Diversity of Coastal Sand Dune (CSD) Vegetation along the Coast of Maharashtra, India

The sand dunes vegetation in coastal regions of Maharashtra is important ecosystems because of their small size, the different species found in habitat, and the beautiful landscapes they create. The current study investigated the vegetative status of sand dunes on Sindhudurg and Raigad district, west coast of Maharashtra.Asurvey of sand dune flora along coastal sand dune areas was done from October to December 2020 and 55 species belonging to 46 genera and 26 families are identified from study sites. The families like Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae,Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Malvaceae are dominant in study areas which show halophytic and xerophytic nature. The heavy pressure of tourism and development in coastal area shows negative effects on sand dune vegetation are seen during study.