Sriharikota mangrove wetlands

Continuing my work on the mangroves of Nellore district, I visited the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota during March 2011 with their prior permission. There I noticed some mangrove swamps supporting the growth of a few true mangroves.

• Location : Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota.
• Mandal : Sullurpet
• Date of visit : 21.3.2011
• Co-ordinates : 13⁰38¹34.30¹¹ - 13⁰48^l06.12¹¹N, 80⁰11¹38.75¹¹-80⁰12¹¹49.75¹¹E

Permission was issued by SHAR authorities to enter the forest area. After security clearance the Principal Investigator was allowed into the forest area along with Sri .N. Sreenivasulu Reddy, Horticulturist of SHAR. We went into the forest covering COP area which includes Malipeduvagu, Cholla Doruvu, Chidimoti Kayya swamps. Finally, the adjoining Rayadoruvu was also visited.

COP area (Chandrasi Kuppam Out post)

I. Malipedu vagu:

This is a fairly big pond

The following mangrove associates and other flora were recorded.

1. Pandanus fascicularis Lam.- Pandanaceae, flowering

2. Calamus rotang L – Arecaceae, no flowers

3. Myriostachya wightiana L – Poaceae, flowering

4. Calophyllum inophyllum L - Calophyllaceae

Salinity: 30 ppt

Water Temperature: 27⁰C

II. Cholla doruvu:

This is a very important mangrove swamp in SHAR. It is adjacent to a blacktop road. It is sustained by flood waters. Cholladoruvu has a small, but thick mangrove forest. It has other non-mangrove flora also. Cholladoruvu is a brackish water pond with an opening into the Bay of Bengal.

True mangroves:

1. Avicennia marina 8 – 10 ft tall; No flowers

2. Lumnitzera racemosa Willd, Combretaceae, 15 ft tall; flowering and fruiting

3. Excoecaria agallocha 10-12 ft. tall; flowering

Mangrove associates:

1. Pandanus fascicularis Lam.- Pandanaceae, no flowers

2. Phoenix paludosa Roxb. (Mangrove date palm) Arecaceae, flowering

3. Ipomoea pes-caprae, flowering

4. Caesalpinia crista L. Caesalpinaceae, not in flowering

5. Cassia biflora L. Caesalpinaceae, flowering

Salinity : 30 ppt

Water Temperature : 28⁰C

III. Chudimoti Kayya:

This is a typical mangrove swamp in the sense that it receives fresh water from upstream during monsoon and is close to the sea with mouth opening into the sea. At this time of season, at the last week of March, it has water at the middle of the pond and the periphery is swampy. It has fringe mangroves and is about 50 acres in extent. The water is brackish.

True mangroves:

1. Lumnitzera racemosa: 15- 18 ft. tall, flowering and fruiting

2. Excoecaria agallocha – 15- 18 ft. tall, flowering

It is precisely a thick mixed Lumnitzera – Excoecaria community here at COP area. Both these mangroves are found at the fringe of the pond at Chudimoti kayya.

Mangrove associates:

1. Clerodendrum inerme, Verbenaceae, flowering

2. Ipomoea pes-caprae, Convolvulaceae, flowering

3. Derris indica, Bennet, Fabaceae, 10 ft tall, not in flowering

Other flora:

1. Garcinia spicata (Gamboje) Well, Clusiaceae, no flowers

2. Celosia sinensis (local name: Garika muttivellu), Amaranthaceae, flowering

There are Casuarina plantations very close to the mangrove communities at Cholladoruvu and Chudimoti Kayya. Practically there is no menace of prosopis invasion into the mangrove wetlands here. The soil at the ponds is predominantly light sandy enriched by litter, and a little sediment,

and is quite different from that of other mangrove swamps in the district.

Salinity : 30 ppt

Water Temperature : 28⁰C

Pudirayadoruvu:

Pudirayadoruvu pond is a fenced and barricaded area separating SHAR from the adjoining northern area of Pulicat lake. The water in Pudirayadoruvu pond is highly saline, approaching the salinity of sea water. There are no traces of mangroves here. Pudirayadoruvu is one of the two mouths of Pulicat Lake to the sea, the other being Kondurupalem, on the Andhra Pradesh side of Pulicat Lake. There are thick Casuarina plantations on the northern bank of Pudirayadoruvu, where the coastal village of Nawabpet (Vakadu mandal) is located.

Survey of Iskapalle- Kurrupalem - Adinarayanapuram Mangrove Wetlands

In my further attempt to survey the mangrove swamps of Nellore district, mandal-wise, this time I visited Iskapalle- Kurrupalem (Kurru)- Adinarayanapuram mangrove wetlands in Allur Mandal. Here I found vast stretches of mangrove wetlands being converted into shrimp ponds and salt pans at the expense of mangroves.

Mandal: Allur

Date of visit 13.02.2011

Coordinates: 14⁰ 44¹26.41¹¹ – 14⁰44¹32.12¹¹ N, 80⁰6¹47.58¹¹-80⁰06¹51.65¹¹E

Kurrupalem is a lagoon bordering Bay of Bengal.

At Kurrupalem swamps, there are exclusively pure stands of A.marina. They are stunted and are about 6 ft. tall, with no flowers. On either side of the Society Road there are A.marina plants. There are salt pans at the beginning of the road, followed by mangrove swamps and then again salt pans.

Another interesting feature is the total absence of Prosopis chilensis. The swamps are water-logged. It is obvious that the mangroves are gradually cleared and the swamps are converted into salt pans. There are small creeks in the swamps and water is flowing. At the margin of the road Ipomoea pes-caprae and Heliotrpium currasavicum L.: are growing.

• Salinity: 19 ppt
• Dissolved oxygen: 20.4
• Water temperature : 27⁰C

B). Mangrove swamps of Venkatareddypalem

Mandal : Vidavalur

Location : 14⁰ 35¹37.10¹¹ – 14⁰36¹02.39¹¹ N, 80⁰09¹38.58¹¹-80⁰10¹05.18¹¹E

These mangrove swamps are fed by a Pennar creek, to the north of Pallepalem – Utukuru.

This is a huge mangrove swamp, exclusively comprised of A.marina, 6-8 ft tall. The swamp is inaccessible. Adjacent to the swamps there are stands of Excoecaria agallocha, about 10 ft. tall, with flowers. In these swamps also mesquite is totally absent.

• Salinity: 20 ppt
• Dissolved Oxygen: 10.0
• Water temperature: 28⁰C

Mangroves of Utukuru – Pallepalem, Nellore district

As part of my study on the mangroves of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh, I visited several swamps in Nellore district between Feb - Dec 2011. I had noted down the true mangroves, mangrove associates and other flora at the swamps. I give below a detailed account of the mangrove floral diversity of the swamps of Nellore district I had so far covered.

Utukuru – Pallepalem mangrove swamps

Mandal : Vidavaluru

Date of visit: 10-02-2011

Coordinates: 14⁰ 34¹29.72¹¹ –14⁰35¹11.63¹¹ N, 80⁰10¹40.17¹¹-80⁰10¹51.47¹¹E

The mangrove swamps at Pennar estuary near Utukuru – Pallepalem are surveyed. There are extensive aquaculture ponds at the mouth of the estuary, where river Pennar merges with Bay of Bengal. This results in further reduction of fresh water and sediment into the mangrove swamps.

Survey was conducted at three stations:

• Pathapalem Dibba*
• Erravenkaiah Dibba
• Dayyam kalva

*’Dibba’ is a mud flat/ tidal flat

All the above stations are privately – owned lands. There is extensive bio-invasion of Prosopis chilensis at the above mangrove swamps.

1.Pathapalem Dibba:

True mangroves:

a. Avicennia marina (Forsk) Vierh Family: Avicenniaceae. Plants abundant in number, but stunted growth, 4-5 ft tall. No flowering and fruiting.

b. Excoecaria agallocha – Family: Euphorbiaceae – In terms of number of plants, next toAvicennia marina 10 – 12 ft tall, No flowers and fruits.

c. Rhizophora mucronata Poir – Family: Rhizophoraceae – Scarce, one or two in number, 6 - 8 ft tall, no flowers and fruits.

Mangrove associates:

a. Suaeda maritima(L.) Dumort – Family: Chenopodiaceae-abundant with flowers and fruits.

b. Suaeda nudiflora (Willd.)Moq – Family: Chenopodiaceae-abundant with flowers and fruits

• Salinity: 23 ppt
• Dissolved oxygen : 02.6
• Water temperature : 270C

2. Yerra Venkaiah Dibba:

True mangroves:

a. A. marina: dominant and stunted 4-5 ft tall, no flowers and fruits

b. R.mucronata: more in number compared to Pathapalem Dibba 6-8 ft tall, but degenerating; no flowers and fruits

c. Excoecaria agallocha L. : next to A. marina in terms of numbers; flowering.

Mangrove associates:

a. Suaeda maritima: abundant, flowers and fruits

b. Suaeda nudiflora : abundant, flowers and fruits

c. Arthrocnemum indicum(Willd.)Moq : Family: Chenopodiaceae, abundant, no flowers

d. Sesuvium portulacastrum(L.)L : Family: Aizoaceae, distributed fairly; no flowers and fruits.

e. Salicornia brachiata Roxb: Chenopodiaceae, flowers and fruits

f. Clerodendrum inerme Gaertn: Family: Verbenanceae- a few in number, flowering

g. Caesalpinia crista L. Family: Caesalpinaceae ; a few in number; flowering;

h. Ipomoea pes-caprae(L): Sweet Family: Convolvulaceae- a few in number; flowering

Other flora :

a. Cassytha filiformis L. : Family: Lauraceae: a few in number; flowering

b. Asparagus racemosus: (Wlld) Family: Asperagaceae, a few in number, no flowers

c. Phoenix sylvestris Roxb: Family: Arecaceae; one or two; flowering and fruiting

• Salinity : 30 ppt
• Dissolved oxygen : 12.5
• Water temperature : 22 C

3. Dayyam Kalva:

In the entire Utukuru estuary, it is here that there are thick stands of Avicennia marina. Some of the trees are about 10 ft. tall, where as in the other two stations they are stunted. These trees occur at the fringes of the creek which is about 0.75 km long. A few plants of Excoecaria agallocha are found. On the whole, A.marina is the dominant mangrove at the above three stations.

• Salinity: 22 ppt
• Dissolved oxygen: 10.2
• Water temperature: 260C.
• Sediment samples are collected at fixed points for chemical analysis

Investigation on Mangroves in South costal Andhra Pradesh, India

A perusal of literature shows that there is scant information on mangroves of South costal Andhra Pradesh comprising Nellore and Prakasam districts. In Nellore district there are Pennar, Kandaleru and Swarnamukhi estuaries where mangroves of varying size and density occur. But most of these mangroves are located in the revenue lands and hence indiscriminately destroyed for aquaculture, salt pans and firewood. Of late the outflow of fresh water from the river Pennar, Kandaleru and Swarnamukhi has also declined and this has a telling effect on the growth of mangroves. In Prakasam district, there are only minor rivers and streams viz.Gundlakamma, Musi, Paaleru and Maaneru which bring nutrients along with water for the sustenance of mangroves at the costal regions. But most of these mangroves are ill developed. Floristic and ecological studies have been conducted by us to assess their present position, the effect of their deforestation and aquaculture in these districts.