IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, "Resource and Environmental Monitoring", Hyderabad, India, 2002 
  
IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEM AREAS IN PICHAVARAM MAN GROVES, 
TAMILNADU, INDIA, USING LISS III AND THEMATIC MAPPER DATA IN GIS 
ENVIRONMENT. 
P.N.Sridhar', B.R.Subramanian?, V.Sampath°, S.Sundaramoorthy?, 
L.Gnanappazham* and T.Usha? 
‘National Remote Sensing Agency, Balanagar, Hyderabad 500 037 
Department of Ocean Development, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003 
*ICMAM, DOD, Narayanapuram, Chennai 601 302 
^MSSRF, Taramani, Chennai 600 113 
KEY WORDS: Mangrove, Ecosystem, LISS III, Restoration, Mangrove Zonation and Estuarine. 
ABSTRACT : 
Mangroves are found in the tropical and subtropical coastal regions. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural 
Resources (IUCN) has listed mangrove as the most useful vegetation useful in a number of ways to mankind. But the mangrove 
ecosystems throughout the world are subjected to severe stress due to anthropogenic causes. The protection and conservation of 
mangrove ecosystem requires restoration measures based on scientific solutions. 
Pichavaram mangrove is a unique ecosystem in the southeast coast of India, reported as one of the degrading ecosystems with 
multiple causes. Conservation of Pichavaram mangroves requires fresh look by identifying the problem areas, finding the cause for 
degradation/losses and evolving a solution based on the issues. In the Pichavaram, using the Landsat TM and IRS-1D LISS 3 data, 
the areas of degradation and mangrove zones with respect to different morphological domain were identified as follows 1. Core 
mangrove dominated by Avicennia in high intertidal region, 2. Fringe mangroves predominantly with Rhizophora and Suaeda found 
in the banks of creeks, and 3. Peripheral mangroves found in the wetlands of the shorelines controlled by high tide inundation. 
As each of the above zones is found to have exclusive cause for the degradation based on the environmental, land use/ land cover 
changes and socio-economic factors, the restoration measures required exclusive solutions taking into consideration the 
  
morphology, water quality and socio-economic factors. 
INTRODUCTION 
Mangrove is brackish water vegetation found in the tropical and 
subtropical coastal regions mostly under estuarine conditions. 
Mangroves are most valuable coastal resource in terms of 
economic benefits and aesthetic value. As a forest cover in the 
coastal tract, it protects the beach and coastline from the 
severity of cyclonic storm and erosion by currents, wave and 
wind. It has high fodder and fuel value (Khalil, 1999). Being à 
nursing and breeding ground for many marine organisms, 
mangrove ecosystem is rich in biodiversity. Apart from feeding 
the cattle, mangrove serves as green manure and has timber 
value too. International Union for Conservation of Nature and 
Natural Resources (IUCN) has listed the mangrove as one of 
the most useful vegetation in the following utilities 1. Fuel, 2. : 
Construction, 3. Fishing, 4. Agriculture, 5. Food, 6. Drug, 7. 
Beverage, 8. Household, 9. Textile and Leather (dye and 
preservatives) and 10. Shelter for animals and birds. 
Several authors have studied spatial distribution of Pichavaram 
mangroves and estimated the loss upto 5096 in the past 50 to 
100 years based on the comparison of Survey of India 
topographic maps or Forest survey maps and satellite data 
(AAAS, 1995). In order to draw management plans for the 
protection and conservation of mangroves, it is essential to 
understand the spatial distribution, mangrove zonation and their 
relation to the topography, estuarine morphology and changing 
424 
environmental conditions due to developmental activities. In 
the Pichavaram mangrove environment, most development 
activities in the environ have taken place during the last 30 
years and hence in the present study a bench mark has been 
defined by taking Survey of India topographic map of the year 
1970 to set baseline information. Though satellite remote 
sensing was in practice since 1970, due to the coarse spectral 
and spatial resolution ERTS-RBV and Landsat MSS data were 
not useful in identifying the small area of degradation and 
zonation of different species. 
PICHAVARAM MANGROVES: 
Pichavaram mangrove forest is situated in Tamilnadu, East 
Coast of India between Vellar estuary in the north and 
Coleroon estuary in the south as a distinct pocket; Uppanar 
river provides freshwater inflow from the west (Figs. 1&2). 
The dominant genera of Pichavaram mangrove forest are 
Avicennia, Rhizophora and Suaeda. The presence of Avicennia 
normally ensures firm and stable formation of shoreline and 
acts as protection from wind and storms. The other species 
present are Excoecaria, Bruguiera, Ceriops, Aegiceras, 
Arthrocnemum, Lumnitzera and Salicornia. Almost all these 
species were notified as endangered or vulnerable species by 
IUCN. Early workers recorded two species Kandelia candel 
and | Bruguiera gymnorrhiza which are now extinct