|
Home
Introduction
Objectives
Methodology
Ecologically
Important Areas
Information
in Detail
|
Gulf
of Khambhat:
Geographically
Gulf of Khambhat located between 20° 35'- 22° 20'N and 72° 05'-72° 55'E. An extensive
are of estuarine habitats around the periphery of the Gulf of Khambhat. The Tapi,
Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati, and several other rivers have deposited alluvium over
large areas as the marince recession has united Saurashtra with mainland of Gujarat.
There are extensive areas of intertidal mud and sand flats, coastal salt marshes,
and degraded mangrove associations , particularly in the deltas of the Mahi and
Sabarmati rivers. One of the largest areas of intertidal mudflats (300kmē) is
located immediately to the north of Ghogha, near Bhavnagar. There are some coral
reefs around small inlets in the western part of the Gulf.
Climatic conditions:
Dry
tropical monsoon climate with an average annual rainfall of about 800 mm. The
monsoon commences on June or July and ends in September, but the rainfall is erratic
in occurrence, duration, and intensity. The winters are generally cool and dry,
with minimum temperatures around 10° C. The pre-monsoon period in March-June is
very hot, with temperatures reaching 45°C.
Flora:
Formerly
extensive tracts of mangrove forest, but now probably less than 2000 kmē. The
forests are heavily utilized, and have been reduced to an open, scrub type of
forest, with few trees exceeding 3 m in height. Individual trees of Avicennia
marina,
a species highly valued by the local inhabitants, have a bushy, mutilated apperance
with multiple vegetative shoots. Species of Rhizophoraceae are now rare and have
disappeared completely form most sites. Thus, the zonation of mangrove forests
in the Gulf is very simplified: a seaward band of Avicennia
marina gives way to a back-mangal
consisting of salicornia
brachiata, suaeda urochondra setulosa, which appreas at the
extreme eastern limit of its distribution.
Fauna:
Parasharya
(1984) has recorded 62 species os waterbirds in the area. The coastal marshes
and mudflats provide feeding areas for large numbers of herons, egrets, storks,
and ibises which breed in groves of trees in nearby towns and villages, such as
Bhavnagar, Gogha, Khambhat, Bharuch, and Surat. The New Port of bhavanagar harbours
one of the larges colonies of egretta gularis in the world, approximately 1000
pairs in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Other common breeding species include Nycticorax
nycticorax, Ardeola grayii, Bubulcus ibis, egretta garzetta, E. alba, Mycteria
leucocephata, Threskiornis melanocephalus, Pseudibis papillosa, and
platalea
leucorodia. The
heron colonies in this area are one of the few places where E.gularis and E.garzetta
nest side by side and interbreed.
The
extensive mudflats and sandflats such as tose at Ghogha support very large numbers
of migratory shorebirds, gulls and terns, together with large feeding flocks of
Phoenicopterus ruber and Phoeniconaias minor. The most abundant shorebirds are
Recurvirostra avosetta, Charadrius mangolus, C. leschenaulti, and species of tringa
and Calidris, and limicola falcinellus.
Numerous of crab plovers (Dromas ardeola) winter in the
area, and a few Indian skimmers (Rynchops albicollis)
have been reported. Large roosing
flocks of Grus
grus and Anthropoides virgo are often present.
Two
species of marine
turtles, Chelonia mydas and Lepidochelys olivacea, nest in large
numbers along the coast and on Piram Island.
Threats:
Levels
of exploitation continue to increase to meet the demands of an increasing human
population in the region. The mangroves have already been over-exploited to the
point at which much of the value of the resource has been lost. Coastal towns
and several large cities in the catchments area are a major source of pollution.
Gujarat
: Ecologically Important Area : Gulf of Khambhat
|
