S Sreelekshmi

Floristic structure and zonation pattern of the mangroves of India S Sreelekshmi

The coastal zone of India, endowed with a very wide range of ecosystems, the estuaries, backwaters, mangroves, salt marshes and coral reefs, is characterized by unique biotic and abiotic characteristics and processes. Among these, mangroves are the most threatened ecosystems along the Indian coast due to human interventions, exacerbated by climate change issues. Analysing the structural attributes like density, relative density, abundance, basal area and relative basal area of the existing mangroves is a useful approach in the scientific management of these degrading habitats. This book embodies the structural aspects, zonation and distribution pattern of true mangrove species of Sundarbans, Andamans and Kerala and is useful for ecologists or any scholar who is interested to know the community structure of mangrove habitats.