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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http://aegaeum.com/ Page No: 123

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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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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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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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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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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