Tamil Nadu's Mangrove Cover Growth and Carbon Stock: 2024 Report

The mangrove forest area in Tamil Nadu expanded significantly during 2021 through 2024 with a growth from initial 4,500 hectares to final 9,039 hectares. The growth of mangrove forests in Tamil Nadu has doubled because of both afforestation programs and successful initiatives to protect existing mangrove areas according to Anna University’s Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management report. These ecologies normally exist in heat-bearing regions that lie between 32 degrees north and 38 degrees south.

District-Wise Mangrove Distribution

A study under 'Blue Carbon Monitoring for Mangroves of Tamil Nadu' document presents statistical details about mangrove spread across several important districts

• Tiruvarur: Largest mangrove area with 2,142 ha (1,470 ha existing + 672 ha new plantations)

• Thanjavur: 2,063 ha (1,209 ha natural + 854 ha plantations)

• Cuddalore: 1,117 ha

• Nagapattinam: 1,021 ha

This region contains a major percentage of the mangrove resources across the state of Tamil Nadu. According to the report mangroves occur in both Villupuram and Tiruvallur districts yet at reduced density levels when compared to other areas.

Carbon Storage and Climate Impact

• Mangroves function as crucial carbon traps during climate change by absorbing excess carbon from the environment. The document examines the amount of carbon mangroves can store.

  • Cuddalore: 249 tonnes/ha

  • Tiruvarur: 145 tonnes/ha

  • Thanjavur: 77.5 tonnes/ha

  • Villupuram: 2.59 tonnes/ha

  • Tiruvallur: 13.1 tonnes/ha

• Mangrove forests with dense woodlands act as important carbon storage deposits that hold carbon from the air while accumulating it in plant materials and soil components to slow down climate transformations.

What are Mangroves? 

• Mangroves are tree species which thrive in intertidal salines near river delta coasts along seashores since they can withstand regular floods and absorb fresh water from both rivers and ocean salts.

Features of Mangroves

• These adaptable plants have roots which suspend from the surface as they tolerate high salt concentrations in the surrounding waters.

• These plants evolved in intense salty environments thus they maintain salt resistance.

• The plants use their leaf tissue to produce salt which regulates their salt-water absorption.

• The roots of their system now expand as pneumatophore (or aerial roots).

• The plant communities demonstrate strong tolerance against hot environmental conditions.

• The plants reproduce through vivipary.

Mangroves around the world

• Mangrove ecosystems grow naturally in the tropics between the 32 degrees north and 38 degrees south geographical regions.

Mangroves in India

• Indian mangrove forests exist in all coastal areas where sheltered creeks and backwaters meet the sea and add to salt marsh regions.

•  History recounts that the Earth's biggest mangrove forests spread across the alluvial river deltas of Ganga, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery and Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Significance of Mangroves

• The ecosystem produces exceptionally well and contains abundant biodiversity.

• Marine species have lodging space within these habitats while young marine animals find essential breeding zones in these areas.

• The marine environment contains many different species which include various fish accompanied by reptiles including sea turtles along with land turtles and alligators and crocodiles and caimans as well as snakes and lizards and numerous types of invertebrates such as shrimp and crabs and oysters and tunicates and sponges and snails and insects.

• Through their thick network of roots mangroves establish firm grip on sediments that flow through rivers and erode from the land surfaces.

• These coastal vegetation act as stabilizers to defend against coastal erosion caused by waves and storm activities.

• Mangroves defend coastal structures from major storms and high waves as well as storm surges and cyclonic conditions.

• The habitats routinely encounter tidal waves which resulted in the development of tidal wave tolerance among its inhabitants.

Threats to Mangroves

• Mangroves face threats from two categories: 

A. Natural elements and

B. Human-caused sources. 

• The loss of Indian Mangrove Forests reached above 50 percent during the past four decades. The primary threats towards mangrove forests consist of:

A. Natural Threats

• Natural disasters which include cyclones and tsunamis have resulted in substantial destruction throughout the affected areas.

B. Anthropogenic Threats

• Clearing of these forests for agricultural purposes, human settlements, infrastructure (such as harbours), and industrial areas.

• The demand for these trees exists for wood and fodder production.

• The practices of taking too much of forest resources have caused the forests to decrease in size.

• The habitat area of these trees became excessively salty because of dam construction making it impossible for the trees to survive.

• The cutoff of water into the river caused the area to become dry.

• The application of agricultural field chemicals together with industrial waste including pesticides and fertilizers and other chemical substances leads to death of forest-dwelling animals.

• The trees become suffocated because of oil contamination.

• Global warming together with climate change threatens the equilibrium through rising sea levels and disrupts the sensitive system of the environment.

Way Forward:

• Eco-tourism and Carbon Credit Programs: Encouraging sustainable livelihoods through eco-tourism and carbon credit trading.

• District-Specific Conservation Strategies require local ecological conditions to develop individualized conservation programs for each area.

• A balanced approach requires that 40.1% of planted mangroves must match the 59.9% of existing forested mangrove areas.

Conclusion

Tamil Nadu successfully increased its mangrove cover making an enormous ecological stride which demonstrates the state's firm dedication to environmental conservation and climate action. Proper management of sustainable initiatives alongside continued afforestation will improve Tamil Nadu's role in carbon sequestration and coastal ecosystem preservation.