Abstract

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The ‘Ashtamudi’ as the name implies is a lake with eight prominent arms and is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in Kerala, flourished with immense life verities. Sonneratia alba (Mangrove apple), Acanthus ilicifolius (Sea Holly, Shore purslane), etc are a few numbered species that are recently reported as significant phyto-chemical storage apart from their conventional utility as a mangrove. Percentage of foliage cover by these two species was observed for the year 2010-11 and 2014-15. The study report in the year 2014-15, the cumulative foliage cover by these two species fall to 72% (49% and 23% respectively)from 81% in the year 2010-11 (57% and 24% respectively). An overlap of both the species were also found by about 8% in the year 2010-11 and it remains the same for the year 2014-15. The water samples collected from the 20 different zones of the lake in the year 2010-11 represents half of polluted and the another half as of unpolluted, The study was repeated by analysing the water quality by Winkler’s method for the estimation of dissolved oxygen from the same representative zones as do above the pollution status was found encroaching three more other areas and leaves only seven unpolluted zones.It was also noted that the least amount of dissolved oxygen reported was 0.6ppm (2014-15) in the place of 0.8ppm (2010-11) clearly questioning the existence of life and its possible impact on biodiversity. Meanwhile a better status (3.2ppm) for the unpolluted water was reported that is on par with the status reported in 2010-11 (3.16ppm)

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