The
riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed
the existence of a thick riparian vegetation of more
than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5 km downstream
from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares.
Out of this, 26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area,
including three large islands densely covered by riparian
forests. The riparian forests of the area have been
found to be characterised by the presence of typical
riparian species of plants, in addition to evergreen
and semi-evergreen species.
Out
of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from
the study area, 24 are endemic species of the Western
Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered.
Moreover, the Chalakudy River is known for its diversity,
as it contains 85 species of fresh water fishes out
of the 152 species known from Kerala. Among these, 35
are endemic species of the Western Ghats and nine are
considered to be endangered.
