Assessment of Biomass and Carbon Stocks in Mangroves of Thalassery Estuarine Wetland of Kerala, South West Coast of India

The mangrove ecosystems render many goods and services ranging from coastal protection to climate regulation. These ecosystems are also reservoirs of carbon stocks, due to their ability to sequester and store carbon in their biomass and the underlying sediment, and therefore significant in view of the climate change mitigation. The present study attempted to assess the biomass and carbon stock of mangroves of Thalassery estuarine wetland of Kerala, south-west coast of India. We assessed the carbon stocks of three carbon pools viz., above-ground, below-ground (root) and sediment. A total of eight species of mangroves were recorded from the Thalassery estuarine wetland, and of these, Avicennia officinalis was the dominant species with an average tree density of 729.37 individuals ha-1 and contributed most (45.05±23.79 t ha-1) to the total carbon. The overall mean above-ground biomass was 189.26±97.80 t ha-1, while the overall mean root biomass was 83.06±40.48 t ha-1. The estimated mean above-ground carbon was 94.63±48.90 t C ha-1, while the mean carbon stock in root and sediment were 41.53±20.24 t C ha-1 and 17.48±7.30 t C ha-1, respectively. In the present study, the estimates of mean combined C-stocks in mangrove and sediment showed that the mangroves of Thalassery estuarine wetland stored 153.64 t C ha-1 which was equivalent to 563.86 t CO2 ha-1. The mangroves of Thalassery wetland cover an area of approximately 5.8 ha and thus it can be assumed that this wetland has the potential to sequester and store 891.11 t C, equivalent to an estimated amount of 3270.37 t CO2. The study reinforces the importance of mangrove forests as useful carbon sinks and the need for protection of these critical habitats in the light of climate change mitigation

Biomass and carbon stocks in two mangrove patches of Chettuva Estuary, south-west coast of India

Mangroves support numerous ecosystem services, including fisheries production and nutrient cycling. The role of mangroves in mitigating climate change is also well known. In the present study, the biomass and carbon sequestration potential of two dense mangrove patches located in the Chettuva estuary, south-west coast of India were assessed

Glimpses of biodiversity in the Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve, the first Community Reserve of Kerala

Biodiversity is the mainstay of ecosystem services and functions and supports the livelihood of millions of people. Sustainable utilization and conservation of our rich biological diversity is a prerequisite for human survival. India is a megadiverse country and with only 2.4% of the world’s geographical area, it accounts for 7 to 8% of all recorded species. Our country is a signatory to various international instruments focussing on matters of biodiversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The country has an obligation to protect our rich biological diversity and is one of the leaders in having established a comprehensive legal and institutional system to achieve the objectives of the CBD. Expansion of India’s Protected Area (PA) network, including ‘Conservation and Community Reserves’ is one of the important action points of the National Biodiversity Action Plan of our country. The Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve which lies in the Malabar region is the first Community Reserve of Kerala and is known for its rich biological diversity. Endowed with dense mangrove forests and mudflats, the Community Reserve is an abode to a large number of avian fauna, including many migratory species. Fishing and ecotourism have been the mainstay of income generation for many local inhabitants of the Community Reserve. Considering the ecological significance, diversity of wetland avian fauna and the burden of heavy anthropogenic pressures, the Kadalundi estuary was officially declared as the ‘Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve’ in October, 2007. Bio-inventorying and documentation of biodiversity is invaluable for the wise use of our ecosystems and the sustainability of biological resources. This publication is an outcome of a detailed study conducted by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in collaboration with the Kerala State Biodiversity Board to document the rich biodiversity of the Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve and to assess the economic value of the various ecosystem services rendered by the Community Reserve. The publication provides an insight in to the diversity of plankton, seagrass, mangroves, mangrove associates, avian fauna, molluscs, crustaceans and finfishes of the Community Reserve with an overview of the economic value of the ecosystem services. The various threats faced by the Community Reserve and meaningful options for the conservation and sustainable management of the Reserve is also highlighted in this document

Diversity of zooplankton in Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve, North Kerala, India

Zooplankton samples collected from ten stations covering the entire stretch of the Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve, Kerala, south India, for a period from July 2018 to June 2019 were studied. Twenty eight groups of zooplankton viz. copepods, foraminifera, medusae, chaetognaths, siphonophores, ctenophores, ostracods, cladocera, Lucifer sp., amphipods, isopods, appendicularia, Balanus nauplii, cyphonautes larvae, polychaete larvae, echinoderm larvae, ephyra larvae, brachiopod larvae, alima larvae of squilla, aquatic insect larvae, prawn larvae, crab zoea, crab megalopa larvae, bivalve larvae, pteropods, gastropod larvae, fish eggs and fish larvae were recorded. Among these, copepods formed the major portion of 43%. An average of 18330 nos. per 100 m3 was noticed from the study area. The maximum and minimum density of zooplankton was observed at Station 1 and 10 respectively and a decreasing trend in abundance was recorded from barmouth towards upstream stations. Seasonal studies indicated a maximum of 52% during pre-monsoon, followed by 36% during post-monsoon and a minimum of 12% during monsoon. Different indices of diversity, dominance plot, dendrogram and Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) plot are presented and discussed

Evaluation of biomass and carbon storage potential of a natural mangrove stand in Muzhappilangad, Kerala, southwest coast of India

The present study was envisaged to assess the biomass and carbon stocks of a natural mangrove stand of Muzhappilangad wetland of Kerala, southwest coast of India. The carbon stocks of above-ground, below-ground (root) and sediment carbon pools were assessed to arrive at the total ecosystem carbon stock. The grey mangrove Avicennia marina was the predominant species which registered an average tree density of 1,592.31 individuals ha-1 The overall mean above-ground biomass was 260.69 ± 151.76 t ha-1, while the overall mean root biomass was 102.84 ± 53.84 t ha-1. The estimated mean C-stocks were 130.34 ± 75.88, 51.42 ± 26.92 and 28.68 ± 10.14 ha-1 in the above-ground, root and sediment carbon pools respectively. The carbon stock in the above�ground biomass constituted 61.94%, while the root biomass and sediment constituted 24.43% and 13.63% of C-stock respectively. The total ecosystem carbon stock of Muzhappilangad wetland was 210.44 t C ha-1 which is equivalent to 772.32 t CO2 ha-1. The Muzhappilangad estuarine wetland has a mangrove cover of 8.9 ha and therefore it can be presumed that this small wetland along the southwest coast of India has the potential to sequester and store 1,872.92 t C, equivalent to an estimated 6,873.61 t CO2

Distribution and diversity of phytoplankton in Kadalundi estuary, southwest coast of India

Phytoplankton samples collected from ten stations in the Kadalundi estuary during July 2018 to June 2019 were studied. A total of 87 species of phytoplankton belonging to 60 genera, 46 Families, 33 Orders, 8 Classes and 5 Phyla were recorded. Among them, 43 species belonged to the Phylum Bacillariophyta (Diatoms), followed by 24 species under Miozoa (Dinoflagellates), 9 species under Charophyta (green algae), 6 species under Chlorophyta (green algae) and 5 species under Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae). Among the species, Tripos furca contributed maximum with 7%, followed by Trieres chinensis (6%), Skeletonema costatum and Tripos muelleri (5% each) and the rest of the species contributed less than 5% each. An average density of 25130 cells/m3 was recorded from the study area with a maximum of 25% in September and a minimum of 1.7% in July. Station wise concentration varied from 9% to 11%. In all the stations, diatoms dominated and it varied from 51% at station 7 to 66% each at stations 3 and 10. Diversity studies were carried out using PRIMER software. The Pielou’s evenness index, Shannon-Wiener’s index and Simpson index did not show significant variation between months. The taxonomic diversity index and average taxonomic distinctness were the highest in July and lowest in March. In the dendrogram, the highest similarity in species composition and abundance were recorded between November and December and the similarity was low between July and September

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