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Pichavaram is
also an important habitat for a variety of resident and migratory waterfowls
and other birds, with over 200 species having being recorded from here. These
Mangrove systems play home to the common otter, jackals, water snakes, water
dogs and foxes as well. The wetlands are rich in fishery resources, including a
variety of species of fish, oysters and green mussels and over 26 species of
finfish, 7 species of prawns and 4 species of crabs.
Plankton and other micro organisms, which proliferate in the mangrove and its surroundings, are eaten by fishes, prawns, crabs and mollusk larvae.
These mangroves are distributed across six zones.
Characterized by dominant, dwarfish and shrubby growth of mangroves, where the soil is principally sandy.
Zone II
which includes the banks of three creeks lying parallel to the sea shore. The eastern bank of the first creek shows three belts and the fringe of the shore ward belt is almost barren. , the middle belt is dominated by the specie ‘Salicornia brachiata’ and the inward belt is occupied by ‘Avicennia marina’.
Zone III
Luxuriant Mangrove vegetation exists in this zone, with the maximum number of species of mangrove plants. The specie ‘Rhizopora apiculata’ is dominant along the main channels.
Zone IV
A fresh water zone, dominated by ‘Acanthus ilicifolius’.
Zone V
The western bank of the channel is rich with ‘Suaeda’ which occupies nearly 3 km, giving the salt-marsh appearance. This area is elevated with a vast intertidal area and with lesser number of gullies. The soil texture, here, is more towards silty mud. On the eastern side of the channel towards the sea shore ‘Casurina equisitifolia’ is under large cultivation.
Zone VI
This zone exists nearly to the coleroon estuary. The channel on the landward side is covered with ‘Salicornia branchiate’, whereas the channel on the seaward side is occupied by small shrubby ‘Avicennia marina’.
Unique features of these mangroves
- The Mangrove specie ‘Rhizophora’ found here is evergreen and crucial from the biodiversity perspective. The spread of this specie in other wetlands in India, except for the Andaman and Nicobar, is a bare minimum.
- A natural hybrid of the Rhizophora species, born out of cross-pollination is endemic to this region.
- Extinct and Rare species - Two mangrove plants (Kandelia Candel and Bruguiera Gymorrhiza are otherwise extinct across the world and 1 specie (Xylocarpus granatum), which is on the anvil of extinction, is present here. Among the 14 species of mangroves recorded from this region, 10 species are listed as critically endangered and 3 species as vulnerable as per IUCN’s red list.
Plankton and other micro organisms, which proliferate in the mangrove and its surroundings, are eaten by fishes, prawns, crabs and mollusk larvae.
These mangroves are distributed across six zones.
Characterized by dominant, dwarfish and shrubby growth of mangroves, where the soil is principally sandy.
Zone II
which includes the banks of three creeks lying parallel to the sea shore. The eastern bank of the first creek shows three belts and the fringe of the shore ward belt is almost barren. , the middle belt is dominated by the specie ‘Salicornia brachiata’ and the inward belt is occupied by ‘Avicennia marina’.
Zone III
Luxuriant Mangrove vegetation exists in this zone, with the maximum number of species of mangrove plants. The specie ‘Rhizopora apiculata’ is dominant along the main channels.
Zone IV
A fresh water zone, dominated by ‘Acanthus ilicifolius’.
Zone V
The western bank of the channel is rich with ‘Suaeda’ which occupies nearly 3 km, giving the salt-marsh appearance. This area is elevated with a vast intertidal area and with lesser number of gullies. The soil texture, here, is more towards silty mud. On the eastern side of the channel towards the sea shore ‘Casurina equisitifolia’ is under large cultivation.
Zone VI
This zone exists nearly to the coleroon estuary. The channel on the landward side is covered with ‘Salicornia branchiate’, whereas the channel on the seaward side is occupied by small shrubby ‘Avicennia marina’.
Unique features of these mangroves
- The Mangrove specie ‘Rhizophora’ found here is evergreen and crucial from the biodiversity perspective. The spread of this specie in other wetlands in India, except for the Andaman and Nicobar, is a bare minimum.
- A natural hybrid of the Rhizophora species, born out of cross-pollination is endemic to this region.
- Extinct and Rare species - Two mangrove plants (Kandelia Candel and Bruguiera Gymorrhiza are otherwise extinct across the world and 1 specie (Xylocarpus granatum), which is on the anvil of extinction, is present here. Among the 14 species of mangroves recorded from this region, 10 species are listed as critically endangered and 3 species as vulnerable as per IUCN’s red list.
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