Browsing by Author "Haffis Mohammed"

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    Influence of vegetation on the hydrologic characteristics of pananchery and poovanchira watersheds of Thrissur, Kerala
    (Department of natural resource management, college of forestry, Vellanikkara, 2023-07-05) Haffis Mohammed; Gopakumar,S
    The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of vegetation on hydrological characteristics in forested watersheds with a paired watershed approach. Two watersheds, Pananchery and Poovanchira, in Thrissur, Kerala, were investigated to quantify the hydrological differences between the two and assess the relationship with vegetation characteristics. Vegetation analysis showed that Pananchery had a tree density of 580 individuals per hectare. During the monsoon season this watershed had a mean canopy closure of 86.13%, while in the post-monsoon it was 88.07%. Poovanchira had a higher tree density of 773 individuals per hectare and a lower mean canopy closure of 82.35% in the monsoon and 83.22% in the post-monsoon. By comparing the landuse patter of both the watersheds it was understood that both watersheds are having diverse land cover, encompassing various types of vegetation such as reserve forests, rubber plantations, mixed crops, and areas converted for paddy cultivation. The Pananchery watershed, spanning 9.87 km², had a significant proportion (33.19%) covered by reserve forest, whereas the Poovanchira watershed covered 5.55 km², with a majority (64.63%) of the area consisting of reserve forest. For understanding the hydrological characteristics (rainfall, stream flow, discharge rate, etc.) of both watersheds were studied. During months with heavy rainfall both watersheds showed higher stream flow. Pananchery showed a higher discharge rate than Poovanchira. The mean specific yield values in the Pananchery area (0.136 m³/hr) were slightly higher than in the Poovanchira area (0.131 m³/hr). In terms of water quality parameters, Poovanchira showed higher mean values for water quality parameters such as electrical conductivity, turbidity, and nitrate concentration whereas dissolved oxygen concentration was found to be higher in Pananchery (5.84 mg/L) compared to Poovanchira (4.84 mg/L). The results indicate that though vegetation has a significant impact on water quality, the hydrological characteristics of a watershed also depend on multiple factors including topography and geology. Further investigation is necessary to better understand the interplay between these factors in shaping the hydrological characteristics of forested watersheds.