Mangrove vegetation change in Vagra Taluka, Bharuch district, Gujarat, India from 1978 to 2012

Abstract

Mangrove forests are an important and unique ecosystem found along the intertidal zones of tropical and sub-tropical regions. The present paper deals with the change in the distribution, density and areal spatial extent of mangroves over a period of 39 years for Vagra taluka in Bharuch district (Gujarat, India), using remote sensing. The results show an increase in the areal extent and density of mangroves from 147.61 ha in 1978 to 1013.82 ha in 2012. The overall increase in the mangrove cover however masks the dynamics of change in the distribution and extent of this category. Approximately, 514 ha of mangroves were degraded during the period 2001 to 2012. Conversion into salt pans was the largest cause for destruction of mangroves during the period while natural causes like erosion and due change in the course of Dhadhar River also contributed to loss in mangrove areas.