Impact of Habitat Degradation on Mangrove Biodiversity

Abstract

Terrestrial marine/brackish water, and strictly inter-tidal creatures all find refuge in mangrove forests, giving them a varied ecology. Mangroves have been exploited beyond their sustainable potential due to increasing reliance on natural resources. The goal of this study was to see how anthropogenic activities affect faunal and floral distribution. The sites chosen for the study were mangrove areas of Shiroda and Assolna in south Goa. The mangroves of the two sites studied, showed variations in the physicochemical parameters of the water due to the anthropogenic activities associated with it. Anthropogenic activities caused more perturbations in the Shiroda mangrove ecosystem. The water quality at Shiroda site was altered by having high concentration of calcium and sulphates. Hardness, TDS and calcium exceeded the permissible limits. Both studied sites showed similar species indices of fauna but differed in richness. Species diversity of crustaceans, Aves, mammals and Actinoptergii was higher for Assolna as compared to Shiroda. From the present study, it can be inferred that ecological disturbance on account of anthropogenic activities decreases the species richness and evenness of specific fauna.