Growth sustaining aspects of Excoecaria agallocha L. for strategic afforestation protocols
Keywords:
Excoecaria agallocha, growth sustaining conditions, water quality, sediment quality, climatologyAbstract
Restoration/ afforestation initiatives on mangroves primarily require reliable information on the growth requirements of the targeted mangrove species. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the hydrogeochemical, sedimentological and climatological conditions ideal for the growth and establishment of the mangrove species Excoecaria agallocha L. in pursuit of their afforestation practices. Assessment of the physicochemical characteristics of water and soil / sediment along with climatological attributes from three heterogeneous habitats falling in the coastal environments of Kerala was monitored monthly for a period of one year for deriving conclusions regarding the growth requirements of E. agallocha. Statistical analysis revealed the most vital attributes of water which influence the growth of E. agallocha are water pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, resistivity, acidity, alkalinity, phosphorous and potassium and also the sedimentological characteristics such as pH, moisture %, sand, silt, clay %, organic carbon, nitrogen, potassium and sodium. The study as a whole reported the capability of E. agallocha to cope up with different hydrological and sedimentological conditions in terms of tolerance or augmented range, which will form a basis for future afforestation initiatives.
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