Seasonal Variations In Physico-chemical Characteristics Of Pichavaram Mangroves, Southeast Coast Of India

摘要

All the physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, salinity, p~H, dissolved oxygen and nutrients like nitrate, nitrite, inorganic phosphate and reactive silicate were studied in Pichavaram mangroves, southeast coast of India, for a period of two years (April 2000-March 2002). Air and surface water temperatures varied from 27℃ to 38℃ and from 26℃ to 37℃. Salinity varied from 3.0%0 to 33.0‰ and the p~H ranged between 7.2 and 8.2. Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 2.4 to 5.0 mll~(-1). Concentrations of nutrients viz. nitrates (9.50 to 32.12 μM), nitrites (1.07 to 5.99 μM), phosphates (0.73 to 2.36 μM) and reactive silicates (22.1 to 89.8 μM) also varied independently.