2024 Jack Kimmel International Grant Fund Program, Anirban Guha, Indian Institute of Science Education & Research Thiruvananthapuram
Species-rich urban mangrove sites exist in the coastal cities of Kerala, India. Some habitats, comparatively less disturbed, offer direct ecosystem services to the cities whereas many sites have deteriorated fragile stands due to layers of stress in the urban environment. To better protect, manage, and restore these urban mangroves, local forestry folks, urban planners and green managers require frequent information on tree health at the city-wide scale. We aim to develop and test an urban mangrove health diagnostic framework that combines sensitive biophysical approaches including leaf chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF), high-resolution spectral analysis and thermal imaging of mangrove trees. We have selected five species-rich mangrove sites in and around the Kochi metropolitan area including Mangalavanam, Vallarpadam, Malippuram, Puthuvypin and Aroor. These sites are variably interspersed with urban settlements with varying population load, urban pressure, exposure to industrial pollution and tidal flow. At each site, representative trees will be measured for leaf ChlF, thermal and spectral responses, and leaf gas exchange performance during the cooler (Feb-Mar) and warmer (May-Jun) months between year 2025 to 2027. At the species-level, we will identify the extent of chronic and transient losses in photosynthetic efficiency and damage thresholds for photosynthetic machineries and processes. We will develop an analytical and predictive framework combining the ChlF, spectral, and thermal sensing-based markers for early stress detection. Our goal is to identify good diagnostic markers to monitor and predict mangrove health and demonstrate whether leaf biophysical sensing methods (ChlF, spectral, and thermal) can offer real-time precise diagnosis of mangrove health.
Year: 2024
Funding Duration: 2 years
Grant Program: Jack Kimmel International Grant Program
Grant Title: Good functional and early warning indicators of urban mangrove health
Researcher: Anirban Guha, Indian Institute of Science Education & Research Thiruvananthapuram