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responsible for increasing availability of phosphorus. Supplemental nitrogen applications

may be necessary to maintain production in cases where flood waters have not contacted the
edible portion of a crop and the producer wishes to salvage the crop. Both public and

commercial laboratories can test for plant-available nutrient.
Soil waterlogging and flooding are abiotic stresses that influence negatively on plant species

and their diversity. One of most negative impact of flood is the accumulation of heavy metals
and toxic elements in soil and water bodies . These toxic elements severely affect the plant

growth and metabolism and causes destruction of plants. And also they persistent in

environment and enters in to food chain causes biomagnification. But more than 400 plant
species have the potential for soil and water remediation. These plants have the ability to

inactivate metals in the rhizosphere and is called phytoremediation. The presence of these

plants in flood affected area will clean up the toxic metals.
This study was envisaged to analyse the floristic diversity, soil profiles and identify plants

that could probably be used in phytoremediation, after this unprecedented disaster.
Considering such extreme climatic events are expected to recur, the study is envisaged to

improve facing future calamities. The post-flood Kerala is witnessing a healthy debate on
how to rebuild the state, in a sustainable manner maintaining an environment that allows for

the unhindered flow of rivers. Few common plants available in the area, were analysed for

their phytoremediation properties, so that planting such species could naturally unwind the
pollution after disasters

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Studies on Floristic Diversity

The study areas
Waterbody at Paroppadi forms part of Korapuzha River basin which drains through

Kozhikode District of Kerala State. The waterbody is having a catchment area of about 2.0

2
Km , drains to the nearby stream and then joins one of the tributaries of Korapuzha River
known as Punurpuzha as shown in Fig 1. To carry on the study, three areas where flood had

submerged the soil and flora, were identified, field visits and surveys, collection, and

preparation of specimens toward building an inventory of floral diversity of the area, was
taken up. Three different soil samples were collected from the flood affected area in which 2

samples were collected from Kannadikkal and remaining from Ramanattukara. The sample 1
from Kannadikkal was collected from the inner fields, Sample 2 was collected from the

peripheral road side and Sample 3 was collected from the field, in Ramanattukara. During the
study, the phenological aspects of trees and shrubs were taken into consideration, analysing

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