DOI: 10.5061/dryad.51c59zwjz
title: A case study on structural development and ecological services of restored mangroves in Adyar Estuary, India

description: Mangroves, critical coastal wetlands, face global degradation,
 necessitating conservation and restoration efforts. This study evaluates
 mangrove restoration in the Adyar Estuary, Chennai, along the Bay of
 Bengal, degraded by urbanization and anthropogenic pressures. It evaluates
 afforested mangroves' structural development, restored ecological
 functions, and factors enabling their establishment. Spanning 56.6 acres,
 the estuary hosts six mangrove species, with Avicennia marina dominant.
 The afforested mangroves showed a median density of 3900 trees ha-1,
 vegetation biomass of 222.26 Mg ha-1, and sequestered 99.89 Mg C ha-1
 (366.60 Mg CO2e ha-1). Total carbon storage was 2288.00 Mg C (8397.05 Mg
 CO2e), with annual sequestration at 325.71 Mg C year-1 (1195.42 Mg CO2e
 year-1). Reduced self-thinning indicated enhanced self-tolerance. Despite
 pollution, mangroves thrived due to locally adapted species, replanting
 efforts, and community involvement. This study highlights mangrove
 restoration as a strategy for climate resilience, aligning ecological and
 socio-economic goals.
description: This dataset was collected from Adyar Estuary along the Bay of
 Bengal in Chennai, India. Field surveys were conducted at nine stations
 with a minimum spacing of 50 m between them along the Adyar Estuary and
 Creek during August 2022 to assess the vegetation structure of the
 afforested mangroves. At each station, random plots measuring 10 m x 10 m
 were established to study the vegetation characteristics of the afforested
 mangroves. A total of 49 sampling plots were used, and the age of the
 mangrove stands in each station was determined based on information
 provided by Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust. Within each sampling plot,
 all mangroves were identified and counted. Girth at breast height (GBH)
 and tree height were measured using a distometer (Leica Disto D510,
 Hungary). Based on these data, basal area (m<sup>2
 </sup>ha<sup>-1</sup>) and stand density (stems
 ha<sup>-1</sup>) were calculated. In the present study, two
 carbon pools, namely above-ground vegetation biomass (AGB) and
 below-ground vegetation biomass (BGB), were considered to measure the
 vegetation carbon stock of the afforested mangroves in the estuary. The
 allometric equations for Southeast Asian mangroves were applied to
 estimate AGB and BGB.  <em>AGB = 0.251 × r ×
  D<sup>2.46 </sup></em> <em>BGB
 = 0.199 × r<sup>0.899</sup> ×
 D<sup>2.22</sup></em> where,
 <em>AGB</em> is the above-ground vegetation biomass (kg),
 <em>BGB</em> is the below-ground vegetation biomass (kg),
 <em>r</em> is the species’ wood density, and
 <em>D</em> is the diameter derived from GBH using the equation
 <em>D = GBH/(22/7). </em>The wood density for the afforested
 mangrove species present in the estuary was obtained from the Global Wood
 Density Database.
description: # A case study on structural development and ecological services of
 restored mangroves in Adyar Estuary, India
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.51c59zwjz](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.51c59zwjz) ## Description of the data and file structure Vegetation structure of afforested mangroves along the Adyar Estuary and Creek was assessed in August 2022 using 49 random 10 m × 10 m plots across nine stations spaced at least 50 m apart. Tree parameters, including girth at breast height and tree height, were recorded following mangrove species identification. Vegetation biomass for above-ground and below-ground parts was estimated using established allometric equations to determine total biomass. ### Files and variables #### File: Viswanathan\_et\_al\_Data\_NJB.xlsx **Description:**  All data are compiled into a single sheet. ##### Variables * The 'Species' column lists mangrove species observed in each plot by station and quadrat. The 'Stand age' column indicates the age of mangrove stands. * Directly measured parameters, including girth and height of mangrove individuals, are detailed under 'Girth (cm)' and 'Height (m)' columns. * Estimated variables such as diameter, radius, basal area, above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and total biomass are presented in their respective columns. **Location:** * Adyar Estuary in Chennai, India * Data collection period: August 2022 ## Code/software The data can be viewed using Microsoft Excel or any other software that supports Excel file formats, such as Google Sheets. ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * NIL Data was derived from the following sources: * NIL