PJB-2007-63
DISPERSAL AND ESTABLISHMENT OF MANGROVE PROPAGULES IN AN EXPOSED COASTAL HABITAT OF INDUS DELTA
S.M. SAIFULLAH1, F. CHAGHTAI2 AND S. AKHTAR1
Abstract
Dispersal and establishment of propagules and seedlings of the grey mangrove Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh., were studied in a small exposed coastal area of the Indus Delta near Karachi. The propagules appeared on the shore in early August 1999. They were recruited into the area from neighboring mangrove inhabited islands and were concentrated in depressions, among rocks and already existing young mangroves. They increased in numbers until late September and later declined and disappeared by the end of October. Their average fresh weight and length increased continuously but gradually showing little difference between the initial and final values. The seedlings appeared about two months later with decline in numbers of the propagules and increased sharply to a peak density in the last week of October and later gradually declined in numbers until they disappeared by the end of December. The mortality of both propagules and seedlings may possibly be attributed to several environmental vicissitudes including exposed nature of the habitat, hyper salinity, grazing by herbivores, etc.
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