RIPARIAN FLORA OF MYLAUDY PANCHAYATH, KANYAKUMARI …
Transcript of RIPARIAN FLORA OF MYLAUDY PANCHAYATH, KANYAKUMARI …
RIPARIAN FLORA OF MYLAUDY PANCHAYATH, KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT,
TAMIL NADU, INDIA
Karthika T & Mary Kensa V
PG Rearch Centre of Botany, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil. Email Id: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The current study was carried out on the riparian vegetation of Mylaudy panchayath.
During research a total of 79 species of flowering plants belonging to 66 genera and 26 different
families were observed and described ecologically. The Monocotyledons were represented by 14
species belonging 14 genera and 6 families, whereas the Dicotyledons were represented by 65
species belonging to 55 genera and 20 families. The plant habits, the herbs dominate the study
region with 47 species (60%) followed by trees with 11 species (15%), shrubs with 12 species
(15%) and climbers with 9 species (11%). Among the 47 herbs, 3 (6%) aquatic herbs, 5 (11%)
prostrate herbs, 15 (32%) annual herbs and 24 (51%) perennial herbs are reported. Poaceae was
dominant family with 9 species followed by Amaranthaceae were 8 species and Asteraceae and
Fabaceae were 7 species in each family. Among the plant genera, Ipomoea was found to be the
most dominant with 4 species followed by Solanum genus (3 species). The grasses of Cynodon
and Setaria were also well represented and predominantly growing in the study area. Cynodon
dactylon was most prominent with their distribution in the study area. Its complex underground
network of tubers, bulbs, roots and rhizomes coupled with its ability to adapt to high
temperatures, solar radiations and humidity have turned this weed into a serious problem in
subtropical and even arid regions. Other dominant plant species was Euphorbia hirta. It is a
hairy herb growing in open habitats and is considered as a pantropical weed. It is commonly
known as Asthma weed owing to its traditional use for treatment of asthma and laryngeal spasm.
Other dominant plant species was Tridax procumbens. It has high stress tolerance ability
allowing it to inhabit even dry soil conditions. It has been described as a valuable medicinal
plants with many different applications in the Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. The other
dominant plant genera Ficus is a genus belonging to family Moraceae, collectively known as Fig
and are mostly distributed throughout the tropical regions. A total of 79 plant species from the
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study area were classified as weeds. Most of the weeds present in study area are broad niche
weeds distributed widely in different types of the landscapes in the surrounding regions.The
riparian vegetation is prone to colonization of weeds, which is facilitated by a number of factors.
Out of all the plants recorded, only 19 species like Tridax procumbens, Cynodon dactylon,
Achyranthus aspera, Chloris barbata, Cleome gynandra, Datura metal, Ricinus communis,
Ocimum sanctum, Setaria glauca, Sida acuta, Mimosa pudica, Digera muricata, Lantana
camera, Ipomoea nil, Justicia simplex, Parthenium hysterophorus, Boerhavia diffusa, Coccinia
grandis, and Crotalaria verrucosa were distributed all across the study area. Among the total 79
plant species, 55 were considered as perennials and 24 were as annuals. Regarding the
regeneration methods, 64 plants were propagated by seeds; 4 by stem cuttings; 1by tubers and 10
by stem cutting/seed. There are totally, 68 plant species are considered as aromatic and 11 were
non-aromatic plant species. To maintain the ecological profile of this region and help rejuvenate
the native biodiversity, it is imperative to conserve the existing biota, strictly check the
disturbance factors and enhance the vegetation with the participation of local stakeholders.
Keywords: riparian zone, stakeholders, biodiversity, perennials and regeneration.
INTRODUCTION
Riparian vegetation is one of the main components of stream bank soil bioengineering.
Understanding the concept of riparian vegetation is extremely important. Riparian zone is also
known as gallery forests and stream side forests (Brinson, 1990).The riparian zone has complex
interactions among hydrology, geomorphology, light and temperature which influence the
structure, dynamics and composition of riparian ecosystems (Brinson, 1990; Malanson, 1993).
Most riparian classification system focus on a few selected attributes of riparian areas such as
hydric soil or hydrophilic plant associations (Cowardin et al., 1979).The general structure of
riparian vegetation consists of three layered organization of canopy trees, middle stratum of
shrubs and woody climbers and herbaceous ground flora. Trees are considered as the most
significant component in the riparian ecosystem (Minore and Weatheriy, 1994; Pettit and froend,
2001). These riparian vegetation used to be an important source of fodder for livestock during the
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dry season, fuel wood and wood for utensils and home building, also are home to many bird
species and other wild animals (Kemper, 2001; Naiman and Decamps, 1970). Riparian areas are
of major ecological interest, despite the small area they occupy in the watershed, because they
support some of the most productive and diverse terrestrial vegetation assemblages and serve
many ecological functions (Naiman et al., 2005; Shearer and Xiang 2007).The greater water
availability in conjunction with the conjunction with the frequent disturbances results into their
distinct and unique soil and vegetation characteristics (Zaimes et al., 2011).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
The study area Mylaudy panchayath is situated in Agasteeswaram taluk, Kanyakumari
district, Tamil Nadu, India. Total population of the study area is 10,070 peoples. An average
temperature was 27.9oC which does not exceed 30
oC. The heat is very high in April (29.3
oC) and
May (29.7oC). In October and November there are thunder storms that are due to depression
coming over from the Bay of Bengal and Crossing the district. The rainfall is due to South West
monsoons and also due to return monsoon and from the Bay of Bengal. It is obvious that the
flora here is very rich containing dry deciduous, semi- evergreen and some moist even green
species. There are mixed type of clay, alluvial soil and red soil are seen.
A field survey was conducted from October 2019 to January 2020 (4 months), to record the
riparian plants are growing on river area of Mylaudy panchayath. One visit was made at every
week end. Thus a total sixteen visits were made to all the practically possible places in search of
riparian vegetation. The periodical trips were under taken to the particular part of the study area
to get information about riparian vegetation. Identification of plant was done using taxonomic
literatures and with the help of experts and regional floras (Gamble and Fisher, 1916-1936) and
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Matthew (1982, 1999). The enumerated plants were listed as botanical name followed by
vernacular name, family, habit. The preserved specimens were deposited in the Department of
Botany, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
A total of 79 species of flowering plants belonging to 66 genera and 26 different families
were recorded from the study area (Table: 1). Regarding the therapeutic importance of
identified riparian plant species, nearly all the plant species are used in many ways. They are
used in the treatment of dysentery, piles, leprosy, urinary tract disorders, asthma, cough,
rheumatism, vaginal infections, bladder infections, arthritis, respiratory disorders, skin problems,
backache, gastrointestinal diseases, inflammation, diabetes, digestive system disorders, bronchial
inflammation, intestinal troubles, worm infestation, haemorrhoids and sexual disorders.
Moreover the identified plant species are act as purgative, analgesic, diuretic, antidote, anti-
inflammatory, laxative, antihelminthic, insect repellents, eczema, antiheadache, diaphoretic,
emetic, anti-diabetic etc. Some plant species are used as ornamental, vegetable, and the wood is
used to make furniture .
Of the total 79 plant species 52 were used as medicinal purposes, 4 were used as economic
purposes and the remaining plant species were used as both medicine and economic ways (Fig:
1). Among the total 79 plant species, 55 were considered as perennials and 24 were as annuals
(Fig: 2). Poaceae was dominant family with 9 species followed by Amaranthaceae were 8 species
and Asteraceae and Fabaceae were 7 species in each family (Fig: 7, 8).
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Regarding the regeneration methods, 64 plants were propagated by seeds; 4 by stem
cuttings; 1 by tubers and 10 by stem cutting/seed (Fig: 3). There are totally, 68 plant species are
considered as aromatic and 11 were non-aromatic plant species (Fig: 4).
Of these, the Monocotyledons were represented by 14 species belonging 14 genera and 6
families, whereas the Dicotyledons were represented by 65 species belonging to 55 genera and
20 families (Figure: 5). With respect to the plant habits, the herbs dominate the study region with
47 species (60%) followed by trees with 11 species (15%), shrubs with 12 species (15%) and
climbers with 9 species (11%) (Fig: 6). Among the 47 herbs, 3 (6%) aquatic herbs, 5 (11%)
prostrate herbs, 15 (32%) annual herbs and 24 (51%) perennial herbs (Fig: 9). Among the plant
genera, Ipomoea was found to be the most dominant with 4 species followed by Solanum genus
(3 species). Similar observation was made where in 4 species of Ipomoea were recorded
(Maitreya, 2015b) in the riparian vegetation of the Sabarmati riverside in Gandhinagar. The plant
genus Ipomoea is the largest genus in terms of number of species in the family Convolvulaceae
and it is distributed all over the world with about 500 species (Mabberley, 2008). Of the
4Ipomoea sps recorded in the study area, distribution of I. carnea was the most prominent with
its presence in six out of the seven sites followed by I. triloba present in five out of seven sites. I.
carnea (syn: I. fistulosa) is among the most dominant and harmful weeds that have invaded the
world's tropical and sub-tropical regions (Bhuyan et al., 2008; Sharma and Bachheti, 2013). It is
an even green, flowering shrub which was initially used to make fences but has now become very
widespread species owing to its hardiness, High reproduction success, and very fast rate of
growth (Chari and Abbasi, 2005; Konwer et al., 2007). Its rampant colonization in different
habitats is of great concern as it has deleterious effects such as biodiversity and nutrient loss as
well as other forms of ecodegradation (Kumar et al., 2014).
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The grasses of Cynodon and Setaria were also well represented and predominantly growing
in the study area. These grasses were also found to be thriving well along the Sabarmati riverbed
(Maitreya, 2015a). Cynodon dactylon was most prominent with their distribution in the study
area. Its complex underground network of tubers, bulbs, roots and rhizomes coupled with its
ability to adapt to high temperatures, solar radiations and humidity have turned this weed into a
serious problem in subtropical and even arid regions (Global Invasive Species Databases). Other
dominant plant species was Euphorbia hirta. It is a hairy herb growing in open habitats and is
considered as a pantropical weed. It is commonly known as Asthma weed owing to its traditional
use for treatment of asthma and laryngeal spasm. Other dominant plant species was Tridax
procumbens. It has high stress tolerance ability allowing it to inhabit even dry soil conditions. It
has been described as a valuable medicinal plants with many different applications in the
Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine (Shukla et al., 2013).The other dominant plant genera Ficus is a
genus belonging to family Moraceae, collectively known as Fig and are mostly distributed
throughout the tropical regions.
A total of 79 plant species from the study area were classified as weeds. Most of the weeds
present in study area are broad niche weeds distributed widely in different types of the
landscapes in the surrounding regions. The riparian vegetation is prone to colonization of weeds,
which is facilitated by a number of factors. These include periodic flooding, excessive grazing,
inputs of nutrients and weed propagates from agricultural land, roads and other disturbed sites,
and the availability of moisture (Carr, 1993). These weeds are often found to out compete the
native species for resources such as space, light and nutrients (Askey-Doran et al., 1990).
Besides, they are also found to have an impact on the soil and water conditions in the region,
there by largely affecting the riparian food web.
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Out of all the plants recorded, only 19 species like Tridax procumbens, Cynodon dactylon,
Achyranthus aspera, Chloris barbata, Cleome gynandra, Datura metal, Ricinus communis,
Ocimum sanctum, Setaria glauca, Sida acuta, Mimosa pudica, Digera muricata, Lantana
camera, Ipomoea nil, Justicia simplex, Parthenium hysterophorus, Boerhavia diffusa, Coccinia
grandis, and Crotalaria verrucosa were distributed all across the study area.
TABLE 1: SURVEY OF CLIMBERS IN THE SELECTED STUDY AREA,
MYLAUDY.
NO. BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY COMMON
NAME
1 Abutilonindicum (L.)Sweet. Malvaceae Indian Mallow
2 Acalypha indica L. Euphorbiaceae Indian nettle
3 Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae Prickly chaff
flower
4 Aerva lanata
(L.)Juss.ex.Schult. Amaranthaceae Knot grass
5 Alternanthera pungens Kunth. Amaranthaceae Khaki weed
6 Alternanthera sessilis
(L.)R.BR.ex.DC Amaranthaceae Sessile joy weed
7 Amaranthus viridi L. Amaranthaceae Green Amaranth
8 Asystasia gangetica
(L.)T.And. Acanthaceae
Creeping
Foxglove
9 Bidens alba (L.)DC. Asteraceae Beggar Tick
10 Boerhavia diffusa L. Nyctaginaceae Red Spiderling
11 Borassus flabellifer L. Asteraceae Palmyra palm
12 Calotropis gigantea
(L.)W.T.Aiton. Asclepidaceae Crown flower
13 Celosia argentea L. Amaranthaceae Silver cockscomb
14 Chloris barbata Sw. Poaceae Swollen finger
grass
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NO. BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY COMMON
NAME
15 Cleome gynandra L. Cleomaceae Stickweed
16 Cleome rutidosperma DC. Capparaceae Fringed spider
flower
17 Clitoria ternatea L. Fabaceae Butterfly pea
18 Coccinia grandis (L.)Voilgt. Cucurbitaceae Scarlet gourd
19 Cocus nucifera L. Arecaceae Coconut tree
20 Commelina benghalensis L. Commelinaceae Benghal
dayflower
21 Crotalaria verrucosa L. Fabaceae Blue rattle pod
22 Cynodon dactylon (L.)Pers. Poaceae Arugam pullu
23 Dactyloctenium aegyptium
(L.)Willd. Poaceae Crowfoot grass
24 Datura metal L. Solanaceae Devil’s trumpet
25 Datura stramonium L. Solanaceae Jimson weed
26 Desmodium triflorum (L.)DC Fabaceae Creeping Tick
trefoil
27 Digera muricata (L.)Mart. Amaranthaceae False Amaranth
28 Eichhornia crassipes
(Mart.)Solms. Pontederiaceae Water Hyacinth
29 Eleusine indica (L.)Gaertn. Poaceae Indian goosegrass
30 Eragrostis capillaris (L.)Nees. Poaceae Love grass
31 Euphorbia heterophylla Desf. Euphorbiaceae Fire plant
32 Euphorbia hirta L. Euphorbiaceae Asthma plant
33 Ficus religiosa L. Moraceae Peepal
34 Gomphrena celosiodes Mart. Amaranthaceae Bachelor’s button
35 Heliotropium indicum L. Boraginaceae Indian heliotrope
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NO. BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY COMMON
NAME
36 Hibiscus vififolius L. Malvaceae Grape leaved
37 Hydrilla verticillata
(L.F.)Royle. Hydrocharitaceae Hydrilla
38 Hyptis suaveolens (L.)Poit. Laminaceae Pignut
39 Ipomoea alba L. Convolvulaceae Moon flower
40 Ipomoea nil (L.)Roth. Convolvulaceae Blue morning
glory
41 Ipomoea obscura (L.)Ker
Gawl. Convolvulaceae
Obscure morning
glory
42 Ipomoea pestigridis L. Convolvulaceae Tiger’s foot
43 Justicia glauca Rott. Acanthaceae Glaucous justicia
44 Justicia simplex D.Don. Acanthaceae Small justicia
45 Lantana camera L. Verbinaceae Lantana
46 Lawsonia inermis L. Lythraceae Henna tree
47 Luffa cylindrical (L.)Roem Cucurbitaceae Vegetable sponge
48 Mimosa pudica L. Fabaceae Sensitive plant
49 Morinda tinctoria Roxb. Rubiaceae Indian mulberry
50 Morus alba L. Moraceae White mulberry
51 Mucuna pruriens (L.)DC. Fabaceae Velvet bean
52 Musa paradisiaca L. Moraceae Banana
53 Nerium oleander L. Apocyanaceae Oleander
54 Ocimum sanctum L. Laminaceae Holy basil
55 Panicum maxicum Jacq. Poaceae Guinea grass
56 Parthenium hysterophorus L. Asteraceae Carrot grass
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NO. BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY COMMON
NAME
57 Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin. Poaceae Desho grass
58 Peristrophe bicalyculata
(Retz.)Nees. Acanthaceae
Panicled
foldwing
59 Pistia stratiotes L. Araceae Water lettuce
60 Plumbago zeylanica L. Plumbaginaceae Wild leadword
61 Ricinus communis L. Euphorbiaceae Castor bean
62 Ruellia patula Jacq. Acanthaceae Spreading Ruellia
63 Saccharum spontaneumL. Poaceae Wild sugarcane
64 Sesbania grandiflora(L.)Pers. Fabaceae Prickly chaff
flower
65 Setaria glauca (L.)P.Beauv. Poaceae Greenfoxtail
66 Sida acuta Burm.F. Malvaceae Wire weed
67 Solanum nigrum L. Solanaceae Black berry night
shade
68 Solanum torvum sw. Solanaceae Turkey berry
69 Solanum trilobatum L. Solanaceae Purple fruited pea
egg plant
70 Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
(L.)Vahl. Verbinaceae Blue porter weed
71 Synedrella nodiflora
(L.)Gaertn. Asteraceae Cinderella weed
72 Tamarindus indica L. Fabaceae Tamarind
73 Tectona grandis L.f Laminaceae Teak
74 Thespesia
populnea(L.)Sol.ex.Correa. Malvaceae Indian tulip tree
75 Thevetia peruviana
(Per.)K.Sclum. Malvaceae Yellow oleander
76 Tridax procumbens L. Asteraceae Coat buttons
77 Vernonia cinerea (L.)Less. Asteraceae Purple fleabane
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NO. BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY COMMON
NAME
78 Vitex negundo L. Verbenaceae Chaste tree
79 Wedelia trilobata L. Asteraceae Yellow dots
FIGURE: 1 USE PATTERN OF PLANTS IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDYAREA
FIGURE: 2 DIVERSITY OF PERENNIAL AND ANNUAL OF IDENTIFIED IN THE
STUDY AREA
30%
70%
Annual
Perennial
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FIGURE: 3 REGENERATION METHODS OF IDENTIFIED PLANT IN THE STUDY
AREA.
FIGURE: 4 LIST OF AROMATIC AND NON
THE STUDY AREA
4%
11%
1%
14%
REGENERATION METHODS OF IDENTIFIED PLANT IN THE STUDY
OF AROMATIC AND NON-AROMATIC PLANTS IDENTIFIED IN
THE STUDY AREA
84%
Seed
Stem Cutting
Seed and Stem Cutting
Tuber
86%Aromatic
Non-aromatic
REGENERATION METHODS OF IDENTIFIED PLANT IN THE STUDY
AROMATIC PLANTS IDENTIFIED IN
Seed and Stem Cutting
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FIGURE: 5 COTYLEDON WISE DISTRIBUTION IDENTIFIED PLANT SPECIES
FIGURE:6 HABIT WISE DISTRIBUTION OF THE IDENTIFIED PLANT SPECIES
82%
18%
DICOT
MONOCOT
14%
17%
11%
58%
Tree
Shrub
Climber
Herb
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FIGURE: 7 FAMILY WISE
IDENTIFIED PLANTS
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Acanthaceae
Arecaceae
Cleomaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Lythraceae
Plumbaginaceae
Solanaceae
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Aca
ntha
ceae
Am
aran
thac
eae
Apo
cyna
ceae
Ara
ceae
Are
cace
ae
Asc
lepi
dace
ae
Ast
erac
eae
Cle
omac
eae
Com
mel
inac
eae
No
. of
the
pla
nts
FAMILY WISE AND TAXONOMIC DATA OF DISTRIBUTION OF
IDENTIFIED PLANTS
Amaranthaceae Apocynaceae Araceae
Asclepidaceae Asteraceae Boraginaceae
Commelinaceae Convolvulaceae Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae Hydrocharitaceae Laminaceae
Malvaceae Moraceae Nyctaginaceae
Poaceae Pontedariaceae Rubiaceae
Verbinaceae
Com
mel
inac
eae
Con
volv
ulac
eae
Cuc
urbi
tace
ae
Eup
horb
iace
ae
Fab
acea
e
Hyd
roch
arita
ceae
Lam
inac
eae
Lyth
race
ae
Mal
vace
ae
Mor
acea
e
Nyc
tagi
nace
ae
Plu
mba
gina
ceae
Poa
ceae
Pon
teda
riace
ae
Rub
iace
ae
Sol
anac
eae
Ver
bina
ceae
Name of the families
TAXONOMIC DATA OF DISTRIBUTION OF
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FIGURE: 8 DOMINANT FAMILES OF IDENTIFIED PLANTS IN THE SELECTED
STUDY AREA
FIGURE: 9 HERB WISE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE IDENTIFIED PLANT SPECIES
Studies based on distribution patterns of riparian vegetation in riparian corridors and use of
riparian vegetation as an indicator of health of freshwater ecosystem is fewer (Malik et al.,
2008). Studied influences of the riparian zone vegetation characteristics on bank erosion and
riparian buffers along with native indigenous vegetation or mixed indigenous and introduced
flora. Five different types of forest and riparian zones were selected. According to Fauling
(2009) riparian zone act as a link between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and play an
important role in their ecological functions. Studied that these areas are adjacent to surface water
bodies and are essential for ecological attributes such water quality and wildlife (Zaimes et al.,
2011). Nasir et al. works on threats to low riparian ecosystem of Indus River (Nasir and Akbar,
2012). This river is emanating from deterioration river flow regime coupled with associated
anthropogenic activities. Ali and Shahzad (2012) conducted their research on mapping and
6%
11%
32%
51%
Aquatic Herb
Prostrate Herb
Annual Herb
Perennial Herb
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analysis of the riparian zone of the Indus River Basin, Pakistan. They analyse quantitatively the
health of riparian vegetation, study the wetland condition and channel sinuosity. It is estimated
that the diversity of plant species and their distribution in space have important effects on the
function of wetland ecosystems. We found that wetlands with a greater diversity of type of cover
present a greater diversity of plant species than wetlands with less diversity of type of cover. We
also found significant relationships between the diversity of plant species and the spatial pattern
of cover types, but the direction of the effect differs depending on the measure of diversity used
(Brandt et al., 2015).
Condori and Choquehuanca (2001) report in Puno for Collao Province 45 plant species in
high Andean wetlands, presenting a high floristic composition, being similar to the Pomacocha
Lagoon; for Tarata 21 plant species were reported, similar respect to the Tragadero, Cucancocha,
Incacocha and Nahuinpuquio Lagoons. In Bolivia, Prieto et al. (2001) reported, 58 plant species
in high Andean wetlands. These results indicate that in the area of influence of our research there
is a smaller distribution of species in front of the Bolivian wetland system. This result indicates
that in our field of study, there is a lower number of species in wetlands.
Poaceae is one of the families with the highest number of species, with approximately 700
genera and 10,000 species distributed in almost all continents (Clayton and Renvoize, 1986).
The Peruvian flora is represented by around 157 genera with 750 species (Ulloa et al., 2004),
which are occupying all the bioclimatic levels, from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the high
peaks of the Andes and from these to the Amazon plain crossing the eastern Andes.
The present study has been concentrated only on angiosperms as it is a major group of
the plant Kingdom. In annual rivers, Asteraceae was dominant biggest family followed by
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Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Cyperaceae, Rubiaceae and Poaceae was less in the riparian forest of
Southwestern Brazil (Faxina et al., 2015). This vegetation profile modification is due to the
frequent floodplain disturbance, and wetland nature of the terrain to establish Poaceae members.
Around 2,015 species of flowering plants were endemic to peninsular India (Nayar, 1996). The
Western Ghats are on the brink of endemic plant collapse, about 1500 species have a highly
fragmented population and at least 50 endemic species have not be relocated after repeated
surveys (Nayar, 1998). The Western Ghats serves as high percentage of endemic species, about
48% of 4000 species occur in this region (Gopalan and Henry, 2000). In the Sacred forests of
Kanyakumari district, 12 plant species were recorded as RET species (Sukumaran, 2008). 51
angiosperms were documented plants from Nilgiri in Madukkarai forests of southern Western
Ghats (Kumar et al, 2012). The study in Thamirabarani river revealed 111 species listed in RET
category. Artocarpus hirsutus, Pandanas canaranus, Aegle marmelos, Alpinia galangal, Careya
arborea, Colocassia esculenta, Cyperus distance, Derris scandens, Justicia gendarussa,
Millingtonia hortensis and Streblus asper were widely distributed species and their presence in
different types of vegetation reflects their wide adaptability. Some species are highly sensitive to
ecological perturbation and their distribution had been narrowed down. This study was to predict
spatial patterns of riparian vegetation employing identify. The floristic wealth can be used to
successfully predict the presence of certain individual species, as well as the presence of riparian
vegetation, using either continuous plot weighted wetland threshold score designed to represent
a dominance of riparian species. Giant trees acts as barrier protection the river banks from soil
erosion and the check dams slow down the flow of the river where by recharging the ground
water and increasing the water table. Neighbouring agricultural activities along the riparian
landscapes, uncontrolled anthropogenic activities are affecting the allied biodiversity of the
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riparian zones. This investigation focused on floristic composition and present status of the
riparian vegetation in the middle and lower reaches of the Thamiraparani River brings out many
significant features. This enables the analysis of factors relevant to river protection, biodiversity
conservation and other social, economic and ecological dependence.
The riparian vegetation has been the pillars of human civilization as they have been the
epicentres of human settlements since the very beginning of mankind on earth. Till date, this
ecosystem is of prime importance owing to its numerous ecological, cultural and socio-
economical applications. However, currently they can be seen in wane conditions owing to the
unplanned such as land conversions, grazing and industrial pollution hampered the growth of
native vegetation by altering its phenology. Many studies have established the direct role of
riparian plants in vital ecosystem functions and processes and hence, any change in the floristic
diversity would lead to significant and sometimes, irreversible changes in the riparian
ecosystems. Hence, improving the vegetation of this riparian region, especially incorporating the
native tree species, will have positive impacts on the overall biodiversity and help in battling the
spread of invasive species.
CONCLUSION
The importance of riparian vegetation as food zone and shelter for terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems as well as for multitude of other ecological functions has been realized globally and
efforts have stepped up to conserve the same. For a river as important as Mylaudy in
Kanyakumari, this study comes as the only detailed inventorization of the riparian flora
highlighting its significance as an abode for 79 species of flowering plants distributed in
riverine Panchayath in Mylaudy district of Kanyakumari. Clearly the dominance of herbaceous
plants, with many of them being weeds, indicates the wane state of riparian vegetation which is
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burdened by pressures such as uncontrolled resource utilization, extensive grazing, land
conversion for various purposes and industrial pollution. There's a dire need to develop strong
conservation and restoration measures for the riparian vegetation which can in turn enhance the
overall ecology of the riparian zone
To conclude, we consider riparian vegetation in fluvial systems as a co-constructed
complex of vegetation units along the river network, regardless of physiognomy or origin, that is
functionally related to the other components of the fluvial system and surrounding area. It
belongs to the riparian zone, which is a hybrid and open landscape: hybrid because it results from
co-construction driven by human and natural processes, and open because the land alongside
fluvial systems influences, and is influenced by the river and associated processes. Thus, the
structure and ecological functioning of the biotic communities in this area vary the four
dimensions of the fluvial hydrosystem (including time). This variability is driven mainly by
bioclimatic, geomorphological and land-use conditions, which change over time under the
influence of natural and human drivers. This variability clearly influences how riparian
vegetation is studied. Moreover, the fact that this variability is related to a particular content
imposes some notable contingencies, creating difficulties for generalization and knowledge
transfer.
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