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Abstract
The present study was carried out to check whether there is a decline in mangrove cover of Andhra Pradesh state, India, as cited by a few studies. The research analysed mangrove dynamics of Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary of Andhra Pradesh state, using temporal satellite data of six periods. Analysis of these data showed major changes in the mangrove areas of the sanctuary. In 1972, the mangrove cover was 82.76 km2, which then decreased to 80.47 km2 in 1981, and then further dropped to 69.52 km2 in 1990. Comparatively an area of 13.22 km2 was lost from 1972 to 1990. The area recorded in 2000 was 101.98 km2 and the positive trend of increase in mangrove areas was observed in both 2009 (138.36 km2) and in 2014 (158.16 km2). Overall, an increase of 88.64 km2 mangrove area was observed from 1990 to 2014. The study confirms the increase in mangrove cover in the state, disagreeing with the observations of decrease in mangrove cover made by other studies previously.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to earthexlporer.usgs.gov, for providing temporal satellite imagery used in this study; to the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation for making their study reports on Krishna and Godavari delta mangroves available for reference and supportive evidence; to Dr Ramasubramanian (MSSRF), Mr Appa Rao and other forest officials who accompanied the researchers during their field inventory; and to other local residents for sharing their experiences of mangroves, past and present in both deltas; to Dr Sudhakar Reddy, National Remote Sensing Centre, for his help in revising the manuscript at final stage; and to the Editor Dr Michael Brett-Crowther for his encouragement and patience.