An Assessment of Floral Diversity in the Mangrove Forest of Karaikal, Karaikal District, Puducherry Union territory

The tropical coastal zone of the world is covered by a dynamic system in a state of continual adjustment as a result of natural process and human activities. The mangrove ecosystem is a unique association of plants, animals and micro-organisms acclimatized to life in the fluctuating environment of the tropical and subtropical and intertidal zone covering more than 10 million ha worldwide. The present study documents the directly observed diversity of true mangroves and their associates, in the mangroves of Karaikal. The present study recorded a sum of 136 plant species. Among the plants 8 species were true mangroves and 128 species were mangrove associates. The family Rhizophoraceae is the dominant group represent three species followed by Avicenniaceae with two species. The associated mangrove flora recorded in the present study falls to 128 genera belongs to 42 families from 20 orders. As per IUCN current status, most of the mangrove species in decreased status. The base line information is very much helpful for the conservation and feature references.