Temporal analysis of mangrove species distribution in the mangroves of Pichavaram and Bhitarkanika

Mangrove ecosystems are crucial coastal habitats that provide essential ecological services and also play a vital role in coastal protection. This study attempted to assess the temporal dynamics of mangrove species distribution and seasonal variation of NDVI in Pichavaram and Bhitarkanika mangrove forests. The species distribution changes between the years 2019 and 2023 were investigated by classifying temporal Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite data. The species representative sample locations from ground truth were used to obtain the species specific trends in NDVI from 2019 to 2023. The species distribution change results show a significant transition between the major mangrove patches and mixed patches. The time series analysis of NDVI for different species shows a decreasing trend in general for both study areas, which implies that there is a stress in both the mangrove ecosystems that could be a phenological change or due to the prevailing climatic conditions.