019s mangrove forests","volume":"29","author":"Alongi","year":"2002","journal-title":"Environ. Conserv"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"338","DOI":"10.1007\/s00027-006-0868-8","article-title":"Biodiversity and its conservation in the Sundarban mangrove ecosystem","volume":"68","author":"Gopal","year":"2006","journal-title":"Aquat. Sci"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecss.2006.12.019","article-title":"Monitoring mangrove forest dynamics of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh and India using multi-temporal satellite data from 1973 to 2000","volume":"73","author":"Giri","year":"2007","journal-title":"Estuarine Coast. Shelf Sci"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Lucas, R.M., Bunting, P., Clewley, D., Proisy, C., Filho, P.W.M.S., Woodhouse, I., Ticehurst, C., Carreiras, J., Rosenqvist, A., and Accad, A. (2009). Characterisation and Monitoring of Mangroves Using ALOS PALSAR Data, JAXA. The ALOS Kyoto & Carbon Initiative Science Team Reports Phase 1 (2006\u20132008)."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"208","article-title":"Climate change and its risk reduction by mangrove ecosystem of Bangladesh","volume":"4","author":"Barua","year":"2010","journal-title":"Bangladesh Res. Publications J"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.2307\/2997693","article-title":"Mangrove biodiversity and ecosystem function","volume":"7","author":"Field","year":"1998","journal-title":"Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr. Lett"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2235","DOI":"10.1080\/014311699212227","article-title":"Mapping wetlands of the Sundarban Delta and its environs using ERS-1 SAR data","volume":"20","author":"Dwivedi","year":"1999","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1038\/387253a0","article-title":"The value of the world\u2019s ecosystem services and natural capital","volume":"387","author":"Costanza","year":"1997","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEPWCMC) (2006). In the Front Line: Shoreline Protection and Other Ecosystem Services from Mangroves and Coral Reefs, UNEP-WCMC."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Macintosh, D., and Ashton, E (2002). A Review of Mangrove Biodiversity Conservation and Management, Centre for Tropical Ecosystems Research. Report 2002."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Parry, M., Canziani, O., Palutikof, J., van der Linden, P., and Hanson, C. (2007). Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Spalding, M., Kainuma, M., and Collins, L. (2010). World Mangrove Atlas, UNEP-WCMC."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"807","DOI":"10.1641\/0006-3568(2001)051[0807:MFOOTW]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Mangrove forests: one of the world\u2019s threatened major tropical environments","volume":"51","author":"Valiela","year":"2001","journal-title":"Bioscience"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e10095","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0010095","article-title":"The loss of species: Mangrove extinction risk and geographic areas of global concern","volume":"5","author":"Polidoro","year":"2010","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1126\/science.317.5834.41b","article-title":"A world without mangroves?","volume":"317","author":"Duke","year":"2007","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"International Panel for Climate Change (2007). Climate Change 2007: synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1080\/10106049709354601","article-title":"Remote sensing for change detection in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh","volume":"12","author":"Islam","year":"1997","journal-title":"Geocarto Int"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"878","DOI":"10.3390\/rs3050878","article-title":"Remote sensing of mangrove ecosystems: A review","volume":"3","author":"Kuenzer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"143","article-title":"The Sundarbans: A Unique Wilderness of the World Legal Status","volume":"2","author":"Rahman","year":"2000","journal-title":"Wilderness Science in a Time of Change Conference: Proceed. RMRS-P-15"},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) Available online: http:\/\/www.wcmc.org.uk\/data\/database\/un_combo.html (accessed 3\/05\/2011)."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1505\/ifor.6.2.123.38390","article-title":"Degeneration of Bangladesh\u2019s Sundarbans mangroves: A management issue","volume":"6","author":"Iftekhar","year":"2004","journal-title":"Int. Forestry Rev"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1652\/1400-0350(2004)010[0139:MMIBAS]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Managing mangroves in Bangladesh: A strategy analysis","volume":"10","author":"Iftekhar","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Coast. Conserv"},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"352029","article-title":"Analysis of disaster vulnerability for sustainable coastal zone management: A case of cyclone Sidr 2007 in Bangladesh","volume":"6","author":"Mallick","year":"2009","journal-title":"IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1061\/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000031","article-title":"Performance of Coastal Structures during Cyclone Sidr","volume":"12","author":"Islam","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. Haz. Rev"},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"72","article-title":"Vegetation of Sundarban mangrove forest after the devastating Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh","volume":"5","author":"Hossain","year":"2011","journal-title":"Soc. Change"},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEPWCMC) (The Sundarbans, Bangladesh, 2011). The Sundarbans, Bangladesh."},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Akhter, M., Iqbal, Z., and Chowdhury, R.M. (2008). ASTER imagery of forest areas of Sundarban damaged by cyclone Sidr. ISME\/GLOMIS Electron. J., 6, (1)."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3121","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2011.06.019","article-title":"Response of the Sundarbans coastline to sea level rise and decreased sediment flow: A remote sensing assessment","volume":"115","author":"Rahman","year":"2011","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Karim, A (1995). Integrated Resource Development of the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, United Nations Development Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. FAO\/UNDP Project BGD\/84\/056."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-Bangladesh (2001). The Bangladesh Sundarbans: A Photo Real Sojourn, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office."},{"key":"ref_36","first-page":"195","article-title":"Application of remote sensing data to monitor mangroves and other coastal vegetation of India","volume":"30","author":"Nayak","year":"2001","journal-title":"Indian J. Mar. Sci"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1080\/10106040608542368","article-title":"Mangrove forest cover change in the Bangladesh Sundarbans from 1989\u20132000: A remote sensing approach","volume":"21","author":"Emch","year":"2006","journal-title":"Geocarto Int"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1002\/aqc.833","article-title":"The potential of L-band SAR for quantifying mangrove characteristics and change: case studies from the tropics","volume":"17","author":"Lucas","year":"2007","journal-title":"Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2861","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2010.02.022","article-title":"Measuring biomass changes due to woody encroachment and deforestation\/degradation in a forest-savanna boundary region of central Africa using multi-temporal L-band radar backscatter","volume":"115","author":"Mitchard","year":"2011","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Proisy, C., Mitchell, A., Lucas, R., Fromard, F., and Mougin, E (2003, January 20\u201324). Estimation of Mangrove Biomass using Multifrequency Radar Data. Application to Mangroves of French Guiana and Northern Australia. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil."},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC (2003). Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies."},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) Available online: http:\/\/www.lcgbangladesh.org\/derweb\/cyclone\/cyclone_assessment\/effect%20of%20cyclone%20sidr%20on%20sundarbans_cegis.pdf (accessed on 14 December 2012)."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1735","DOI":"10.1080\/01431169308953999","article-title":"Structure detection and statistical adaptive speckle filtering in SAR images","volume":"14","author":"Lopes","year":"1993","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"426","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2012.02.012","article-title":"Understanding the relationship between aboveground biomass and ALOS PALSAR data in the forests of Guinea-Bissau (West Africa)","volume":"121","author":"Carreiras","year":"2012","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_45","first-page":"77","article-title":"The causes of deterioration of Sundarban mangrove forest ecosystem of Bangladesh: conservation and sustainable management issues","volume":"3","author":"Rahman","year":"2010","journal-title":"AACL Bioflux."},{"key":"ref_46","unstructured":"Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) (2007). Cyclone-Affected Areas of the Sundarban as Inferred from Terra-MODIS Satellite Data, Dhaka, Bangladesh."},{"key":"ref_47","unstructured":"UNESCO (2007). UNESCO - World Heritage Centre Report."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/030913339201600101","article-title":"Forest decline","volume":"16","author":"Innes","year":"1992","journal-title":"Prog. Phys. Geogr"},{"key":"ref_49","unstructured":"Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) (2008). Field Investigation on the Impact of Cyclone Sidr in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh, BUET."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2005.05.011","article-title":"Using the satellite-derived NDVI to assess ecological responses to environmental change","volume":"20","author":"Pettorelli","year":"2005","journal-title":"Trends Ecol. Evol"},{"key":"ref_51","first-page":"1077","article-title":"Change detection approach to SAR and optical image interpretation","volume":"XXXVII","author":"Zeng","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spat. Inform. Sci"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00005674","article-title":"Value of mangroves in coastal protection","volume":"285","author":"Othman","year":"1994","journal-title":"Hydrobiologica"},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquabot.2007.12.009","article-title":"Threats to mangroves from climate change and adaptation options: A review","volume":"89","author":"Gilman","year":"2008","journal-title":"Aquat. Bot"},{"key":"ref_54","unstructured":"Field, C.B., Barros, V., Stocker, T.F., Qin, D., Dokken, D.J., Ebi, K.L., Mastrandrea, M.D., Mach, K.J., Plattner, G.-K., and Allen, S.K. (2012). A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"ref_55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5016","DOI":"10.1016\/j.atmosenv.2011.04.074","article-title":"Carbon sequestration and annual increase of carbon stock in a mangrove forest","volume":"45","author":"Ray","year":"2011","journal-title":"Atmos. Environ"},{"key":"ref_56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3915","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.2009.2023909","article-title":"PALSAR Radiometric and Geometric Calibration","volume":"47","author":"Shimada","year":"2009","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_57","unstructured":"Syed, M., Hussin, Y., and Weir, M (2001, January 5\u20139). Detecting Fragmented Mangroves in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh Using Optical and Radar Satellite Images. Singapore."},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2749","DOI":"10.1080\/01431169608949105","article-title":"Land cover mapping and monitoring from NOAA AVHRR data in Bangladesh","volume":"17","author":"Giri","year":"1996","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.1986.289668","article-title":"Forest Canopy Characterization and Vegetation Penetration Assessment with Space-Borne Radar","volume":"GE-24","author":"Imhoff","year":"1986","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_60","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1011169025815","article-title":"Depletion of the mangroves of Continental Asia","volume":"9","author":"Blasco","year":"2001","journal-title":"Wetlands Ecol. Manage"},{"key":"ref_61","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"519","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2699.2007.01806.x","article-title":"Mangrove forest distributions and dynamics (1975\u20132005) of the tsunami-affected region of Asia","volume":"35","author":"Giri","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Biogeogr"},{"key":"ref_62","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"565","DOI":"10.1080\/014311600210759","article-title":"Evaluation of various digital image processing techniques for detection of coastal wetlands using ERS-1 SAR data","volume":"21","author":"Kushwaha","year":"2000","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens"}],"container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/5\/1\/224\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T21:44:12Z","timestamp":1760219052000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/5\/1\/224"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,1,11]]},"references-count":62,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,1]]}},"alternative-id":["rs5010224"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/rs5010224","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-4292"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-4292","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,1,11]]}}}