Ecophysiological studies of Excoecaria Agallocha L. along the Wetlands of Kannur, Kerala, India

Spatial variation in the ecophysiology of selected plant Excoecaria agallocha, is conducted in randomly selected sites of Kannur district. The present study deals with the variations in characters like leaf area, stomatal index, latex cell length and vessel diameter of E.agallocha collected from different ecological conditions. With the help of biomarkers like chlorophyll, MDA, proline and antioxidants like AA and total glutathione stress levels has been recorded in the leaves of the plant under study. Habitat ecology studied by analyzing the water and soils from the selected sites. The leaf area and stomatal index under selected sites shows variation. The xylem of plants exposed to high salinity showed vessels with smaller diameter than those in the xylem of plants grown under less stressful conditions. The total chlorophyll values in the leaves varied from 0.712 to 2.149 mg/g fresh weight. Total glutathione content in the present study ranged from 7.460 to 8.060 mg/g. MDA level variation indicating the presence of oxidative stress condition and damage of internal tissue. The study is significant in the conservation point of view as it provide the data of stress faced by the selected mangrove species, Excoecaria agallocha.