Natural Heritage Properties UNESCO World Heritage ...

7 downloads 0 Views 2MB Size Report
Sep 23, 2004 - 37 Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. 423.55 ..... against the hydroelectric project in the Silent Valley ecosystem which is now protected as a. National ...
India’s Tentative List of

Natural Heritage Properties to be inscribed on the

UNESCO World Heritage List

Submitted to World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, Paris January 2006

2

India’s Tentative List of

Natural Heritage Properties to be inscribed on the

UNESCO World Heritage List

Submitted to World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, Paris January 2006

3

4

The Team

Task Advisors JC Kala RPS Katwal RB Lal PR Sinha Anmol Kumar

Task Coordinator VB Mathur

Team Members Jagdish Krishnaswamy TR Shankar Raman Ayesha E Prasad R Raghunath Aparajita Datta Charudutt Mishra MD Madhusudan MC Kiran Arundhati Das V Srinivas Atul Arvind Joshi

5

6

Contents 1. BACKGROUND........................................................................................................... 9 2. PROCESS ................................................................................................................. 11 3. TENTATIVE LIST – SERIAL NOMINATION ................................................................. 13 3.1 WESTERN GHATS: OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE .................................................... 13 3.2 WESTERN GHATS: SUB-CLUSTER NOMINATIONS............................................................ 22 3.2.1 Agasthyamalai .............................................................................................. 22 3.2.2 Periyar......................................................................................................... 30 3.2.3 Anamalai ..................................................................................................... 37 3.2.4 Nilgiri .......................................................................................................... 44 3.2.5 Talacauvery.................................................................................................. 52 3.2.6 Kudremukh .................................................................................................. 57 3.2.7 Sahyadri....................................................................................................... 62 3.3 WESTERN GHATS: SITE ELEMENTS............................................................................. 69 4. TENTATIVE LIST – SINGLE SITE NOMINATION ......................................................... 92 4.1 NAMDAPHA .......................................................................................................... 92 4.2 WILD ASS SANCTUARY...........................................................................................100 4.3 KANGCHENDZONGA...............................................................................................105 5. NOMINATION SCHEDULE .......................................................................................109 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..........................................................................................111

7

8

1. Background The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called ‘Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage’, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. The World Heritage Convention (WHC), ratified by over 177 State Parties, has become the most universal international legal instrument in the field of heritage conservation. The most significant feature of the WHC is that it links together in a single document the concepts of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural properties. The WHC recognizes the way in which people interact with nature and the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two. The WHC is a useful instrument for concrete action in preserving threatened sites and endangered species. The inscription of a site on the World Heritage List brings a welcome awareness about the site and its outstanding values. Till 2005, 788 properties – 611 cultural, 154 natural and 23 mixed, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by 134 State Parties. India has inscribed 6 natural and 22 cultural sites on the World Heritage List. As per the Operational Guidelines of the World Heritage Convention, the first step a country must take is making an ‘inventory’ of its important natural and cultural heritage sites located within its boundaries. The ‘inventory’ is known as the ‘Tentative List’, and provides a forecast of the properties that a State Party may decide to submit for inscription in the next five to ten years and which may be updated at any time. It is an important step since the World Heritage Committee cannot consider a nomination for inscription on the World Heritage List unless the property has already been included on the State Party’s Tentative List. The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India embarked on the process of preparation of its tentative list of natural heritage properties on the world heritage list in 2002 and has identified 7 sub-clusters containing 39 site elements for serial nomination from the Western Ghats in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. In addition to this, 3 single sites in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Gujarat have also been identified for inclusion in the tentative list. The tentative list has been prepared through a participative process with active partnership between government, scientific institution (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun) and civil society organizations (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Bangalore and Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore).

9

10

2. Process The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India, the State Party under the World Heritage Convention, adopted a very comprehensive, transparent and participative process based on conservation science and practice in the identification of natural heritage properties for inclusion in the Tentative List. In the first step, the MoEF assigned the responsibility of identification of potential sites in the Western Ghats, Eastern Himalaya and Terai Ecoregions to Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Bangalore in 2002. Eminent conservationists were involved in the identification of potential sites based on a range of criteria that included world heritage values, habitat integrity and contiguity, absence of large settlements and pressures, absence of conflicts with existing or proposed development projects, selection in other lists such as Important Bird Areas, Project Tiger and Project Elephant and sociocultural-historical values. A conservation matrix was generated in spatial domain and heritage sub-clusters in the Western Ghats were identified and ranked in order of priority from 1 to 7. The results of the assessment were discussed in a National Seminar on World Heritage rd Properties organized by WII on 23 September, 2004. The MoEF then organized extensive consultations in 2005 with the stakeholders in the Northern, Southern, Central and Northeastern regions of the country to prioritize potential serial and single sites. Following this, the Tentative List was finalized (TABLE 1). The MoEF then assigned the responsibility of preparing nomination dossiers to Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Mysore and ATREE, Bangalore under technical supervision of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. TABLE 1. India’s Tentative List of Serial and Single Natural World Heritage Properties A)

Serial Site Nominations: Western Ghats Cluster

Sub-cluster (1) Agasthyamalai

Site Site Element Name

State

1

Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

895.00

Tamil Nadu

2

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

171.00

Kerala

3

Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary

128.00

Kerala

4

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

53.00

Kerala

5

Kulathupuzha Range

200.00

Kerala

6

Palode Range

165.00

Kerala

SUB-TOTAL (2) Periyar

Area (km2)

1,612.00

7

Periyar Tiger Reserve

777.00

Kerala

8

Ranni Forest Division

828.53

Kerala

9

Konni Forest Division

261.43

Kerala

10 Achankovil Forest Division

219.90

Kerala

11 Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary

485.00

Tamil Nadu

12 Tirunelveli (North) Forest Division (part)

234.67

Tamil Nadu

SUB-TOTAL

2,806.53

11

Sub-cluster (3) Anamalai

Site Site Element Name

Area (km2)

13 Eravikulam National Park (and proposed extension)

127.00

Kerala

31.23

Tamil Nadu

5.03

Tamil Nadu

16 Karian Shola (part of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary) 17 Mankulam Range

3.77 52.84

Kerala Kerala

18 Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

90.44

Kerala

19 Mannavan Shola

11.26

Kerala

SUB-TOTAL

321.57

14 Grass Hills National Park 15 Karian Shola National Park

(4) Nilgiri

20 Silent Valley National Park 21 New Amarambalam Reserved Forest 22 Mukurti National Park 23 Kalikavu Range 24 Attapadi Reserved Forest SUB-TOTAL

(5) Talacauvery

246.97

Kerala

78.50

Tamil Nadu

117.05

Kerala

65.75

Kerala

597.79 Karnataka

26 Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

181.29

Karnataka

27 Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

105.00

Karnataka

28 Padinalknad Reserved Forest 29 Kerti Reserved Forest

184.76 79.04

Karnataka Karnataka

55.00

Kerala

707.68

31 Kudremukh National Park

600.32

Karnataka

32 Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary 33 Someshwara Reserved Forest

88.40 112.92

Karnataka Karnataka

34 Agumbe Reserved Forest

57.09

Karnataka

35 Balahalli Reserved Forest

22.63

Karnataka

SUB-TOTAL 36 Kas Plateau

881.36 11.42

Maharashtra

37 Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary

423.55

Maharashtra

38 Chandoli National Park

308.90

Maharashtra

39 Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

282.35

Maharashtra

SUB-TOTAL GRAND-TOTAL

B)

Kerala

102.59

SUB-TOTAL

(7) Sahyadri

89.52

25 Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

30 Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (6) Kudremukh

State

1,026.22 7,953.15

Single Site Nominations

No. Name of the Site

Area (km2)

State

1

Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch

4,954.00

Gujarat

2

Kangchendzonga National Park

1,784.00

Sikkim

3

Namdapha National Park, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary and Jairampur Forest Division

4,268.00

Arunachal Pradesh

12

3. Tentative List – Serial Nomination 3.1 WESTERN GHATS: OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE

The Western Ghats are today internationally recognized as a region of immense global importance for the conservation of biological diversity, besides containing areas of great geological, cultural and aesthetic importance. A chain of mountains running parallel to India’s western coast, approximately 30-50 km inland, the Ghats traverse the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. These mountains cover an area of around 140,000 km² in a 1,600 km long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat Gap at around 11°N. The mountains of the Western Ghats (highest point at 2,695 m, Anaimudi peak) mediate the rainfall regime of peninsular India by intercepting monsoon storm systems. Areas to the west of the highest elevations receive the greatest annual rainfall, 3,000 mm on average, with 80% of it falling during the period of the southwest monsoon (June-September) and the balance during the retreating or northeast monsoon (October-November). Annual rainfall levels decrease considerably along the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. Rainfall also decreases from south to north, especially north of the Palghat Gap. Older than the great Himalayan mountain chain, the Western Ghats of India are a geomorphic feature of immense global importance. From the dawn of the Tertiary era, some 65 million years ago (Mya), the great scarp of the Western Ghats has been a characteristic feature of the Indian Peninsula. This was then a triangular wedge of land, a piece of the ancient Gondwana landmass, moving towards its great collision with the Asian landmass that resulted in the orogenesis of the world’s highest mountains, the Himalaya (Radhakrishna 1991, 1993). Around 65 Mya, the northern portions witnessed enormous volcanic eruptions resulting in the formation of the Deccan Traps—a vast region of over 500,000 km² of basaltic rock, noticeable even today (Sahni 1991). The rocks and soils of the Western Ghats relate to the region’s tectonic history. North of around 16° N, the major geological formation is the Deccan traps overlying Archaean rocks whereas to the south the Dharwar system of ancient metamorphic rocks dominates up to about 13° N, with pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks, principally charnockites and khondalites, further south (Pascal 1988). These remarkable geomorphic formations, present an exceptional and fascinating documentation of geological processes and momentous events in the history of the earth. Their excellent and relatively intact representation within the nominated sub-clusters in the Western Ghats, from the

13

Figure 1. Map of the Western Ghats, showing the 7 sub-clusters included in the serial nomination (see section 3.2)

Deccan traps in the north to the ancient mountains in the south, offer a great opportunity for the recognition and preservation of these values. Another reason for the outstanding universal importance of the Western Ghats is its role as a reservoir of exceptionally high levels of biological diversity and endemism. The Western Ghats mountain chain is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘Hottest Hotspots’ of biological diversity along with Sri Lanka (Myers et al. 2000, Kumar et al. 2004). Global Biodiversity Hotspots have been defined as areas with over 1,500 vascular plant species (>0.5% of the world’s total) as endemics, and with 30% or less of the original vegetation remaining. In terms of plant diversity, the Western Ghats harbours approximately 5,000 species of flowering plants, belonging to nearly 2,200 genera and 217 families; about 1,700 14

(35%) are endemic (Kumar et al. 2004). The Hotspot also has around 23% (43,611 km²) of the original extent of forests (189,611 km²) remaining as natural habitat and is one of the four Biodiversity Hotspots that lie almost wholly or partly within India (Mittermeier et al. 2004). Other international assessments also highlight the ecological importance of the Western Ghats. The Global 200 most important Ecoregions identified by Olson and Dinerstein (1998) include the Western Ghats moist forests (Ecoregion 27, considered critical or endangered) and the Western Ghats rivers and streams (Ecoregion 150). The area is also recognized as an important global Endemic Bird Area or EBA, with 16 species of restricted range birds (Stattersfield et al. 1998). A recent reassessment puts the number of Western Ghats endemic species even higher at what and indicates that this region also contains the (greatest number)? of regional endemic birds (Rasmussen and Anderton 2005). In addition, regional assessments have identified over 60 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and plant diversity hotspots in the Western Ghats (Islam and Rahmani 2004). The forests of the Western Ghats, include some of the best representatives of nonequatorial tropical evergreen forests in the world. The major plant associations of the wet evergreen forests, include eight at lower elevations (300-2,800 km²) contiguous sites of the nominated sub-clusters from the Agasthyamalai region in the extreme south to the Sahyadri region in the north. The size, contiguity and biological diversity of the chosen sites also adequately capture smaller-scale ecological processes such as succession, altitudinal variation and plant-animal interactions forming an unparalleled record of life in this globally important biodiversity Hotspot. Finally, the Western Ghats contains sites of exceptional natural beauty of outstanding universal value. Foremost among these would be the unique shola-grassland ecosystem, a spectacular array of stunted evergreen forests in compact blocks ensconced in valleys surrounded by beautiful short grasslands. Perhaps best appreciated through personal experience, these remarkable ecosystems occupy the highest regions of the mountains (>1,800 mm) especially in areas such as the Nilgiri, Anamalai and Kudremukh regions. Vistas of unbroken rainforest spanning hundreds of square kilometres, spectacular geological formations of the Sahyadri, plateaus of wildflowers abloom after the monsoon and a multitude of sparkling perennial rivers are among the many panoramas of exceptional beauty and aesthetic value one encounters along this unique mountain range.

18

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity The recognition of the Western Ghats’ remarkable and unique values has led to a number of measures for strengthening its protection and conservation. The region has been recognized as a unique biogeographic region with accompanying priorities for the establishment of protected areas (Mani 1974, Rodgers et al. 2002). A national protected area system has existed in India for more than a century, and was strengthened considerably with passage of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and the National Wildlife Action Plan of 1983. Of India’s 10 biogeographic zones, the Western Ghats has the highest percentage of protected area coverage on the mainland (15%), which is represented in 20 national parks and 68 sanctuaries (Rodgers et al. 2002). The challenge of biodiversity conservation relies to a large part on the conservation of the remaining natural wet-zone forest. Overall, approximately 23% of this Hotspot has some level of protection, although only 11% of the area is represented in protected areas classed in IUCN categories I to IV. The nominated sub-clusters include representation of the critically important Biogeographic Zone 5B (Western Ghats Mountains), besides inclusion of portions of Zone 5A (Western Ghats—Malabar Plains), and 6E (Deccan Peninsula—Deccan South) as per the biogeographic classification of Rodgers et al. (2002). Biodiversity conservation in the region has a long history, and is enshrined to some degree in religion, culture and mythology. From Kerala to Maharashtra, local people have traditionally respected and valued forests as evidenced by the innumerable sacred groves that are scattered over the landscape and persist even today. There is also clearly an increased awareness among local people regarding natural resources and the need to conserve them, providing a hope for biodiversity conservation. Over the last three decades, there have also been people’s movements that have led to some significant conservation measures and a wider appreciation of the region’s ecological values. This includes the successful campaign against the hydroelectric project in the Silent Valley ecosystem which is now protected as a National Park in Kerala State, the ‘Save the Sahyadris’ campaign and more recently, the Supreme Court of India’s order closing mines in and around the Kudremukh National Park in Karnataka State. However, the region is not completely free from problems, as is the case in much of the developing world. These range from the government’s plans for new hydroelectric projects, roads and railways, to local demands for rights to access forest lands for traditional, subsistence and commercial uses. The Western Ghats face the same pressures as other Hotspots, particularly as it has a very high population density (Cincotta et al. 2000). Forest loss has been driven largely by conversion to plantations of tea, coffee, teak, eucalyptus and wattle, as well as by the creation of reservoirs, and construction of roads and railways. A study that estimated changes in forest cover between 1973 and 1995 in the southern part of the Western Ghats using satellite data found that the area (approximately 40,000 km²) had lost 25.6% of its forest cover (Jha et al. 2000) in this period. Of the 20-23% of the natural forest vegetation of the Western Ghats thought to remain (Collins et al. 1991, Mittermeier et al. 2004), a large portion exists in a highly fragmented state. Significantly, there remain several tracts greater than 500 km² such as in the Agasthyamalai Hills, Silent Valley-New Amarambalam Forests, Periyar-Ranni-Konni region,

19

and parts of the Dakshin Kannada and Uttara Kannada Districts in Karnataka State. At least two major Biosphere Reserves, the 1,701 km² Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve and the 5,520 km² Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve have been established within the Western Ghats region. By including in the nomination sets of protected areas (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks) contiguous with adjoining reserved forests, a wide representation is ensured for the entire range of ecosystems and habitat types of the Western Ghats from the foothills to the highest peaks, from forests and grasslands to plateaus and freshwater ecosystems, spanning the biological, climatological and geophysical variation from the southern tip of the Ghats to its northern reaches. As these sites all lie on government lands and receive stringent protection under strong laws such as the Forest Conservation Act (1980) and the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), they have a high long-term potential. Specific management plans exist for all protected areas (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks) as do working plans for the Reserved Forest areas. The sites chosen for nomination thus carry a high potential for preservation and conservation of the attributes of this unique region into posterity.

Comparison with Other Similar Properties As indicated above, many assessments using varied criteria (e.g., Biodiversity Hotspots, Endemic Bird Areas, Global 200 Ecoregions) have all identified the Western Ghats as a region of immense global importance. This is particularly so in the case of the Hotspots approach where the region (along with Sri Lanka) rates as one of the eight ‘hottest’ of the Hotspots (Myers et al. 2000, Mittermeier et al. 2004). Comparison with the other 33 Global Biological Diversity Hotspots reveals the exceptional nature of the mountains of the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats-Sri Lanka Hotspot ranks seventh among the 34 sites in terms of the number of endemic genera (125 genera of plants and vertebrates). With 11.2% of the original extent under IUCN Protected Area categories I to IV, this Hotspot ranks third in the world under this criteria indicating integrity and high long-term conservation potential. In terms of global recognition under the World Heritage List, currently only the Sinharaja site in Sri Lanka is recognized. The nomination of the sub-clusters along the Western Ghats would make for a more comprehensive and globally significant representation of this biologically unique part of the world.

Bibliography Biju, S. D., and Bossuyt, F. 2003. New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles. Nature 425: 711-714. Cincotta, R. P., Wisnewski, J., and Engelman, R. 2000. Human population in the biodiversity hotspots. Nature 404: 990–992. Collins, N. M., Sayer, J. A., and Whitmore, T. C. 1991. The conservation atlas of tropical forest: Asia and the Pacific. IUCN, Gland. Dahanukar, N., Raut, R., and Bhat, A. 2004. Distribution, endemism and threat status of freshwater fishes in the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Biogeography 31: 123-136. Daniels, R. J. R. 2001. Endemic fishes of the Western Ghats and the Satpura Hypothesis. Current Science 81: 241-244.

20

Islam, M. Z., and Rahmani, A. R. 2004. Important bird areas in India: priority sites for conservation. Indian Bird Conservation Network: Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International, Mumbai. Jha, C. S., Dutt, C. B. S. and Bawa, K. S. 2000. Deforestation and land use changes in Western Ghats, India. Current Science 79: 231-238. Krishnaswamy, J., Bunyan, M., Mehta, V. K., Jain N., and Karanth, K. U. In press. Impact of iron ore mining on suspended sediment response in a tropical catchment in Kudremukh, Western Ghats, India. Forest Ecology and Management. Kumar, A., Mudappa, D., and Pethiyagoda, R. 2004. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Pp. 152157 in Mittermeier, R. A., Gil, P. R., Hoffmann, M., Pilgrim, J., Brooks, T., Mittermeier, C. G., Lamoreux, J., and da Fonseca, G. A. B. (eds.). Hotspots revisited. Cemex, Mexico. Kunte, K. Joglekar, A., Ghate, U., and Pramod, P. 1999. Patterns of butterfly, birds, and tree diversity in the Western Ghats. Current Science 77: 577-586. Mani, M. S. (ed.). 1974. Ecology and biogeography of India. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, The Netherlands. Mittermeier, R. A., Gil, P. R., Hoffmann, M., Pilgrim, J., Brooks, T., Mittermeier, C. G., Lamoreux, J., and da Fonseca, G. A. B. (eds.). 2004. Hotspots revisited. Cemex, Mexico. Myers, N., Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, C. G., da Fonseca, G. A. B., and Kent, J. 2000. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853−858. Nair, S. C. 1991. The Southern Western Ghats: a biodiversity conservation plan. INTACH, New Delhi. Olson, D. M., and Dinerstein, E. 1998. The global 200: a representation approach to conserving the Earth’s most biologically valuable ecoregions. Conservation Biology 12: 502–515. Pascal, J. P. 1988. Wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India: ecology, structure, floristic composition and succession. Institut Français de Pondichéry, Pondicherry, India. Radhakrishna, B. P. 1991. An excursion into the past⎯‘the Deccan volcanic episode’. Current Science 61: 641−647. Radhakrishna, B. P. 1993. Neogene uplift and geomorphic rejuvenation of the Indian Peninsula. Current Science 64: 787−793. Rajagopalan, G., Sukumar, R., Ramesh, R., Pant, R. K., and Rajagopalan, G. 1997. Late Quaternary vegetational and climatic changes from tropical peats in southern India – An extended record up to 40,000 years BP. Current Science 73: 60–63. Ramesh, B. R., and Pascal, J. P. 1991. Distribution of endemic, arborescent evergreen species in the Western Ghats. Pp. 20-29 in Proceedings of the Symposium on rare and endangered plants of the Western Ghats, Kerala Forest Department, Trivandrum. Ramesh, B. R., and Pascal, J. P. 1997. Atlas of endemics of the Western Ghats (India)— distribution of tree species in the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Institut Français de Pondichéry, Pondicherry. Rasmussen, P. C., and Anderton, J. C. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions, Washington, D. C. and Barcelona. Rodgers, W. A., Panwar, H. S., and Mathur, V. B. 2002. Wildlife protected area network in India: A review. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Sahni, B. 1991. The Deccan traps: an episode of the Tertiary era. Current Science 61: 601−608. Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J., and Wege, D. C. 1998. Endemic bird areas of the world: priorities for biodiversity conservation. Birdlife International, Cambridge. Sukumar, R., Ramesh, R., Pant, R. K., and Rajagopalan, G. 1993. A δ13C record of late Quaternary climate change from tropical peats in southern India. Nature 364: 703-706. Sukumar, R., Suresh, H. S., and Ramesh, R. 1995.Climate change and its impact on tropical montane ecosystems in southern India. Journal of Biogeography 22: 533–536.

21

3.2 WESTERN GHATS: SUB-CLUSTER NOMINATIONS The entire Western Ghats landscape, described in Chapter 2, has been broken down into a serial nomination list, with various parts of the landscape being represented by different subclusters. In the following sections of this chapter, we profile of the various sub-clusters of the Western Ghats and provide a detailed description of the site elements in each sub-cluster.

3.2.1 Agasthyamalai

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

22

Names

Dr. TR Shankar Raman Dr. Aparajita Datta

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

Name of Property Western Ghats—Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster (with Five Site Elements)

State, Province or Region Comprising Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu State and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary and Kulathupuzha Reserved Forest in adjoining Kerala State. These are distributed within the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in the State of Kerala and Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu.

Latitude and Longitude, or UTM coordinates Agasthyamalai region: 8°25’ to 9°14’ N and 76°40’ to 77°35’ E (1,612 km²) Site element

Name

Latitude

Longitude

Area

001

Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

8°25’ to 8°53’ N

77°10’ to 77°35’ E

895 km2

002

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

8°44’ to 9°14’ N

76°59’ to 77°16’ E

171 km2

003

Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary

8°31’ to 8’37 N

77°08’ to 77°14’ E

128 km2

004

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

8°34’ to 8°42’ N

77°07’ to 77°15’ E

53 km2

005

Kulathupuzha Range

8°40’ to 8°56’ N

77°00’ to 77°19’ E

200 km2

006

Palode Range

8°40’ to 8°56’ N

77°00’ to 77°19’ E

165 km2

Description The Agasthyamalai region constitutes an extensive and compact tract of forest-clad mountains, called the Ashamabu or Agasthyamalai hills, in the extreme south of the Western Ghats. Distributed from just south of the Ariankavu Pass (a minor pass at around 9° N) to the vicinity of the Mahendragiri peak near Kanyakumari, the hills span an altitudinal range from near sea level (50 m) to the highest peak, the venerated Agasthyamalai (1,868 m), after which this region is named. The region receives precipitation from both the southwest and northeast monsoons and has a very short dry season of less than 2-3 months duration. Thus, much of the area is covered in tropical moist forest vegetation, with drier forests occurring chiefly in the rain-shadow regions along the eastern foothills. On the eastern side, the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), the secondlargest protected area in Tamil Nadu State, spans an altitude of 50 to 1,700 m in elevation, with tropical wet evergreen forests (rainforests) occurring chiefly above 500 m. The topography is rugged with numerous perennial hill streams originating from the tropical rainforest areas on the upper slopes and that confluence to form major rivers such as the Tambiraparani, Manimuthar and Ramanadhi, which support the agricultural economy of millions in the adjoining plains. The forests of the reserve include the catchment area of the Manimuthar, Kodayar, Servalar and Karaiar dams. On the west, three protected areas (Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries) along with the Kulathupuzha and Palode Reserved Forests form an almost

23

equally extensive and contiguous tract of forest in Kerala. The rivers Kallada, Achankoil, Vamanapuram, Karamana and Neyyar drain this region. The three wildlife sanctuaries include catchment areas upstream of three dams (Neyyar on the Neyyar river, Peppara on the Karamana river and Parappar on the Kallad river in Shendurney).

Site Elements in the Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)9

(viii)9

(ix) 9

(x) 9

The Agasthyamalai region has been identified as one of the most significant areas for conservation of biological diversity in the Western Ghats (Nair 1991, Johnsingh 2001). The Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), along with the other sanctuaries (Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney) and Reserved Forests lying across the administrative boundary in Kerala state, forms a tract of forest ranging over 1,500 km² in the Agasthyamalai-Ashambu hill range. In the Western Ghats, this region contains one of the largest and last remaining contiguous tracts of over 400 km² of tropical rainforest (Ramesh et al. 1997).

24

Vistas of unbroken rainforest at the landscape level and beautiful rainforest fascinating in its complexity of structure and relationships, from the unique Myristica swamp formations at the Western foothills to the evergreen forests on the slopes, are some of aesthetically marvelous features the area has to offer. The area also carries evidence of the Gondwana origin of the landmass and plate-tectonic history of continental drift from Madagascar and Africa in the underlying geological imprint as well as the indicative Glossopteridean flora and shared floristic elements such as many genera of Orchidaceae (Nair and Daniel 1986). By spanning a complete altitudinal and east-west gradient, the entire range of ecological processes, such as the influence of elevation and moisture on structuring tropical forest biological diversity is exceptionally evidenced in this region. The relatively intact tracts of rainforest also offer an unprecedented opportunity amidst Asian tropical rainforests for a wide variety of ecological research studies on diversity patterns, plant-animal relationships and tropical forest dynamics (Johnsingh 2001, Raman 2001). The largest site element, KMTR, is very significant for its biological diversity. KMTR is believed to contain at least 2,000 (or over 50%) of the plant species found in the Western Ghats, a significant part of which occurs in the wet evergreen rainforests (Ganesh et al. 1996). The rainforest vegetation in KMTR has been classified as tropical wet evergreen forest with the vegetation at mid elevations (700-1,400 m) categorized as the Cullenia exarillataMesua ferrea-Palaquium ellipticum type which has about 43% plant endemism (Pascal 1988). Floristically the vegetation is unique, containing around 150 localized plant endemics. A total of 33 fish, 37 amphibian, 81 reptile and 76 mammal species have been recorded from KMTR (Johnsingh 2001). The herpetofauna includes the recently rediscovered rainforest lizard Calotes andamanensis and the microhylid frog Melanobatrachus indicus and is described in two recent studies from the area (Vasudevan 2000, Ishwar 2001, Ishwar et al. 2001, Vasudevan et al. 2001). Of the non-volant mammals, 8 species endemic to the Western Ghats occur here. The large carnivores include the tiger Panthera tigris, leopard P. pardus, dhole Cuon alpinus and sloth bear Melursus ursinus. Eight species of small carnivores occur in the rainforests of KMTR (Mudappa 1998). Other mammals occurring in the rainforest include the Asian elephant Elephas maximus, gaur Bos gaurus, sambar Cervus unicolor, mouse deer Moschiola meminna, lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus, bonnet macaque M. radiata, Nilgiri langur Trachypithecus johnii, Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius, Malabar giant squirrel Ratufa indica, large brown flying squirrel Petaurista philippensis, seven other species of rodents and three species of shrews. At least 17 bat species are known from KMTR (Johnsingh 2001). Of the 278 bird species recorded in and around KMTR, 84 species occur in rainforests and the remaining occur mainly in drier forests, water bodies and other habitats. Although published checklists of vertebrates do not exist for all the areas on the western (Kerala) side, the contiguity of forests and altitudinal range suggest that a majority of the KMTR species are also found on the Western side. In addition, many other species are found exclusively or in greater abundance on the Kerala side. This includes species found in the unique Myristica swamp forests in Neyyar and Shendurney such as Myristica malabarica and M. fatua (wild nutmegs). The area left out from the Protected Area network, in between Shendurney and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries are prime evergreen forests in the Reserved Forests of the Kulathupuzha and Palode Ranges. These areas are famous for Asian elephant

25

and gaur populations and facilitate the movement of these and other wide-ranging species. The area also forms the best reed brake in the Western Ghats south to the PooyamkuttyEdamalayar reed belt. The Kulathupuzha-Palode Reserved Forests are contiguous with the wildlife sanctuaries on either side but come under the Thiruvananthapuram Forest Division. The forest north to the Shendurney Sanctuary, extending up to the Ariankavu-Shencottah pass comes under the Thenmala division. The Kulathupuzha-Palode forests also harbour excellent Myristica swamps in the southern Western Ghats. The Myristica swamps are a unique ecosystem, with high rate of endemism, deserving special measures in conservation. The associations in these swamps are curious with Myristica fatua and Gymnacranthera spp. as the dominant tree species and Lagenandra spp. dominant in the undergrowth. In Shendurney wildlife sanctuary, Sasidharan (1997) recorded 951 species of flowering plants in 118 families of which 309 were Western Ghats endemics and 100 were rare and threatened species. In addition, 1,106 species of flowering plants have been reported from the Neyyar and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries of which 26% (286 species) are endemic to the Western Ghats and among these 47 species are endemic to the Agasthyamalai region. Many of these plants are restricted in distribution to one or two localities within these sanctuaries. The recent surveys have resulted in the discovery of 35 new species from this stretch of land (Nayar 1997). The celebrated example is the distribution of the endemic tree Gluta travancorica that is confined to this hill range. Among birds, the Agasthyamalai region as a whole includes virtually all the species known to occur in the southern Western Ghats, including significant populations of 15 of the 16 endemics reported from the southern Western Ghats. The Agasthyamalai region is also the most important region for the conservation of the flagship endangered and endemic mammal species, the lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus as it contains the largest population (over 10% of the population of up to 4,000 individuals estimated for the Western Ghats). Agasthyamalai harbours some populations of the highly endangered Nilgiri tahr. The Varaiattumottai extending across the Neyyar-Kalakad interstate boundary is supposed to harbour the largest population of tahr in the Agasthyamalai-Ashambu hills. In addition, it is also an important area for the conservation of other mammalian endemics such as Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi, Jerdon’s or brown palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni and Nilgiri langur.

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity The sites in the Agasthyamalai region have a history of recognition of its biological values and implementation of conservation measures going back nearly half a century. The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary was notified in 1958, Peppara in 1983 and Shendurney in 1984, with the constituent and intervening Reserved Forests having an even earlier notification. On the eastern side, the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 1988−89 combining the pre-existing Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary (567 km², constituted in 1962) and Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary (250 km², constituted in 1976, Kant 1998). Besides

26

these areas within Tirunelveli District, parts of Veerapuli and Kelamalai Reserved Forests of Kanyakumari district were added in 1996 (Melkani 2001). Of the total area of 895 km² today, 538 km² is in the core zone, 324 km² in the buffer zone and 35 km² in a tourism zone (Mundanthurai and Thalayanai). Fortunately, the entire area of the remarkable tropical rainforest of this region is included within the core area. The entire region of nominated sites in this sub-cluster comprises state-owned land protected, administered and managed by the state Forest Departments. In addition, the sites also form part of the 1,701 km² Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in Kerala notified on 12th November 2001 under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme. The Biosphere Reserve includes the forest tracts of Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries and the Achencoil, Thenmala, Konni, Punalur, Agasthyavanam Special Division and Thiruvananthapuram Divisions. In the past, land-use within the reserves was limited, going by available records, although various forces of degradation have been at work (Nair 1991, Kant 1998). A large number of scattered, small tribal settlements have presumably existed for decades, engaged in small-scale agriculture and extraction of forest produce. Within the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), small-scale extraction and sale of forest produce is known to have occurred between 1888 and 1984, when extraction was halted. Light selective felling for timber species such as Mesua ferrea was carried out around few areas such as Kannikatti and Kodamadi around 1927, and to supply sleepers and construction materials to British Armed Forces during 1942-43. Some heavy felling was carried out until a ban was imposed in the Tambiraparani, Servalar and Manimuthar catchments. Teak and softwood plantations were established (in areas such as Mundanthurai and Thalayanai) from 1917 onwards (Kant 1998). An area of 5,605 ha of plantations have been established adjoining or as enclaves within KMTR over the years (Ali and Pai 2001). The largest area (3,391 ha, not included within KMTR) is the property of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (mainly tea, some cardamom and Eucalyptus) leased until 2028 with a labour force of about 6,600 people. The second largest area is the Kattalamalai estate (1,271 ha), bordering low elevation rainforest areas in Kannikatti, and planted with coconut and Eucalyptus. Ali and Pai (2001) give further details about the smaller enclaves within KMTR including leased areas, patta lands, abandoned estates, religious enclaves and electricity board settlements adjoining the lower and upper Papanasam, Servalar and Kodayar dams. In 1991, 106 tribal (mostly Kani) families lived in five settlements within KMTR: Agasthiar Nagar, Servalar, Chinna Mylar, Periya Mylar and Injikuli (Kant 1998). The plains around KMTR are densely populated and about 145 villages containing about 30,000 households are found within 5 km of the eastern boundary. These people, particularly those who graze their livestock within KMTR or extract forest produce and fuelwood, have been the targets of a large ecodevelopment programme (Rs. 91 million, c. US$ 2 million) since 1995 (Melkani 2001). Most of their impact is on the dry deciduous and dry thorn forests along the eastern boundary. At Neyyar and Peppara, agriculture, fuelwood extraction and fires related to a number of scattered tribal settlements are reported to have caused some degradation of the more accessible forests in the past (Nair 1991). Large pilgrim crowds passing through Neyyar sanctuary to the sacred Agasthyamalai peak also pose a management challenge. The presence

27

of a tea estate enclave in Peppara and past working of Eucalyptus plantations along the sanctuary margin account for further disturbances. Shendurney has had some disturbance in the past due to selective logging and reed collection in the lower reaches, although the rainforests at the higher elevations have been relatively undisturbed (Nair 1991). Within Shendurney, the total area of the enclosures within the Sanctuary is 580 ha of estates belonging to Rosemala, Kallar and Rosewood estates. Besides this there are vested forests of 450 ha and an irrigation lake of 1,372 ha. There has been collection of minor forest produce since 1988 by the Girijan Co-operative Society. Today, most of the area within the nominated sites remains unlogged or covered in mature forests, almost completely free from such disturbances. Despite the past disturbances, the Agasthyamalai region remains an area with the greatest potential for the conservation of biological diversity in the Western Ghats. Except for the montane shola grassland ecosystem, which is naturally limited in extent in this region, all other major forest types of the southern Western Ghats are well represented here. The region encompasses the entire altitudinal and east-west gradient (from the base of the hills on the western side in the protected areas of Kerala) to the highest point and then down to where the hills meet the plains in the east along the eastern boundary of the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. As most of the tropical rainforests of the region has not been logged or converted to plantations like in other parts of the Western Ghats, the large tract (>400 km²) of primary rainforest vegetation within the region includes the entire range of natural altitudinal and ecological gradients in a relatively undisturbed setting. The hills form a compact block and the forests are contiguous and most areas are relatively undisturbed and currently protected within reserves. By protecting entire catchments and contiguous forest blocks, it enables the maintenance of large-scale ecological processes and the representation of the entire range of ecosystems in the region.

Bibliography Ali, R., and Pai, A. 2001. Human use areas in the Kalakad-Mundathurai Tiger Reserve. Current Science 80: 448−452. Ganesh, T., Ganesan, R., Devy, M. S., Davidar, P., and Bawa, K. S. 1996. Assessment of plant biodiversity at a mid-elevation evergreen forest of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India. Current Science 71: 379−392. Ishwar, N. M. 2001. Reptilian species distribution in response to habitat fragmentation and microhabitats in the rainforests of southern Western Ghats, India. Ph.D. Thesis, F.R.I deemed University, Dehra Dun. Ishwar, N. M., Chellam, R., and Kumar, A. 2001. Distribution of forest floor reptiles in the rainforest of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, South India. Current Science 80: 413−418. Johnsingh, A. J. T. 2001. The Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve: a global heritage of biological diversity. Current Science 80: 378–388. Kant, P. 1998. Draft management plan of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Melkani, V. K. 2001. Involving local people in biodiversity conservation in the KalakadMundanthurai Tiger Reserve⎯An overview. Current Science 80: 437−441.

28

Mudappa, D. 1998. Use of camera-traps to survey small carnivores in the tropical rainforest of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, India. Small Carnivore Conservation 18: 9−11. Nair, N. C., and Daniel, P. 1986. The floristic diversity of the Western Ghats and its conservation: a review. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Animal Sciences/Plant Sciences) Supplement November: 127-163. Nair, S. C. 1991. The Southern Western Ghats: a biodiversity conservation plan. INTACH, New Delhi. Nayar, M. P. 1997. Biodiversity challenges in Kerala and Science of conservation Biology in Pushpangadan, P. and Nair, K. S. S. (Eds.). Biodiversity of tropical Forest—the Kerala scenario. STEC, Trivandrum. Pascal, J. P. 1988. Wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India: ecology, structure, floristic composition and succession. Institut Français de Pondichéry, Pondicherry, India. Raman, T. R. S. 2001. Conserving a hotspot heritage: research and management in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Current Science 80: 315-316. Ramesh, B. R., Menon, S., and Bawa, K. S. 1997. A vegetation-based approach to biodiversity gap analysis in the Agasthyamalai Region, Western Ghats, India. Ambio 26: 529-536. Sasidharan, N. 1997. Studies on the flora of Shenduruny wildlife sanctuary with emphasis on endemic species. KFRI Research Report No. 128, 401 pages. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. Vasudevan, K. 2000. Amphibian species assemblages of the wet evergreen forests of Southern Western Ghats of India and the effect of forest fragmentation on their diversity. Thesis submitted to Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Vasudevan, K., Kumar, A., and Chellam, R. 2001. Structure and composition of rainforest floor amphibian communities in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Current Science 80: 406−412.

29

3.2.2 Periyar

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

30

Names

Dr. MD Madhusudan Dr. TR Shankar Raman Ms. Ayesha E Prasad

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

Name of Property Western Ghats—Periyar Sub-Cluster (with Six Site Elements)

State, Province or Region Comprising Periyar Tiger Reserve and adjoining Ranni, Konni and Achankovil Forest Divisions in Kerala State and Sriviliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary and part of Tirunelveli Forest Division in Tamil Nadu. These are distributed over the Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kollam districts in Kerala State and the Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli districts in Tamil Nadu state.

Latitude and Longitude, or UTM Coordinates Periyar region: 9°1’ to 9°48’ N and 76°50’ to 77°42’ E (2806.5 km²) Site element Name

Latitude

Longitude

Area

007

Periyar Tiger Reserve

9°16’ to 9°36’ N

76°56’ to 77°24’ E

777.00 km2

008

Ranni Forest Division

9°11’ to 9°28’ N

76°50’ to 77°17’ E

828.53 km2

009

Konni Forest Division

9°02’ to 9°15’ N

76°50’ to 77°17’ E

261.43 km2

010

Achankovil Forest Division

9°02’ to 9°12’ N

77°03’ to 77°16’ E

219.90 km2

011

Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary

9°23’ to 9°48’ N

77°20’to 77°42’ E

485.00 km2

012

Tirunelveli Forest Division (part)

9°03’ to 9°24’ N

77°12’ to 77°23’ E

234.67 km2

Description The Periyar sub-cluster extends from north of the Ariankavu pass (at c. 9° N) over the region known as the Cardamom Hills to around Kumily in the northern boundary of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. To the south of the Periyar Tiger Reserve are the reserved forests of the Ranni, Konni and Achankovil Forest Divisions. On the eastern side, lying largely in a rain-shadow area with mostly drier forests, lie the Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary and reserved forests of the Tirunelveli Forest Division. The region spans a mostly forested tract of around 2,806 km². The region also spans an elevation range from around 100 m to over 2,000 m (2,019 m at Kottamalai) of mountainous terrain with deep valleys, and includes the drainages of the westflowing Periyar, Mullakudy and Pamba rivers. The Periyar was dammed in 1895 and the resulting reservoir, which submerged 2,600 ha of forest, was leased to the then Government of Madras for a period of 999 years. The area experiences winter temperatures of around from 15°C going up to 31°C in summer (April-May). The annual rainfall of 2,000 mm to 3,000 mm in Periyar decreases to less than 1,500 mm in the east in Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary. On the western side, two-thirds of the precipitation is received during the southwest monsoon from June to September. The areas also receive rainfall from the northeast monsoon (October-December) and from pre-monsoon showers (April-May).

31

Site Elements in the Periyar Sub-Cluster

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(viii)

(ix) 9

(x) 9

The Periyar region is home to a spectacular array of biological diversity typical to the southern Western Ghats. Studies in Periyar Tiger Reserve alone have revealed the presence of 1,966 species of angiosperms, 3 gymnosperm species and 170 species of pteridophytes; including at least three taxa endemic to the region (Mucuna pruriens thekkadiensis, Habenaria periyarensis and Syzygium periyarensis). A large part of this diversity resides in the extensive tropical wet evergreen rainforests and semi-evergreen forests in the region. Periyar Tiger Reserve itself has nearly 75% of its area under tropical wet evergreen and semievergreen forests, followed by 13% under moist deciduous forests and around 1.5% under grasslands. The remaining area includes Eucalyptus plantations (7%) and the Periyar reservoir (3.5%).

32

Of the angiosperm flora of Periyar Tiger Reserve, 515 species (26%) are species endemic to the southern Western Ghats. The angiosperms consist of 1441 species of dicotyledonous plants (613 genera, 128 families) and 525 species of monocotyledons (210 genera, 23 families). The other hallmarks include 145 species of orchids, 168 species of grasses, 155 species of leguminous plants, 28 species of Impatiens balsams and 10 species of palms. Among orchids include various endemic and endangered forms: the reserve is the only known home for the ground orchid Habenaria periyarensis, and also shelters populations of rare and endangered species such as Vanda thwaitesii, Taeniophyllum scaberulum (formerly considered as possibly extinct), Pecteilis gigantea and Bulbophyllum macraei. The Periyar region shelters over 60 species of mammals, including a wide variety of endemic and endangered species such as lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri marten, grizzled giant squirrel (in Srivilliputtur), Asian elephant and tiger (Ramachandran et al. 1986; Joshua and Johnsingh 1994). The Salim Ali’s fruit bat (Latidens salimalii), considered among the rarest of the world’s bats, is found in this region and the adjoining High Wavy mountains. The presence of a significant population of nearly 1,000 Asian elephants in the region led to the notification of the region as an elephant reserve under the Project Elephant programme of the Indian government (Ramakrishnan et al. 1998). A highly skewed adult elephant sex ratio (50 birds/km²) are among the highest reported from India or other Asian tropical rainforests (Raman and Mudappa 2003). The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary adds significantly to the sub-cluster by providing connectivity between sites and by bringing representation of species of tropical dry thorn and deciduous forests. In addition, it is an important site in the Western Ghats for the conservation of the endangered grizzled giant squirrel Ratufa macroura, also occurring in the

41

Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary that receives representation within the Periyar sub-cluster to the south (Ramachandran 1993, Joshua and Johnsingh 1994).

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity Originally established to protect the Nilgiri tahr, the Eravikulam National Park (97 km²) is situated in Devikulam Taluk of the Idukki District in Kerala State (77°0' to 77°10' E and 10°5' to 10°20’ N). The Government took over uncultivated lands and the game reserve belonging to the Kannan Devan Hill Produce Company in 1971 and declared this as a Wildlife Sanctuary in March 1975, elevated to the status of a National Park in 1978 with a proposed extension of the area by 30 km² under consideration. Chinnar was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1984, having formerly been Chinnar Reserved Forest in Marayoor Range of Munnar Division. On the Tamil Nadu side, the montane shola-grassland ecosystems were included within the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (earlier known as Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary and established in 1976). The Grass Hills National Park came into being by the notification in 1989 of an area of 31.23 km² of shola-grassland lying within the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. The recent notification in 2004 of the Anaimudi Shola National Park (750 ha), Pambadum Shola National Park (131.8 ha) and Mathikettan Shola National Park (1,281.74 ha) on the Kerala side add to the value of this proposed site as ‘satellite core areas’ and strengthens the value of this critical ecosystem. In addition, the inclusion of governmentowned forest and grassland areas in Mannavan shola and Mankulam range enables this subcluster to represent the largest, least disturbed and most representative of the unique sholagrassland ecosystem. One cannot overstate the global significance of this region for the conservation of the highly restricted and patchily distributed endemic and endangered mountain goat, the Nilgiri tahr, as it has the single largest contiguous population and the one with the highest long-term conservation potential. This is also true to a significant extant for the tract of shola-grassland ecosystem with a wide variety of typical ecosystem process characteristics, endemic species and diversity. Threats to the area are limited. Scattered plantations of exotics such as Eucalyptus, pine and wattles have been carried out, with the latter posing a problem in a few areas. Proposals to remove invasive wattle and carry out ecological restoration are under consideration. Tourism is significant in the Eravikulam area—more than 300,000 tourists currently visit Eravikulam National Park every year. Visitors to Eravikulam are restricted to the tourism zone and areas outside the National Park and are carefully regulated. Tourism is forbidden in the Grass Hills National Park and this is to be maintained as such because of its value as an undisturbed source pool area. Small-scale extraction of forest produce is carried out by tribals such as the Mudhuva in Kerala and the Kadar in Tamil Nadu in areas outside the National Parks. Karian Shola has also been a major centre for training and education due to its proximity to the tourist centre of Topslip. A number of scientific research studies on rainforest ecology and conservation and

42

training programmes for all levels of Forest Department staff from around India have been conducted here. Tourist visits are highly restricted to a small area near Topslip. A single Kadar tribal settlement (Erumaparai) with minimal impact exists outside the National Park boundary near Topslip. Although some past disturbances in the form of light felling and establishment of small plantations were carried out in the vicinity, the entire area is now protected and relatively undisturbed from such activities.

Bibliography Desai, A. 2001. Nature’s masterpiece, the elephant. Karnataka Forest Department, Bangalore. Islam, M. Z., and Rahmani, A. R. 2004. Important bird areas in India: priority sites for conservation. Indian Bird Conservation Network: Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International, Mumbai. Joshua, J., and Johnsingh, A. J. T. 1994. Impact of biotic disturbances on the habitat and population of the endangered grizzled giant squirrel Ratufa macroura in south India. Biological Conservation 68: 29-34. Kannan, R. 1994. Ecology and conservation of the Great Pied Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) in the Western Ghats of southern India. PhD Dissertation, University of Arkansas, Arkansas. Kunte, K. Joglekar, A., Ghate, U., and Pramod, P. 1999. Patterns of butterfly, birds, and tree diversity in the Western Ghats. Current Science 77: 577-586. Menon, A. R. R. 1997. Vegetation mapping and analysis of Eravikulam National Park using remote sensing techniques. KFRI Research Report No. 130, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala. Mishra, C., and Johnsingh, A. J. T. 1998. Population and conservation status of the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius in Anamalai Hills, south India. Biological Conservation 86: 199-206. Mudappa, D. 2000. Breeding biology of the Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) in southern Western Ghats, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 97: 15-24. Ramachandran, K. K. 1993. Status survey and distribution of endangered grizzled giant squirrel in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, India. Indian Journal of Forestry 16: 226231. Raman, T. R. S., and Mudappa, D. 2003. Correlates of hornbill distribution and abundance in rainforest fragments in the southern Western Ghats, India. Bird Conservation International 13: 199-212. Rice, C. G., and Madhusudan, M. D. In press. The Nilgiri tahr. In Johnsingh, A. J. T. and Manjrekar, N. (Editors) Mammals of South Asia. Universities Press, Hyderabad. Sukumar, R., Ramesh, R., Pant, R. K., and Rajagopalan, G. 1993. A δ13C record of late Quaternary climate change from tropical peats in southern India. Nature 364: 703-706. Sukumar, R., Suresh, H. S., and Ramesh, R. 1995.Climate change and its impact on tropical montane ecosystems in southern India. Journal of Biogeography 22: 533–536.

43

3.2.4 Nilgiri

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

44

Names

Dr. MD Madhusudan Dr. TR Shankar Raman Dr. Aparajita Datta

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

Name of Property Western Ghats—Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (with Six Site Elements)

State, Province or Region Comprising the protected areas of Silent Valley National Park in Kerala State and Mukurti National Park in Tamil Nadu State and the reserved forests under Kalikavu Range, Attapadi Reserved Forest and New Amarambalam Reserved Forest in Kerala State. These are distributed within the districts of Palakkad and Mallapuram in the state of Kerala and the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

Latitude and Longitude, or UTM coordinates Nilgiri region: 11°3’ to 11°23’ N and 76°19’ to 77°33’ E (597.8 km²) Site element

Name

Latitude

Longitude

Area

020

Silent Valley National Park

11° 3' to 11° 12'

76° 22' to 76° 29'

89.52 km2

021

New Amarambalam Reserved Forest

11° 13' to 11° 23'

76° 19' to 76° 32'

246.97 km2

022

Mukurti National Park

11° 11' to 11° 23'

76° 26' to 76° 33

78.5 km2

023

Kalikavu Range

11° 5' to 11° 16'

76° 19' to 76° 27'

117.05 km2

024

Attapadi Reserved Forest

11° 3' to 11° 12'

76° 26' to 76° 31

65.75 km2

Description The Nilgiri region consists of a landscape extending from the north-west of the Palghat Gap, a prominent break in the main Western Ghats ridgeline, up to the Mukurti region of the Nilgiri Plateau. This region spans a wide elevational range from around 50 m in the New Amarambalam Reserved Forest to nearly 2500 m in the Mukurti National Park. By virtue of its extremely variable aspect, rainfall regimes also vary tremendously although most of the precipitation occurs during the few months of the southwest monsoon. Pudur in the rainshadow areas of Attapadi Range receives around 800 mm annually, whereas in the Neelikal area of Silent Valley National Park, annual precipitation exceeds 5000 mm. As a direct consequence of these physiographic and climatic gradients, the vegetation in the region varies from dry Euphorbia scrub in parts of the Attapadi range, deciduous and evergreen forests in parts of Kalikavu and New Amarambalam to shola-grasslands that dominate the main Western Ghats crestline around Mukurti. This region also represents the origin of several important west- and east flowing rivers. Major tributaries of the Rivers Chaliyar, Bharathapuzha, Kuntipuzha, Bhavani and Siruvani originate in this area, which constitutes critical catchments for many irrigation and hydroelectric dams downstream. Together with the adjacent protected areas of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, this sub-cluster constitutes a largely secure forest complex of over 6,000 km², which is one of the globally most significant conservation areas for highly threatened species such as the Asian elephant, tiger and gaur, besides dozens of endangered species in other taxa.

45

Site Elements in the Nilgiri Sub-Cluster

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(viii)9

(ix)

(x) 9

The Nilgiri region is recognized as one of the most significant landscapes for conservation of a whole range of plant and animal taxa, as well as vegetation and ecosystem types (Gadgil and Meher-Homji 1986; Rodgers, Panwar and Mathur 2002). Together with the adjoining protected areas in the states of Karnataka (Bandipur and Nagarahole), Kerala (Wayanad) and Tamil Nadu (Mudumalai), this landscape is made up of vast expanses of grasslands, scrub, deciduous and evergreen forests (Gadgil 1982) that possibly contain the single largest population of globally endangered ‘landscape’ species such as the Asian elephant, gaur and tiger (Sukumar and Santiapillai 1996; Wikramanayake et al. 1998). Besides charismatic large mammals, the region also has distinguished itself also for its diversity and endemism of other life forms (for example, see Mathew and Rahamathulla 1993; Easa and Shaji 1997 and Dahanukar et al. 2004) as well as for its cultural and ethnic diversity (Hockings 1989) The Nilgiri landscape is one characterized by marked gradients. The complex interplay of topographic, geological and climatic variations have yielded starkly different 46

ecosystems, all located within a relatively compact landscape. From the stark brown scrub forests of Attapadi in the Palghat Gap as one ascends the Nilgiri mountains, evergreen forests of the hill slopes make way for gently rolling plateaus of wind beaten shola and grasslands perched at a height of 2,000 m. Further west and to the south, this table-land plunges dramatically into vast unbroken stretches of lowland rainforest in the Nilambur and Silent Valleys. These diverse vistas are aesthetically among the most appealing anywhere. By virtue of the elevation of the Nilgiri Plateau, this region continues to harbour relict populations of Himalayan faunal (e.g. Nilgiri tahr and Nilgiri marten) and floral (e.g., families such as Rosaceae and genera such as Anaphalis and Gaultheria) groups that had moved down into this landscape during the glacial epochs. Palynological studies in this area have also revealed a remarkable pulsing of vegetation over geological time, with the alternate dominance of forests and grassland over the same landscape (Rajagopalan et al. 1997). Extending over vast altitudinal and moisture gradients, the entire range of ecological processes structuring tropical forest biological diversity is in evidence in this region. The extent of relatively intact tracts of natural landscapes also offer exciting opportunities for a wide variety of ecological research studies on biogeography and patterns of diversity, plant-animal interactions and forest dynamics (Gadgil 1982). Silent Valley National Park, although relatively small in extent, is perhaps the most important constituent of this region. Not only has this park distinguished itself for its biodiversity values, but also for its origin in the famous campaign by a wide constituency of people that resulted in the stoppage of a hydroelectric dam project across the Kunthipuzha valley and its inclusion in a national park (Agarwal and Narain, 1985). Four main types vegetation types are recognized in the park: tropical evergreen forest, which forms extensive dense stands along hills and valleys between 900m and 1300mm; sub-tropical hill forest between 1,500m and 2,000m; the short statured shola forest which occur along drainages in the wind swept upper hill slopes; and grasslands, which are restricted to the narrow sector west of the Kunthipuzha and to the higher slopes and hill tops in the eastern sector. Seven different associations are recognized in Silent Valley’s rainforests: Palaquium ellipticumCullenia exarillata, Palaquium ellipticum-Mesua ferrea, Palaquium ellipticum-Poeciloneuron indicum, Mesua-Calophyllum elatum, Mesua-Cullenia, Ochlandra-Calophyllum and Ochlandra-Poeciloneuron. Further information on the region’s vegetation is available in Singh, et al. (1984) and Unnikrishnan (1989). The angiosperm flora comprises 966 species belonging to 134 families and 559 genera. Dicotyledons total 701 species, distributed among 113 families and 420 genera and monocotyledons 265 species within 21 families and 139 genera. Families best represented are the Orchidaceae (with 108 species), Poaceae (56), Fabaceae (55), Rubiaceae (49) and Asteraceae (45) (for more information, see Manilal 1988 and Manilal et al. 1988). Some 26 species of mammals, excluding bats, rodents and insectivores, have been recorded (Balakrishnan, 1984). Notable species include Nilgiri langur Trachypithecus johnii, lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus, tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, Jerdon's palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, wild dog Cuon alpinus, Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi, Asian elephant Elephas maximus, gaur Bos gaurus and Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius, some of which are endemic to the Western Ghats. Estimates of large mammals populations are provided by

47

Balakrishnan (1984). The Nilgiri region is also an important region for the conservation of the flagship endangered and endemic mammal species, the lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus and the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius. In addition, it is also an important area for the conservation of other mammalian endemics such as Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi, Jerdon’s or brown palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni and Nilgiri langur. Among birds, the Silent Valley region and surrounding site-elements as a whole include virtually all the species known to occur in the southern Western Ghats, including significant populations of nearly all the 16 endemics reported from the Western Ghats. Ninety-two species of fish including 2 new species have been recorded from the area. Of these, thirty-seven species are endemic to Western Ghats and 9 strictly endemic to Kerala (Easa and Shaji 1997). Lepidoptera comprise about 100 species of butterflies in 9 families, including 13 Western Ghats endemics and about 400 of moths (Mathew 1990; Mathew and Rahamathulla 1993). A comprehensive account of the park, its biodiversity values and conservation history is available in Manoharan et al. (1999). Although there is not as much authoritative information available on the biodiversity of the New Amarambalam and Kalikavu areas, the contiguity with Silent Valley, and a similarity of ecological regimes suggests a significant overlap in their floristic and faunal elements. These site-elements are particularly important corridors for species such as the Asian elephant, and are a necessary complement to the network of protected areas in the region. However, these areas do have fairly high levels of anthropogenic activity, ranging from plantations of the forest department to resource-use by resident tribal communities. Settlements of ethnic tribes such as the Cholanayakans, Paniyans and Eranadans are found in New Amarambalam and Kalikavu areas. Of these, the Cholanayakans are regarded as being heavily dependent on the forests for the sustenance. (Nilambur South Division – Working Plan, undated). The Attapadi range is also contiguous with the evergreen forests of Silent Valley, comprising similar biodiversity values. However, unlike the rainforest-dominated character of the above sites, it also contains deciduous and scrub forests, particularly towards the rain-shadow areas of Aralikkonam, Mulli and Thoova, with their complements of deciduous and scrub flora and fauna (Mannarkad Division – Working Plan, undated). Mukurti National Park, unlike New Amarambalam and Kalikavu, is dominated by the sholagrassland ecosystem. This ecosystem has many floral and faunal elements of relict fauna that bear resemblance to the Palearctic realm. The shola patches, usually 1 to 10 ha in size with few exceeding 100 ha, are confined to depressions and folds in the mountain. They are extremely dense, with 5000 or more woody plants (>1 cm dbh) per hectare, and are dominated by the families Lauraceae, Rubiaceae and Symplocaceae (H.S. Suresh and R. Sukumar, unpublished data). There is a sharply defined ecotone between the sholas and the grasslands that is maintained by frost and fire (Meher-Homji 1984). Aesthetically, this is also one of the most beautiful regions of the Western Ghats. Mukurti also has the northernmost population of the Nilgiri tahr and is one of the most important conservation areas for the endangered mountain goat. 48

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity The Nilgiri region has a long tradition where various groups, ranging from the colonial administration, game associations, foresters and naturalists to the wildlife/forest departments of independent India have recognized the biological values of these regions and implemented conservation measures going back well over a century (see Prabhakar 1994). The forests of New Amarambalam in the Nilambur Division were among the earliest notified reserved forests, going back to the 1880s. Of the six site elements, Silent Valley and Mukurti are both notified as National Parks under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The history of past management practices in Silent Valley is summarised by Unnikrishnan (1989). Ownership of Silent Valley has been at the disposal of the government since 1847. By 1901-1902, logging was commenced by the forest department. The selection felling system was introduced in 1928 and regeneration encouraged by planting seeds of native species. Prescriptions for harvesting timber, as well as for conserving the area (though neglected), were detailed in working plans from 1933 onwards. Due to the rugged terrain and limited accessibility, however, many forests of Silent Valley remained intact. Subsequent to the creation of the national park, a Forest Division was constituted in 1985-1986, exclusively for park management. The park is managed according to prescriptions outlined in its first management plan (Unnikrishnan, 1989). In view of its relatively small size, the entire park is treated as a core zone, as well as a core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, within which human influence is kept to a minimum. To this end, tourists are only allowed into peripheral areas of the park. It has been proposed in the management plan that the core should be extended to include New Amarambalam Reserved Forest, following the recommendations of the Wildlife Institute of India that Karimpuzha Valley (22,500 ha) to the north be established as a protected area. Given that this valley is inhabited by forest-dependent tribes, sanctuary rather than national park status is more appropriate in the short-term (Rodgers and Panwar, 1988). Such proposals have already been submitted to the Kerala Government. All land surrounding the park, except that to the south, falls within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is managed as a buffer zone. The risk of fire during the dry season is high everywhere but the eastern boundary of the park. Fire prevention measures include maintaining about 120 km of fire breaks, mostly inside and parallel to the park's western boundary, and stationing fire fighting squads in strategic positions. In Mukurti, plantations of eucalyptus Eucalyptus spp., pine Pinus roxburghii and black wattle Acacia mearnsii have been raised in both grassland and forest in the past, but this practice has now been discontinued. Tourism is low intensity, and neither are there significant pressures of resource from local resource-dependent communities. Fires are sometimes a problem during the dry season and, in places, repeated fires have resulted in the dominance of fire-adapted bracken Pteridium sp., thereby reducing forage value of these patches for wild herbivores. While the forests of New Amarambalam and Attapadi are notified Reserve Forests, parts of the Kalikavu Range have been designated Vested Forests under the Kerala Private Forests (Vesting Assignment) Act, 1971. In all cases, the land is under the complete control of the state governments. Human settlements occur across all these reserved/vested forests as a result of which there are resource-use pressures on the forests, particularly firewood removal, livestock grazing, rattan collection, etc. Legally, rights of collection of non-timber forest

49

produce is granted only to tribal communities. Besides these, Nilambur Division has been long renowned for its teak plantations, however, forestry today is largely confined to the removal of some wind-fallen and dead timber (Nilambur South Division, Working Plan, undated) Today, most of the area within the nominated sites are no longer logged and mostly covered in mature forests, almost completely free from large-scale disturbances, although threats such as the proposed Pathrakkadavu Hydroelectric Project on the Kuntipuzha just outside the Silent Valley National Park do remain. Despite the past regimes of disturbance, the Nilgiri region remains an area with high potential for the conservation of biological diversity in the Western Ghats. Nearly every major forest type in the southern half of the Western Ghats are represented here. This diversity of habitats and species occurs within a network of reserves and reserved forests, which form a compact conservation block. Elevating the profile of this region, and by protecting complete catchments and contiguous forest blocks, not only in the Silent Valley and Mukurti National Parks, but also in the adjoining reserved forests of New Amarambalam, Kalikavu and Attapadi, will help not only in the maintenance of large-scale ecological processes but also in the representation of the entire range of ecosystems in the region.

Bibliography Agarwal, A. and Narain, S. (eds.) 1985. The State of India's Environment 1984-1985. The Second Citizen's Report. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. 393 pp. Balakrishnan, M. 1984. The larger mammals and their endangered habitats in the Silent Valley forests of south India. Biological Conservation 29: 277-286. Dahanukar, N., Raut, R., and Bhat, A. 2004. Distribution, endemism and threat status of freshwater fishes in the Western Ghats of India. Journal of Biogeography 31, 123–136 Easa, P. S. and Shaji, C. P. 1997. Freshwater fish diversity in Kerala part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Current Science 73: 180-182. Gadgil, M. 1982. Conservation of India's living resources through biosphere reserves. Current Science 51:547-550. Gadgil, M. and V.M. Meher-Homji. 1986. Localities of great significance to conservation of India's biological diversity. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Animal Sciences/Plant Sciences) Supplement (November 1986): 165-180. Hockings, P. (ed.) 1989. Blue Mountains: The Ethnography and Biogeography of a South Indian Region. Oxford University Press, New Delhi. Manilal, K.S. 1988. Flora of Silent Valley tropical rainforests of India. The Mathrubhumi (MM) Press, Calicut. 398 pp. Manilal, K.S., Kandya, A.K. and Sabu, T. 1988. Phytosociological studies on the Silent Valley Forests, Kerala. Journal of Tropical Forests 4: 362-379. Manoharan, T.M., Biju, S.D., Nayar, T.S. and Easa, P.S. (eds.). 1999. Silent valley: whispers of reason. Kerala Forest Department. Mathew, G. 1990. Studies on the lepidopteran fauna of Silent Valley. In: Ecological studies and long-term monitoring of biological processes in Silent Valley National Park. Kerala Forest Research Institute Research Report. Pp. 13-53. Mathew, G. and Rahamathulla, V. K. 1993. Studies on the butterflies of Silent Valley National Park . Entomon 18: 185-192.

50

Meher–Homji, V. M. 1984. Udhagamandalam (Ootacamund): A biogeographic perspective; Indian Geography Journal 59: 205–213 Pascal, J. P. 1988. Wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India: ecology, structure, floristic composition and succession. Institut Français de Pondichéry, Pondicherry, India. Prabhakar, R. 1994. Resource use, culture and ecological change: a case study of the Nilgiri hills of southern India. Ph.D. thesis. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Prabhakar, R. and J-P. Pascal. 1994. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Area: Vegetation and Land Use. Published in four sheets. Scale 1:100,000. Pondicherry: French Institute and Centre for Ecological Sciences, Bangalore. Rajagopalan, G., Sukumar, R., Ramesh, R., Pant, R. K., and Rajagopalan, G. 1997. Late Quaternary vegetational and climatic changes from tropical peats in southern India – An extended record up to 40,000 years BP. Current Science 73: 60–63. Rodgers, W. A., Panwar, H. S., and Mathur, V. B. 2002. Wildlife protected area network in India: A review. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Singh, J.S., Singh, S.P., Saxena, A.K. and Rawat, Y.S. 1984. India's Silent Valley and its threatened rainforest ecosystems. Environmental Conservation 11: 223-233. Sukumar, R. and C. Santiapillai. 1996. Elephas maximus: status and distribution. Pages 327331 in J. Shoshani and P. Tassy (eds.) The Proboscidea: the evolution and paleoecology of elephants and their relatives. Oxford University Press, New York. Unnikrishnan, P.N. 1989. Silent Valley National Park Management Plan 1990-91 to 1999-2000. Silent Valley National Park Division, Mannarghat. 83 pp. Wikramanayake, E.D., E. Dinerstein, J.G. Robinson, U. Karanth, A. Rabinowitz, D. Olson, T. Mathew, P. Hedao, M. Conner, G. Hemley, and D. Bolze. 1998. An ecology-based method for defining priorities for large mammal conservation: the tiger as case study. Conservation Biology 12:865-878.

51

3.2.5 Talacauvery

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

52

Names

Ms. Ayesha E Prasad Dr. TR Shankar Raman

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

Name of Property Western Ghats—Talacauvery Sub-Cluster (with Six Site Elements)

State, Province or Region Comprising Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Padinalknad Reserved Forest and Kerti Reserved Forest in Karnataka state, and Aralam Reserved Forest in Kerala.

Latitude and Longitude, or UTM coordinates Site element

Name

Latitude

Longitude

Area

025

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

12° 29’ to 12° 42’ N

75° 38’ to 75° 42’ E

102.59 km2

026

Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

11° 55’ to 12° 09’ N

75° 44’ to 76° 04’ E

181.29 km2

027

Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

12° 17’ to 12° 27’ N

75° 26’ to 75° 33’ E

105.0 km2

028

Padinalknad Reserved Forest

12° 05’ to 12° 19’ N

75° 25’ to 75° 40’ E

184.76 km2

029

Kerti Reserved Forest

12° 04’ to 12° 11’ N

75° 40’ to 75° 48’ E

79.04 km2

030

Aralam WLS

75° 47’ to 79°56’ N

11°58’ to 11°53’ E

55.00 km2

Description All site elements in the Talacauvery region are situated in Karnataka state except the Aralam Reserved Forest (RF) in Kerala state. Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (92.65 km²) has dense evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation, with shola-grassland in areas of higher elevation. The steep terrain of the Sanctuary has resulted in scenic waterfalls along its many mountain streams. Altitude varies from 160 to 1,712 m, the highest point being the Pushpagiri Peak in the north of the park. Temperatures range from 10-38°C, with annual rainfall exceeding 6,500 mm. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (181.29 km²) also consists of evergreen and semievergreen forests in the lower-lying areas with shola-grassland habitat in the higher altitudes. The eastern tip of the Sanctuary is adjacent to the north-western boundary of Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park, separated by a narrow strip of coffee plantations. The highest point in the Sanctuary is the Brahmagiri Peak on the south-eastern boundary, while elevation varies between 65 m and 1,607 m. Temperatures range from 5°-32° C, and mean annual rainfall varies from 2,500 mm to 6,000 mm. Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (105.01 km²) is located in the Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka. Its forests are predominated by tropical evergreen forests. It is named after Talacauvery the origin of the Cauvery river which lies on the eastern edge of the Sanctuary. Altitudinal and temperature ranges are 64-1,659 m and 10°-35° C, respectively. Annual rainfall is above 6,500mm. The areas between Talacauvery and Pushpagiri sanctuaries have been excluded from the proposed area mainly due to the fragmentation and habitat degradation caused by the Mangalore-Madikeri road. There is no natural forest cover for about 2 km on either side of this road. There are some teak and rubber plantations near the road.

53

Site Elements in the Talacauvery Sub-Cluster

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)

(x) 9

The nominated sites have outstanding universal value by virtue their exceptional biological diversity and endemism. This area has approximately 500 km² of low to mid elevation tropical evergreen forests, shola-grassland ecosystems, and has a unique floristic composition since it falls in the transition zone of the Mesua ferrea-Palaquium ellipticum-Cullenia exarillata and Dipterocarpus indicus-Kingiodendron pinnatum-Humboldtia brunonis forest types. Species such as Hopea jacobi and H. canarensis are strictly confined to this region alone. The Brahmagiri-Pushpagiri area of the Talacauvery region has a total of 34-35 mammal species of which 14 are in the IUCN Red List threatened categories (including the lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus and the Nilgiri langur Trachypithecus johnii) and six are endemic to India. It is one of the few areas in the Western Ghats where all of the primates of southern India are found in sympatry although the area currently receives no official

54

protection. The southern part of this region is a conspicuous ecotone in the Western Ghats because it is at the southern-most range of forests dominated by Cullenia exarillata, and the southern limit of the lion-tailed macaque’s range is in this ecotone. Two species of flying squirrel, one of them (the small Travancore flying squirrel Petinomys fuscocapillus), a very poorly understood species, found only in the Western Ghats make their home in the Brahmagiri forests. The presence of the latter in these forests increases their conservation value.

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity The Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary was declared on 13th June th 1994. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary was established on 5 June 1974. The Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a th Wildlife Sanctuary on 13 June 1994. Padinalknad Reserved Forest and Kerti Reserved Forest th th were designated on the 15 June 1996 and the 15 August 1998, respectively. Aralam was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1984. Part of the Western Ghats matrix, the Talacauvery cluster is an area of varying vegetation types including evergreen rainforest, semi-evergreen and shola forest interspersed with grassland. It is comprised of the nominated Sanctuaries and Reserved Forests which form a well-connected, if not contiguous patch of prime wildlife habitat. However, the region is surrounded by plantations of coffee, cinnamon and other crops and other crops. In 2003 the State government moved to add to the region other catchment areas of the Cauvery river. The Karnataka Government has chalked out a plan for the conservation of the catchment areas of the Cauvery River by declaring the forests here as wildlife sanctuaries. It was estimated that about 810 km² of forests, which form part of the Cauvery catchment area, will be included in Brahmagiri, Pushpagiri and Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries. Subsequently, these sanctuaries were to come under a national park, paving way for stricter enforcement. This has not yet come been declared. The move has been prompted after a recent study that showed a sharp decrease in water inflows into the Krishnaraja Sagar dam over the last decade. The average inflow was 186.78 tmcft in 1990-95, as against 119.65 tmcft during 19962000. While a shift in the rainfall pattern is said to be one of the reasons for this, other serious reasons include encroachment, exploitation of the forest wealth, human interference, timber-logging, deforestation and land degradation. Other potential threats in the region include proposed hydroelectric project above the Iruppu falls, encroachers clearing patches for marijuana plantations, poaching of elephants and poaching by plantation staff. Based on a field visit to this area, it was observed that there are high levels of anthropogenic disturbance near the Munrode settlement on the edge of the Talacauvery Sanctuary. There is some grazing pressure at the southern end of Pushpagiri WLS as well as invasion of Eupatorium spp. within the Talacauvery WLS in and around previously clear–felled areas.

55

Bibliography IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Karnataka Forest Department. 1996. Management plan for Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary: 2005-2010. Prepared by Wildlife Sub-division, Madikeri. Karnataka Forest Department. 1996. Management plan for Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary: 1996-2006. Prepared by Wildlife Sub-division, Madikeri. Karnataka Forest Department. 1996. Management plan for Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary: 1996-2006. Prepared by Wildlife Sub-division, Madikeri. Lal, R., A. Kothari, P.Pande, and S. Singh. 1994. Directories of National Parks and Sanctuaries in India: Management status and Profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. India. Misra, A. 2001. Working plan of Virajpet Forest Division: 2001-2002 to 2010-2011. Working Plans Division, Karnataka Forest Department, Mysore. Kumara, H.N., and M.Singh. 2004. The influence of differing hunting practices on the relative abundance of mammals in two rainforest areas of the Western Ghats, India. Oryx. 38(3): 321-327. Manjrekar, N. 2003. A walk on the wild side – An information guide to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka. Karnataka Forest Department. Bangalore, India. Pascal, J. P. 1988. Wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India. Institute Francais de Pondicherry. Pondicherry, India.

56

3.2.6 Kudremukh

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

Names

Dr. TR Shankar Raman Ms. Ayesha E Prasad

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

57

Name of Property Western Ghats—Kudremukh Sub-Cluster (with Five Site Elements) State, Province or Region Karnataka State Latitude and Longitude, or UTM coordinates Site element

Name

Latitude

Longitude

Area

031

Kudremukh National Park

13° 01’ to 13°29’ N

75°01’ to 75°25’ E

600.3 km2

032

Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

13°29' to 13°37' N

75°59’ to 75°05’ E

88.4 km2

033

Someshwara Reserved Forest

13° 22’ to 13°30’ N

75°04’ to 75°10’ E

112.9 km2

034

Agumbe Reserved Forest

13°30’ to 13°38’ N

75°02’ to 75°07’ E

57.1 km2

035

Balahalli Reserved Forest

13°27’ to 13°30’ N

75°05’ to 75°10’ E

22.6 km2

Description The Kudremukh National Park, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, and surrounding Reserved Forests of Someshwara, Agumbe and Balahalli of Karnataka state are situated centrally in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot. Kudremukh National Park has one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Western Ghats, encompassing evergreen, semi-evergreen and grasslandshola habitat characteristic of high altitude Western Ghats regions. Altitude varies from 120 to 1,892 m, the highest point being the Kudremukh Peak in the south of the Park. The Park has average temperatures ranging between 17° C and 28° C. Annual rainfall varies from 1,778 mm to 6,350 mm, with an average of 4,000 mm and a maximum recorded rainfall of 10,000 mm in 1994. The topography is mountainous with a central ridge running north-south through the Park. The Park is dotted with crystal-clear streams and picturesque waterfalls. Kudremukh National Park is flanked by coffee and tea estates on the north and east, whereas on the west, the land drops down to the Arabian Sea. In the northwest is a forest corridor that connects the Park with the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary, named after the famous Someshwara Temple located within it, and the adjoining 105.3 km² of Reserved Forest are predominantly evergreen forests, along with semi-evergreen vegetation. These Reserved Forests are in the process of being included within the Sanctuary. Elevation ranges from 75-870 m and the temperature varies between 20° C and 30° C, with an average annual rainfall of 6,000 mm.

58

Site Elements in the Kudremukh Sub-Cluster

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)

(x) 9

The nominated sites have outstanding universal value by virtue their exceptional biological diversity and endemism. Kudremukh is probably one of the largest reserves of high altitude grasslands in the Western Ghats. The region has the single largest population of the endemic and endangered lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus (about 200-300 individuals) north of the Palghat Gap. It is also home to 31 other species of mammals (>0.5 kg in body mass) and is one of the only remaining habitats of other threatened fauna like the critically endangered Malabar civet Viverra civettina and other vulnerable species like the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica and rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus. Studies have revealed that 21 species of amphibians are strictly endemic to the Western Ghats (such as Rana beddomei and R. semipalmata). According to IUCN Red List categories the Kudremukh National Park region has 3 endemic and 7 vulnerable species of amphibians. The conservation of these forests is an integral part of the conservation of the Western Ghats landscape.

59

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity Kudremukh National Park is one of Karnataka’s more recent Parks, notified in 1987, and finally declared a national park on 16 June 2001. The Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary on 12 October 1979. Someshwara Reserved Forest lies within the protected area of the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary. Balahalli and Agumbe Reserved Forests lie within the Agumbe Range of the Shimoga Forest Division. Kudremukh National Park, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and the surrounding nominated Reserved Forests form a contiguous patch of evergreen and semi-evergreen woodland, interspersed with high altitude grassland-shola, replete with the biological diversity and endemism characteristic of the Western Ghats landscape. Although, open-cast iron-ore mining occurred in Kudremukh National Park since the 1960s, a recent Supreme Court of India verdict against mining in the protected area, has ordered the complete closure of mines in the area and restoration of forest habitat. The Park is surrounded by at least 88 villages (population > 280,000 in the 1990s) while another 98 hamlets are located within it. The ethnic composition of these villages is extremely diverse. Besides Bunt, Billava, Vokkaliga, Brahmin and Muslim, the region has a significant population of Malékudiya and Muggera tribals. Villagers in the Kudremukh region cultivate cash crops such as arecanut Areca catechu and rubber Hevea brasiliensis, besides practicing a subsistence cultivation of cereal crops. Many villagers living inside or close to the Park extract non-timber forest produce derived from species such as Myristica malabarica, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Garcinia spp. and Acacia spp. for commercial markets. Local hunting of mammals, large birds and reptiles, both for small-scale commercial as well as subsistence use, occurs throughout the region.

Bibliography Arekal, A. S. 2003. Management plan for Kudremukh National Park: 2003-2013. Prepared by Kudremukh Wildlife Division, Karkala. Arekal, A. S. 2003. Management plan for Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary: 2003-2013. Prepared by Kudremukh Wildlife Division, Karkala. IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. . Downloaded on 13 January 2006. Lal, R., A. Kothari, P.Pande, and S. Singh. 1994. Directories of National Parks and Sanctuaries in India: Management status and Profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. India. Madhusudan, M.D. and K.U. Karanth. 2002. Local hunting and the conservation of large mammals in India. Ambio. 31(1): 49-54.

60

Madhusudan, M.D. 2003. Uneasy neighbours: human resource-use and large mammal conservation in the tropical forests of Karnataka, India. Ph.D. thesis. National Institute of Advanced Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India. Manjrekar, N. 2003. A walk on the wild side – An information guide to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka. Karnataka Forest Department. Bangalore, India.

61

3.2.7 Sahyadri

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

62

Names

Dr. TR Shankar Raman Dr. Aparajita Datta Dr. MD Madhusudan

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

Name of Property Western Ghats—Sahyadri Sub-Cluster (with Four Site Elements)

State, Province or Region The Sahyadri sub-cluster comprises the Kas Plateau, Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandoli National Park and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra State. These are distributed within the districts of Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur of Maharashtra.

Latitude and Longitude, or UTM Coordinates 0 0 Sahyadri region: 16° 10' to 17°43' N and 73 03’ to 74 5' E (1,026.22 km²)

Site element

Name

Latitude

Longitude

036 037 038 039

Kas Plateau Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary Chandoli National Park Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

17°43' N 17°23' to 17°44' N 17° 03' to 17°17’ N 16° 10' to 16° 30' N

73° 48' E 73° 34' to 73° 51' E 73° 03' to 73° 41' E 73° 52' to 74° 5' E

Area

11.42 km2 423.55 km2 308.90 km2 282.35 km2

Description The Western Ghats of Maharashtra, locally known as Sahyadri lie roughly between 15° 60' and 20° 75' N and between 72° 60' and 74° 40' E, covering about 52,000 km² area from Daman to Terekhol creek. The hills vary in height from 20 m to 2,000 m. As part of the Deccan Plate, this region has Gondwanaland origins. The Sahyadri sub-cluster includes the middle and upper elevation biomes of the northern Western Ghats, contain geologically and biologically unique formations. The windward western slopes of the region receive more than 2,500 mm of rainfall annually, particularly during south-west monsoon (June-September). Three large rivers, the Godavari, Koyna and Krishna carry the rainfall from the monsoon rains eastward into the drier Deccan Plateau. The mountain range ascends abruptly on the western side from near sea level to the crest line and descends more gradually to 500 m on the Deccan plateau. The deeply dissected terrain produces localized variations in rainfall and habitat types and creates Hotspots of endemism by limiting species distribution. The presence of numerous barren rocky lateritic plateaus locally called sadas is the unique feature of the Sahyadri. These plateaus possess very characteristic herbaceous ephemeral vegetation. The Kas Plateau is one of the important sadas located in Satara district, at an elevation of around 1,213 m. The rainfall received is between 2,000 and 2,500 mm annually. Of the total area of 1,792 hectares under the Kas plateau, 1,142 hectares is recorded as Government Forest. To the west and south of the Kas plateau, lies the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary spanning an altitudinal range of 600 m to 1, 100 m. The rivers Koyna, Kandati and Solashi, originating in the Western Ghats, span the sanctuary. It forms and protects the catchment of river Koyna and the reservoir Shiv Sagar formed by the dam on it. To the south lies, Chandoli National

63

Park (earlier a Wildlife Sanctuary declared in 1985) located at the junction area of four districts, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara and Ratnagiri of Western Maharashtra. It spreads along the crest of the Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats and lies between Koyna and Radhanagari Sanctuary. It forms and protects many perennial water channels, water holes and the Vasant Sagar reservoir. The altitude of national park ranges from 589 m to 1,044 m. The Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary, the first wildlife sanctuary of Maharashtra, was notified in 1958. It lies at the southern end of the Sahyadri sub-cluster and is popularly known as ‘Bison Sanctuary as the ‘Indian Bison’ or gaur (Bos gaurus) is the flagship species of the area. It consists of the catchment area of the two major reservoirs namely Rajarshi Shahu Sagar and Laxmi Sagar in Radhanagari Taluka of Kolhapur district. Bhogavati, Dudhganga, Tulshi, Kallamma and Dirba are among some of main rivers those flows through the sanctuary area, which drain out into the River Krishna, a major river of the Deccan Peninsula. Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary contains some of the tropical evergreen forests typical of the northern Western Ghats.

Site Elements in the Sahyadri Sub-Cluster

64

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)9

(viii)9

(ix)

(x) 9

The Sahyadri, a distinctive sub-region within the Western Ghats contains remarkable features that represent the entire range of geological and biological features of the Western Ghats. Spectacularly beautiful and geologically unique flat-topped mountains, with horizontal platform-like striations and rocky lateritic plateaus punctuated by striking gorges, occur in this region distributed over an underlying geology originating from the great Deccan Trap volcanic epidode of 65 Mya. High, flat mountain tops, tablelands, valleys, peaks and spurs of the Sahyadri provide unique habitats for the growth of various kinds of plant species and plant communities, many of which are restricted to the northern reaches of the Western Ghats (Cooke 1967, Jagtap 1997). A significant part of the diversity occurs within the major forest types of this subcluster including western tropical hill forests, west coast semi-evergreen forests and southern moist deciduous forests. The tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Sahyadri represent the northern limit for many evergreen and endemic trees, including species such as Myristica malabarica and Diospyros sylvatica. The Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary contains relatively undisturbed evergreen formations in the higher reaches and along several valleys with minimal likelihood of adverse anthropogenic influence in the future. The presence of the large trees of species such as Harpulia arborea, Scolopia crenata and Turpinia malabarica and the endangered Mappia foetida has been recorded in the sanctuary. The moist forests extend along the rivers into the dry forest tracts and act as riparian corridors for many mammals, birds and reptiles that are typically found in the moist forests of southern Western Ghats. Tracts of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest characterized by high diversity also occur in the Chandoli National Park and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Salunkhe and Khot 2002, Salunkhe and Sardesai 2002). Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary possesses luxuriant tropical rainforest vegetation comprising over 1,500 flowering plant species (Yadav and Sardesai 2002). In western side of the Sanctuary the dense evergreen forest or rainforest forms climax vegetation locally known as dangs or rai. The eastern parts have semi-evergreen to moist mixed deciduous forests. One of the characteristic features of this region is the lateritic flat-topped upland plateaus or tablelands, locally known as sadas. The Kas Plateau is among some of the important sadas of Sahyadri sub-cluster. These plateaus possess very characteristic herbaceous ephemeral vegetation. More than 850 species of flowering plants have been reported from Kas region. Of these, 39 species find mention in the Red Data Book as endangered, forming approximately 6% of the total Red Data species (S.B. Limaye in litt, 2004). Herbaceous flora of the plateau includes more than 300 species of grasses, besides many Impatiens, Utricularia, Eriocaulon, ground orchids, Smithia, Dipcadies, Senecio, Rotala, Disophylla and Strobilanthes species. The ephemerals, herbs, bulbous, tuberous plants and orchids present a panorama of colours during the monsoon months on the Kas Plateau. The Kas plateau appears to change in colour every 10-20 days as the monsoon progresses with the

65

yellows of Senecio and Smithia species, blues of Utricularia species, rosy pinks of Impatiens species, whites of Eriocaulon and Habaneria species and the purple colours of Strobilanthes species (Bachulkar 1996). The panorama of colours by wild flowers makes it a ‘plateau of flowers’ between AugustSeptember. Many rare endemic endangered plants like Ceropegias, Seshagiria, Arisaemas, Decaschistia, Trithuria and Dipcadi species also grow here. Recent studies on the rocky outcrops on such plateaus reveal that these sadas support such natural herbaceous vegetation, which is complex and adapted to survive in adverse conditions. Cynobacterial crust, lichens, desiccation-tolerant ferns and varied mosses also occur abundantly on the rocky outcrops (Watve 2003, Porembskrkii and Watve 2003). Such rocky outcrops need to be given due emphasis to ensure representation of this unique ecosystem of the northern Western Ghats. As the Kas plateau abounds in such myriad flora and presents an outstanding example of this formation and vegetation, it merits consideration for nomination within the Sahyadri region. The Sahyadri sub-cluster harbours almost 90 mammal species, including two endemic species, the critically endangered and possibly extinct Malabar civet and Wroughton’s freetailed bat. Other threatened species in the region include the tiger Panthera tigris, gaur Bos gaurus, sloth bear Melursus ursinus and Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica. More than 325 bird species are known to inhabit the region (Rawat et al. 2001), and two of the sites (Koyna and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuaries) are recognized as Important Bird Areas (Islam and Rahmani 2004). Plant species like Canarium strictum, Elaeocarpus tectorius, mammals like sloth bear, tiger and dhole are some of the endangered species in this region (Ghate 1993). Within Radhanagari, areas such as Patachadang contain excellent tracts of tropical wet evergreen forests, the favourite haunts of the Indian giant squirrel, great and Malabar grey hornbills (Salunkhe and Sardesai 2002). The Sahyadris are home to more than 2,000 sacred groves. These are locally known as Devrais. These are tracts of vegetation left undisturbed with many groves having local deities worshipped by the local populace. The sacred groves are a biological heritage, conserved largely as a cultural and religious tradition. These groves generally represent climax vegetation and their species diversity is often greater than the surrounding forest areas and includes many endangered and rare plants (Deshmukh 1999).

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity The selected sites in the Sahyadri sub-cluster represent sites with the best representative protected remnants of the characteristic geological and biological features of the northern Western Ghats as well as being areas with the highest long-term potential. The values of these sites, especially for conservation, have been long recognized. The Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary area has had a long history of conservation efforts. In 1950, this area was set aside 66

as a Game Reserve by the then Maharaja of Kolhapur State. The area spreading over 19.16 km² was notified as Dajipur Bison Sanctuary in the year 1958, becoming the first sanctuary in Maharashtra. In the year 1985, an area of 351.16 km² was further notified as Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (including the earlier area). To the north, the Koyna and Chandoli Wildlife Sanctuaries were notified in 1985, coming under the management of the Conservator of Forests of Kolhapur district. Prior to this, the Chandoli area, being distributed over four districts was under separate management control in those districts. The appreciation of the biological wealth led to the recent notification of the Chandoli Wildlife Sanctuary as a National Park, in May 2004. With these steps, concurrent efforts were made to ecologically consolidate the area and minimize the disturbances associated with human settlements. This was done partly through a process of relocation of villages lying within the protected area boundaries. Of the 50 villages in the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, for instance, 17 were relocated prior to submergence due to the dam and 12 are now under the process of being rehabilitated (Prakash and Naik 2003). In Chandoli, the relocation of 32 villages from within the protected area for the twin reasons of dam construction and consolidation of sanctuary precincts has resulted in a habitat conducive for protection and conservation (Salunkhe and Khot 2002). The protected area originally had 32 villages with a human population of more than 7,000 people occupying 84.29 km² of land, with an accompanying high cattle population and resultant biotic pressures. Eight villages with 4,500 people were rehabilitated out of sanctuary area by the irrigation department when the Chandoli dam was built. During 1997-99, out of the remaining 24 villages, 20 villages were shifted out, and relocation of other settlements is in progress. The protection accorded to all the site elements for their biological diversity values, the management plans prepared for the effective management of these protected areas, and the ongoing and increasing amounts of biological and ecological research pave the way for the proper planning and continuance of conservation efforts. The ongoing process of relocating of villages from within the protected area network have also gone a long way to reduce anthropogenic pressure on the areas. At a larger landscape level, forest connectivity between Koyna and Chandoli exists at the southern boundary of Koyna and, in a more limited manner, through a string of partly degraded forest buffer areas with Radhanagari in the south. Taken together, the forests and sadas in the four site elements represent the best examples of these unique ecosystems of the northern Western Ghats.

Bibliography Bachulkar, M. P. 1996. Floristic studies of Vasota and its surroundings. Ph.D Thesis, Shivaji University, Kolhapur. Cooke, T. 1967. The flora of the Presidency of Bombay. Botanical Survey of India. Volumes I, II, and III. Deshmukh. S. 1999. Conservation and development of sacred groves in Maharashtra. Unpublished report for Maharashtra Forest Department. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai.

67

Ghate, U. 1993. Biodiversity hotspots conservation programme: Western Ghats of Maharashtra—basis for proposals. RANWA, Pune. Gole, P. 1998. The Sahyadri Special. Journal of Ecological Society 11: 1-47. Islam, M. Z., and Rahmani, A. R. 2004. Important bird areas in India: priority sites for conservation. Indian Bird Conservation Network: Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International, Mumbai. Jagtap, A. P. 1997. Biodiversity of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra—current knowledge. World Wide Fund for Nature-India, BHCP, Pune. Porembskrkii, S., and Watve, A. 2003. Rock outcrops in India, hitherto neglected ecosystem. Submitted to National Biodiversity Strategy and Action plan. Prakash, G. S., and Naik, M. V. 2003. Management plan for management of Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary: 2003-04 to 2012-2013. Maharashtra Forest Department, Kolhapur. Rawat, G. S., Desai, A., Somanathan, H., and Wikramanayake, E. D. 2001. Terrestrial Ecoregions—north Western Ghats montane rain forests, WWF-India, New Delhi. Salunkhe, A. R., and Khot, A. B. 2002. Management plan for management of Chandoli Wildlife Sanctuary: 2001-02 to 2010-2011. Maharashtra Forest Department, Kolhapur. Salunkhe, A. R. and Sardesai, S. D. 2002. Management Plan for management of Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary: 2001-02 to 2010-2011. Maharashtra Forest Department, Kolhapur. Watve, A. 2003. Vegetation on rock outcrops in northern Western Ghats and Konkan region of Maharashtra. Geobios 30: 41-46. Yadav, S. R., and Sardesai, M. M. 2002. Flora of Kolhapur district. Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

68

3.3 WESTERN GHATS: SITE ELEMENTS Site element 001 Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve The Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) lies in the region of the Agasthyamalai or Ashambu hills at the southern end of the Western Ghats. It occupies an area of 895 km² between 8°25’ and 8°53’ N, and between 77°10’ and 77°35’ E and is contiguous with a number of other wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests in the adjoining state of Kerala, forming a stretch of over 2,000 km² of forest habitat. It was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 1988−89 combining the pre-existing Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary (567 km², constituted in 1962) and Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary (250 km², constituted in 1976) in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu State. In addition, parts of Veerapuli and Kelamalai Reserve Forests of Kanyakumari district were added in 1996. Of the total area of 895 km² today, 538 km² is in the core zone, 324 km² in the buffer zone and 35 km² in a tourism zone (Mundanthurai and Thalayanai). The reserve adjoins the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in Kerala notified on 12th November 2001 under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme. The ABR, covering 1701 km², includes the forest tracts of Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife sanctuaries and the Achencoil, Thenmala, Konni, Punalur, Agasthyavanam Special Division and Thiruvananthapuram Divisions. The terrain in KMTR is largely mountainous and ranges between 50 m and 1,700 m, with the highest peak in the region, Agasthyamalai (1,865 m), lying just outside the boundary in Kerala state. The mean monthly daytime temperature ranges between 19° C in January and 24° C in April–May (at Sengaltheri, 1,040 m, range 15°–31° C). The region experiences three main seasons: (a) dry season (February to May), (b) southwest or summer monsoon (June to September) and (c) northeast or winter monsoon (October to January). KMTR receives over half its annual precipitation during the northeast monsoon. The western reaches and mid elevation areas receive between 2,000 to 3,500 mm of rainfall annually and contain moist forest formations, while the eastern foothills receive less than 1,200 mm and contain dry deciduous and thorn forest formations. The rainfall from the two monsoons coupled with pre-monsoon rains in April-May contributes to a very short dry season of 2-3 months in the region. The reserve is drained by important rivers such as the Tambiraparani, Manimuthar and Ramanadi, providing life-support for millions in the adjoining dry plains. The reserve contains one of the most significant areas for conservation of biological diversity in the Western Ghats. Much of this diversity and a majority of the endemic species, are found in the tropical wet evergreen forest or rainforest that occurs chiefly above 500 m. This reserve along with adjoining areas has one of the largest remaining contiguous tracts (over 400 km²) of relatively undisturbed tropical rainforest in the Western Ghats. The tropical rainforest areas in KMTR lie within the reserve’s core zone. The rainforest vegetation in KMTR has been classified mid elevation tropical wet evergreen rainforest of the Cullenia exarillata-Mesua ferrea-Palaquium ellipticum type which has about 43% plant endemism. At elevations below around 700 m, the evergreen forest is characterised by dipterocarp elements with species such as Dipterocarpus bourdillonii and D. indicus, both species mostly confined to this region in the Western Ghats. At elevations above around 1,500 m, the montane rainforest vegetation is characterised by species such as Schefflera sp., Meliosma arnottiana and Gordonia obtusa. KMTR is believed to contain at least 2,000 (or 69

over 50%) of the plant species found in the Western Ghats, a significant part of which occurs in the wet evergreen rainforests. Floristically the vegetation is unique, containing around 150 localized plant endemics. KMTR boasts of the occurrence of at least 33 fish, 37 amphibian, 81 reptile, 278 bird and 76 mammal species. The herpetofauna includes the recently rediscovered rainforest lizard Calotes andamanensis and the microhylid frog Melanobatrachus indicus and is described in two recent studies from the area. Of the non-volant mammals, 8 species endemic to the Western Ghats occur here including endangered species such as the Nilgiri langur Trachypithecus johnii, Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius, Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi and the lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus, a flagship species for the reserve. Carnivores of the region include the tiger Panthera tigris, leopard P. pardus, dhole Cuon alpinus and sloth bear Melursus ursinus. Additionally, at least eight species of small carnivores occur in the rainforests. Other mammals include the Asian elephant Elephas maximus, gaur Bos gaurus, sambar Cervus unicolor, mouse deer Moschiola meminna, bonnet macaque M. radiata, Malabar giant squirrel Ratufa indica, large brown flying squirrel Petaurista philippensis, seven other species of rodents and three species of shrews and at least 17 bat species. Although the reserve contains some Kani tribal settlements, few scattered enclaves and past plantation and logged areas, most of the area remains free from disturbances and retains one of the best-preserved biologically rich tracts of forest in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot.

Site element 002 Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary The Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary was established through notifications issued in August 1983 and 1984 as a part of the Kulathupuzha Reserved Forest (Thenmala Forest Division) in Pathanapuram taluk, of Kollam district in Kerala State. The protected area occupies 171 km² between 8°44’ and 9°14’ N and between 76°59’ and 77°16’ E, lying on the western aspect of the Agasthyamalai-Ashambu hill range. The altitude ranges between 100 m and 1,550 m (Alwarkurichi peak) in the sanctuary and temperature varies between 17° C and 35°C. The sanctuary encompasses the Shendurney valley and the catchments of the Kallada irrigation project on the Kallada river upstream of the Parappar dam. The drainage comprises the major rivers Shendurney, Kazhuthuruthy and Kulathupuzha, which together join to form the Kallada river and major tributaries such as the Parappar, Uruliar, Pasmankandamthodu, Aruviar and Umayar. The sanctuary forms part of a contiguous forest tract of over 2,000 km² distributed as Reserved Forests and Wildlife Sanctuaries in the Agasthyamalai region. It receives an annual rainfall of around 2,500 to 5,000 mm and has a short dry season (< 3 months). Shendurney is named after the highly localized endemic tree species Gluta travancorica, locally known as Chenkurinji, typical to lower elevation (50 birds/km²) are among the highest reported from India or other Asian tropical rainforests. Karian Shola has also been a major centre for training and education due to its proximity to the tourist centre of Topslip. A number of scientific research studies on rainforest ecology and conservation and training programmes for all levels of Forest Department staff from around India have been conducted here. Tourist visits are highly restricted to a small area near Topslip. A single Kadar tribal

78

settlement (Erumaparai) with minimal impact exists outside the National Park boundary near Topslip.

Site element 017 Mankulam Range The Mankulam range came into existence from erstwhile revenue land comprising the entire revenue village of Kannan Devan Hills in Devicolam Taluk of then Kottayam district was leased during 1877 for tea cultivation. The former Government of Travancore later assumed the right, title and interest of the lesser. A large extent of the land was not converted to plantations; hence it was vested in Government of Kerala through the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption of Lands) Act in 1971. The resumed land (Survey Nos. 75 and 77 in Block B, Part) commonly known as Mankulam area was ordered to be preserved as forest as per the directions of the Land Board of Kerala and the Expert Committee appointed for the purpose of advising the Government on the utilization of the resumed land in March 1974. The District Collector, Idukki handed over 9,005.72 ha of the resumed area at Mankulam to Forest Department for protection in April 1980. The Mankulam Special Division was formed for the protection and management of this area in April 1980 with the headquarters located at Adimali. The tract lies between 10°0' and 10°10' N and between 76°50' and 77°0' E. The extent of Mankulam Special Division is 9,005.82 ha including 11 tribal settlements comprising 381.70 ha. The site lies to the south of the Munnar range and Eravikulam National Park and comprises of two ranges namely, Mankulam and Anakulam. The altitude varies between 340 metres and 1,740 metres. The highest peak in the area is Parvathi mala situated in Mankulam Range (1,740 m). The elevation gradually drops from east to west. Ethashola, Karinthiri and Menachery are the perennial rivers draining from Mankulam. Mankulam area is the origin of several rivers like Menachery, Karinthiri and Ethashola, which feed into the Edamalayar and thence into the Periyar. The temperature varies between 5°C and 30° C and the site receives rains from the southwest and northeast monsoons with an average annual rainfall of 2,500 mm to 3,000 mm. A major portion (c. 52 km²) of the forests of this Division comprises of tropical wet evergreen forests with species such as Canarium strictum, Mesua ferrea, Palaquium ellipticum, Cullenia exarillata, Vateria indica and Dysoxylum malabaricum. An additional 28 km² area contains semi-evergreen forests with species such as Hopea parviflora, Mesua ferrea, Solenocarpus indicus, Schleichera oleosa, Olea dioica, Dillenia pentagyna and Macaranga peltata. The region is biologically rich and in the context of the larger landscape offers crucial connectivity for wide-ranging species that also use the surrounding protected areas and Reserved Forests. There are around 1,900 tribals living in the 11 settlements, cultivating cardamom, pepper, areca nut, tapioca, ginger, ragi and seasonal vegetables. They are also engaged in reed collection, forestry operations and collection of forest produce. The land at Mankulam excluding the 2,100 ha an either side of Menachery river, is preserved as forest and is currently under consideration for formal declaration as a Reserved Forest.

Site element 018 Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the rain shadow region of the Anamalai hills in the Western Ghats. It occupies an area of 90.44 km² between 77°6' and 77°16' E and between 79

10°15' and 10°21’ N in the Anjanad valley of Idukki District. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1984. It was formerly known as Chinnar Reserved Forest in Marayoor Range of Munnar Division. It occupies a key position forming additional connectivity between the protected areas in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the Anamalai region. This area is important because it has a representation of at least 11 types and sub-types of vegetation and because it occupies an important position in the larger conservation landscape. Being on the eastern side, the temperature ranges between 18°C to 25°C and the annual rainfall is scant averaging around 1,000 mm, although it ranges between 600 and 3,000 mm in different parts of the sanctuary. The altitude ranges from 500 to 2,400 m. Major peaks in the Sanctuary are Kottakombumalai (2,144 m), Vellaikalmalai (1,863 m) and Viriyoottu malai (1,845m). The sanctuary is covered by predominantly dry vegetation types such as tropical dry thorn with xerophytic species and dry deciduous forest. This is characterized by species such as Chloroxylum swietenia, Anogeissus latifolia, Strychnos potatorum and Ixora arborea. It has the second largest population of the endangered grizzled giant squirrel Ratufa macroura in India. Other important mammals include the tiger, Asian elephant, slender loris Loris tardigradus and gaur. A diverse avifauna, including one vulnerable (yellow-throated bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus), one near-threatened, at least three endemics and many biome-restricted species, have contributed to the identification of this area as an Important Bird Area. The sanctuary is home to tribal Mudhuva and Malappulaya tribals, traditionally settled in ten settlements and practicing subsistence agriculture and lemon grass cultivation. This has contributed to some degradation of the forests and incidence of fires in the area. A few ancient dolmens and caves with cave paintings are also found in the region.

Site element 019 Mannavan Shola Another key element for conservation in the Anamalai landscape is the Mannavan Shola reserve. This tract of montane evergreen forest or shola, with surrounding grassland, occurs within the Munnar division in Kerala State. The Munnar division, spanning 740.59 km², includes five ranges, namely Munnar, Adimali, Marayoor, Devicolam and Neriyamangalam. The Mannavan shola site occurs in the 94.7 km² Marayoor range and includes the shola reserve area of 518 ha mentioned in the working plan. The site falls within Reserved Forest and is owned and administered by the State Forest Department. The shola forest is rich in the native species, including many endemics. Major tree species include Actinodaphne hookeri, Alseodaphne semecarpifolia, Machilus spp., Myristica spp., Dimocarpus longan, with an undergrowth of species such as Arundinaria wightiana, Ochlandra travancorica, Teinostachyum beddomei and Strobilanthes spp. This forest type is similar to that found in the recently established Pambadum Shola National Park, as well as other sites such as the Idivara and Pullardi shola reserves. Some exotic wattle (chiefly Acacia mearnsii) plantations were also raised in the Mannavan shola area and this is currently being considered for removal and ecological restoration. The site also has endemic faunal elements including bird species such as the black-and-orange flycatcher Ficedula nigrorufa and mammals such as the Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi. In the context of the wider landscape, the addition of this shola complements the selected sites and satellite core areas of the Grass Hills, Eravikulam and

80

other three recently notified National Parks which protect excellent patches of the unique shola-grassland ecosystem.

Site element 020 Silent Valley National Park Silent Valley largely consists of mid elevation (800-1200 m) evergreen forests flanked to the north and east by the high ridges of the Nilgiri Mountains, and to the south and west by a low, irregular ridgeline. Most streams and rivulets flowing through the park drain into the west-flowing Kunthipuzha, which flows some 15 km through the park. The park is some 89 km² and contiguous with the proposed Karimpuzha National Park (225 km²). The dominant vegetation types are the tropical evergreen forest and subtropical hill forest, shola and grasslands that are found at the higher elevations to the northeast of the park. The angiosperm flora comprises 966 species belonging to 134 families and 559 genera. Dicotyledons total 701 species distributed among 113 families and 420 genera, and monocotyledons consist of 265 species within 21 families and 139 genera. Families best represented are the Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Asteraceae. Some 26 species of mammals, excluding bats, rodents and insectivores, have been recorded. Notable species include Nilgiri langur Trachypithecus johnii, lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus, tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, Jerdon's palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, wild dog Cuon alpinus, Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi, Asian elephant Elephas maximus, gaur Bos gaurus and Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius, some of which are endemic to the western Ghats. The Nilgiri region is also an important region for the conservation of the flagship endangered and endemic mammal species, the lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus and the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius. In addition, it is also an important area for the conservation of other mammalian endemics such as Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsi, Jerdon’s or brown palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni and Nilgiri langur. Among birds, the Silent Valley region and surrounding site-elements as a whole include over 200 species of birds, including significant populations 13 endemics reported from the Western Ghats. Ninety-two species of fish including 2 new species have been recorded from the area. Of these, thirty-seven species are endemic to Western Ghats and 9 strictly endemic to Kerala. Lepidoptera comprise about 100 species of butterflies in 9 families, including 13 Western Ghats endemics and about 400 of moths.

Site element 021 New Amarambalam Reserved Forest and Site element 023 Kalikavu Range Given its wide elevational range (40 – 2500 m) and heavy rainfall, the forest cover in these site-elements is rather high. Although there is not as much authoritative information available on the biodiversity of the New Amarambalam and Kalikavu areas, the contiguity with Silent Valley and a similarity of ecological regimes suggests a significant overlap in their floristic and faunal elements. The bird species richness of this area is believed to be higher than in the adjoining Silent Valley. 12 of the 15 birds regarded as characteristic of this region occur in these forests. Further, the area is extremely rich in certain avifaunal groups, with 11 species of woodpeckers, 11 species of flycatchers, 9 species of babblers and 7 species of bulbuls

81

being reported from this region. These site-elements are particularly important corridors for species such as the Asian elephant, and are a necessary complement to the network of protected areas in the region. This is something that has been recognized under the Nilambur Elephant Reserve declared under the Project Elephant scheme of the Indian Government. However, these areas do have higher levels of anthropogenic activity, ranging from plantations of the forest department to resource-use by resident tribal communities. Settlements of ethnic tribes such as the Cholanayakans, Paniyans and Eranadans are found in New Amarambalam and Kalikavu areas. Of these, the Cholanayakans are regarded as being heavily dependent on the forests for the sustenance (Nilambur South Division – Working Plan, undated). Much more efforts are needed for a comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity values of these large contiguous tracts of forests lying outside protected areas.

Site element 022 Mukurti National Park Mukurti lies on the southwestern edge of the Nilgiri Hills and extends over an area of 78 km². It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1980 and upgraded into a National Park in 1990, mainly to help in the protection of the endangered Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius. Across a landscape where most natural vegetation has been replaced with monoculture plantations of exotic blue gum Eucalyptus spp., pine Pinus spp. and black wattle Acacia mearnsii, Mukurti remains one area that is not badly affected. This is a key grassland habitat in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Its gently undulating terrain is dotted with short-statured shola forests dominated by Rubiaceae, Lauraceae and Symplocaceae. There are many streams that flow in this park, most of which drain into the east flowing Bhavani river. The highest point in the park is the Kolaribetta which stands at 2,630 m. The grasslands and shola of Mukurti have many endemic plant species, and also bear affinities to the alpine pastures of the Himalaya. The area also supports many endemic birds including the Nilgiri wood pigeon, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri laughing thrush, Nilgiri flycatcher and the black-and-orange flycatcher. The flagship species for the park, though, is the Nilgiri tahr. Previously extensive distributions are now more restricted towards the Western Catchment region. Within Mukurti, competing land-uses are today nearly non-existent, although the effects of plantations and dams from the past are still felt on parts of the park. It is today a growing tourist destination and this needs urgent attention. In addition, invasive species such as the Scotch broom grass Cystius scoparius and the unpalatable bracken Pteridium aquilinum pose problems. Fires are also a serious issue and tend facilitate the establishment of invasive and unpalatable species, besides destroying the habitat of obligate grassland species of plants and animals.

Site element 024 Attapadi Reserved Forest Attapadi RF is part of the Mannarkkad Forest Division northwest of the Palghat Gap in Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad District. The tract dealt with lies between 10° 14’ N and 10° 34’ N and 76° 47’ E and 76° 16’ E. Administratively, it is divided into five blocks that lie adjacent to one another and a sixth which is set apart from the rest. The eastern boundary of Silent Valley RF forms the western boundary of the five blocks. River Bhavani flows almost due south along the middle of these blocks and takes sharp turn eastwards (where the

82

Panthanthodu joins it) and flows into the Coimbatore district and joins the Cauvery river. The lowest point is 533 m where River Bhavani leaves the reserved forest areas. The elevation rapidly rises northwards to over 2,225 m on the Nilgiri border. This portion supports rather poor shola formations with grasslands and some deciduous teak forests. Block VI, on the other hand, is an isolated block of 63.9 km², generally undulating with hills and valleys well clothed with vegetation except for large grassy area around Muthikulam in the southeast and the mass of high hills in the south. This is a plateau with elevation varying from 610 m at the exit of River Siruvani to Elival Malai at a height of 2,065 m. The local variation in topography, edaphic and moisture regimes ensure that the forests here are varied, but many parts of this landscape face pressure from human use. Like the other reserved forests adjoining Silent Valley, the Attapadi forests too provide valuable corridor habitat for wide-ranging species. However, no comprehensive assessment of biodiversity values exist for Attapadi—to change this will remain an important conservation priority for this region.

Site element 025 Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (12° 29’ to 12° 42’ N & 75° 38’ to 75° 42’ E), covers and areas of 102.59 km², and is situated in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. The Sanctuary was declared on 13th June 1994. It is characterized by steep terrain with waterfalls along its many mountain streams. Altitude varies from 160 to 1,712 m, the highest point being the Pushpagiri Peak in the north of the park. Temperatures range from 10-38°C, with annual rainfall exceeding 6,500 mm. Pushpagiri has dense evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation, with shola-grassland in areas of higher elevation. The evergreen forests include species such as Dysoxylum malabaricum, Dipterocarpus indicus, Hopea parviflora, Mesua ferrea, Canarium strictum, Sterculia alata, Artocarpus hirsutus, A. integrifolia, Palaquium ellipticum and Hydnocarpus wightiana. The semi-evergreen forests consist of species such as Artocarpus lakoocha, Caralia integrima, Elaeocarpus tuberculatus, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Polyalthia fragrans, etc. The lower storey is dominated by canes, bamboos, Strobilanthes spp., Leea sambuciana and Pandanus factorius. The Sanctuary provides habitat for a wide diversity of faunal species. All four species of primates found in southern India (common/Hanuman langur Semnopithecus entellus, Nilgiri langur Trachypithecus johnii, bonnet macaque Macaca radiata and lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus) occur here, along with a host of other large and small mammal species. These include flagship species such as the Asian elephant Elephas maximus and tiger Panthera tigris, as well as leopard Panthera pardus, dhole Cuon alpinus and small mammals such as civets, flying squirrels, etc. The Sanctuary is one of the last refuges of the endangered Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque. There is some grazing pressure at the southern end of Pushpagiri WLS. In 1996, a 13 km road was being built illegally by local planters through the Sanctuary. This sanctuary, which is considered one of the richest tropical evergreen forests in the state, could have been devastated if the road had indeed been completed, providing access for poaching, smuggling, encroachment and other illegal activities.

83

Site element 026 Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary th This Sanctuary (11° 55’ to 12° 09’ N & 75° 44’ to 76° 04’ E), was established on 5 June 1974 vide Government Order No.AFD.50.FWL.74. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary consists two Reserve Forests—Brahmagiri and Urty. Covering an area of 181.29 km², Brahmagiri is characterized by undulating terrain with several steep valleys and hillocks. The highest point in the Sanctuary is the Brahmagiri Peak on the south-eastern boundary. Elevation varies between 65 m and 1,607 m. The underlying rock is gneiss in origin. The soil is deep loamy with varying depth, from place to place. Several perennial rivers and streams originate from the Sanctuary and drain towards Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. The west flowing rivers are Borapole, Segamanihole, Somahole, Miugorehole and Urtihole. Rivers flowing east include Laxmanthirtha, Ramthirtha and Kabini. Borapole runs towards west bifurcating Urty Reserved Forest and Brahmagiri Reserved Forest. In addition to this each of the sholas have capacity to run numerous perennials streams towards down hillside. The climate is divided in to cold, dry and wet seasons. Cold season sets in the end of November and passes into hot season by middle of February. Coldest season is from mid November to mid January. The dry season runs from March to May and the wet season from June to September. The sanctuary receives rainfall mainly from southwest monsoon. It also receives occasional rains from Northeast Monsoon. The main season is from June to September. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 2,500 mm to 6000 mm. The erosion action of torrential rain can be noticed in open areas with grass, which are the areas susceptible for fire in dry season. Temperatures range from 5°-32° C. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary also consists of evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in the lower-lying areas with shola-grassland habitat in the higher altitudes. The eastern tip of the Sanctuary is adjacent to the north-western boundary of Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park, separated by a narrow strip of coffee plantations. Tree species in the evergreen forests include Artocarpus spp., Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Knema spp., Cedrea toona, Alstonia scholaris, Calophyllum apetalum, Hydonocarpus laurifolia, Xanthoxylum rhetsa, Vitex altissima, etc. There are no bamboos in these evergreen forests, but cane (Calamus spp.) is present in the lower storey. The semi-evergreen forests consist mainly of species of genera such as Terminalia, Diospyros, Holigarna, Ficus, Albizzia, etc. Bamboos are well represented in the semi-evergreen forests of the Sanctuary, with Bambusa spp. being dominant. The sholas are made up of dwarf evergreen trees, stunted due to the strong winds at higher elevations. Sholas are surrounded by grasslands. The Sanctuary is rich in fauna. The variety ranges from small insects and rodents to elephants. At least 30 mammals and about 240 species of birds occur in the Sanctuary. Four primate species, the lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, common langur and bonnet macaque, are of importance in this sanctuary. There are also records of the Nilgiri marten occurring here. Two species of flying squirrel endemic to the Western Ghats make their home in the Brahmagiri forests; one of them, the small Travancore flying squirrel Petinomys fuscocapillus, is a very poorly understood species. Most of the boundary of the sanctuary runs along the adjacent agriculture lands, so the pressure on sanctuary for grazing and collection of minor forest produce is there. Fire is a cause of concern in high altitude grass lands abutting shola forests. Pressure from tourism is moderate. There are no human settlements within the sanctuary.

84

Site element 027 Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, located between 12° 17’ to 12° 27’ N & 75° 26’ to 75° 33’ E, is also located in Karnataka. It derives its name from Talacauvery, the source of the Cauvery st river. The Sanctuary (105.0 km²) was designated as a protected area on the 31 of August, 1987. It is hilly in terrain and is drained by several rivulets. The underlying rock is granitegneiss, with great variation in the composition and depth of soil across the Sanctuary. The year is divided into 3 seasons – cold, dry and wet. Temperatures reach a maximum of around 30°C and average at around 17.8°C. The forests in this Sanctuary harbour well over 300 species of higher plants. The area consists mainly of tropical evergreen forests with species such as Dipterocarpus indicus, Hopea parviflora, Mesua ferrea, Mangifera indica, Canarium strictum, Hydnocarpus whitiana, etc. and mixed deciduous forests with Terminalia paniculata, Tectona grandis, Dalbergia latifolia, Grewia tilaefolia, Terminalia tomentosa, etc. Woody climbers, canes and ferns form the dense understorey. The Sanctuary has fewer mammal species than the neighbouring protected areas. Similar fauna is present here, including elephant, tiger, chital and small mammals. This river is the main source of water for hundreds of square kilo metres and millions of people downstream in Tamil Nadu and southern Karnataka. It is believed to be a sacred river and the source of life for these people. Hence its source in the Talacauvery (Head of the Cauvery) Wildlife Sanctuary attracts a multitude of tourists and pilgrims who come from far and wide to pay tribute to the river at the place of its birth. Thus Talacauvery stands out in the southern Indian landscape as a place of particular religious and cultural significance. A few coffee and cardamom plantations are located within the Sanctuary. There is increased invasion of the exotic weed Eupatorium spp. within the Talacauvery WLS in and around previously clear–felled areas. Both tourists and pilgrims visit the Talacauvery.

Site element 028 Padinalknad Reserved Forest and Site element 029 Kerti Reserved Forest These two site elements are contiguous Reserved Forests (RFs) located in the Virajpet Forest Division in Karnataka. They are similar in climate, topography, fauna and flora. Padinalknad th RF is 184.76 km² and was designated on the 15 June 1996. Kerti RF covers 79.04 km² and th was designated on the 15 August 1998. The area is underlain by rock that is predominantly gneiss in composition with granite as well. Soil composition and depth varies across the region. Fauna and flora in these RFs resemble those in the adjoining protected areas.

Site element 030 Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary Located between 75° 47’ to 79°56’ N & 11°58’ to 11°53’ E, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary is the only site element in the nominated Talacauvery site, located outside Karnataka. This Sanctuary, covering an area of 55.00 km², is the northern most wildlife sanctuary of Kerala, located in the Wynaad Forest Division. The area was notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1984. The elevation varies from 50m to 1145m. The highest peak is Katti Betta, which is 1145m. The temperature at the foothills varies from 21° C to 40°C and at the higher reaches from 8°C to 25°C. The Sanctuary receives an annual rainfall of about 3,000 mm. The wettest part of the

85

year is from June to August (south-west monsoon). There are about 490 ha of teak and eucalyptus plantations within the forest area. The vegetation has both evergreen as well as semi-evergreen forests. In the evergreen areas the following species are found: Vateria indica, Mesua ferrea, Mechilus macrantha, Calophyllum elatum, Cullenia rosayroona, Magnifera indica, Toona cillata, Myristica spp., Euphorbia longana and Strobilanthes. The common trees in the semievergreen areas are Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Hopea parviflora and Laegerstroemia lanceolata. The flora of the Sanctuary includes 23 species of mammals, 188 species of birds, 22 species of reptiles, 16 species of amphibians and 39 species of fishes. The sanctuary’s large mammals include elephant, gaur, tiger, leopard, sambar, chital, muntjac, wild pig, sloth bear, Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaque, common langur, dhole, common otter and the Malabar giant squirrel among others.

Site element 031 Kudremukh National Park The Park is located between 13° 01’ to 13°29’ N & 75°01’ to 75°25’ E, and covers and area of nd 600.32 km². The park was initially notified in G.O.No.AHFF.42.FWG.87, dated 2 September 1987. Final declaration of the national park was issued under Government Order th FEE.270.FWL.99, dated 16 June 2001. The topography is mountainous with a central ridge running north-south through the Park. Altitude varies from 120 to 1,892 m, the highest point being the Kudremukh (horse-face) Peak in the south of the Park. The Park has average temperatures ranging between 17°C and 28°C. Annual rainfall varies from 1,778 mm to 6,350 mm, with an average of 4,000 mm and a maximum recorded rainfall of 10,000 mm in 1994. Three major rivers – Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi – originate in the highlands of this region. Several wet evergreen forests occur within this Park. At elevations above 1,400m, montane grasslands and short-stature shola forests of the Schefflera – Gordonia – Meliosma series occur. At lower elevations, low dipterocarp dominant evergreen forests characterized by the Palaquium – Poeciloneuron – Hopea and the Poeciloneuron – Dipterocarpus – Kingidendron – Humboldtia series are predominant. The large mammal fauna of the Park is unique, with several species not found in the plains of Karnataka. The lion-tailed macaque, Malabar civet, small flying squirrel, rusty spotted cat and possibly the Nilgiri marten occur here. The avifauna includes more than 180 species of birds of which 8 species are endemic to the Western Ghats. About 54 species of reptiles and 34 species of amphibians occur here. The aquatic species richness in this Park is the highest recorded in the Western Ghats. Kudremukh National Park is one of the only remaining habitats of other threatened fauna like the critically endangered Malabar civet Viverra civettina and other vulnerable species like the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica and rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus. The herpetofauna of the Park include highly endangered species like the flying lizard, flying snake, king cobra and shield-tail snakes, Travancore tortoise, forest cane turtle and several endemic frogs. Studies have revealed that 21 species of amphibians are strictly endemic to the Western Ghats (such as Rana beddomei and R. semipalmata). According to IUCN Red List categories the Kudremukh National Park region has 3 endemic and 7 vulnerable species of amphibians. These are well represented in the Kudremukh National Park area. The Park is surrounded by at least 88 villages (population > 280,000 in the 1990s) while another 98 hamlets are located within it. The ethnic composition of these villages is extremely diverse.

86

Besides Bunt, Billava, Vokkaliga, Brahmin and Muslim, the region has a significant population of Malékudiya and Muggera tribals. Villagers in the Kudremukh region cultivate cash crops such as arecanut Areca catechu and rubber Hevea brasiliensis, besides practicing a subsistence cultivation of cereal crops. Many villagers living inside or close to the Park extract non-timber forest produce derived from species such as Myristica malabarica, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Garcinia spp. and Acacia spp. for commercial markets. Local hunting of mammals, large birds and reptiles, both for small-scale commercial as well as subsistence use, occurs throughout the region. Although, open-cast iron-ore mining occurred in Kudremukh National Park since the 1960s, a recent Supreme Court of India verdict against mining in the protected area, has ordered the complete closure of mines in the area and restoration of forest habitat.

Site element 032 Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Site element 033 Someshwara Reserved Forest Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is 88.4 km² in area and is located between 13°29' to 13°37' N & 75°59’ to 75°05’ E. The Sanctuary was notified by the Government of Karnataka vide notification no. AFD.51.FWL.74, dated 05-06-1974 and confirmed vide government notification no.FFD.51.FWL.76, dated : 12-10-1979. The adjoining Someshwara Reserved Forest and the Sanctuary derive their name from the famous Someshwara temple located in the area. Elevation ranges from 75-870 m, and the temperature varies between 20° C and 35° C, with an average annual rainfall of 6,000 mm. The sanctuary covers western slopes of Western Ghats. Terrain is hilly and very undulating. Underlying geological formation is of archaic origin. Ghat forests are principally of gneissic composition, interspersed occasionally by quartzite, mica-schist and granite. Vegetation type and its distribution vary from place to place depending on soil, its depth, elevation and the level of human interference. Hill slopes have rich evergreen and secondary evergreen forests. Poeciloneuron indicum is found gregariously at higher elevations. Semi-evergreen and mixed moist deciduous forests are found in the logged foothills and plains. Degraded forests occur in the heavily logged Mavinakodlu RF and around habitations. There are some plantations of Ailanthus malabarica, teak and Eucalyptus at the foothills and plains. Some plants found here are species of Calophyllum, Artocarpus, Dipterocarpus, Hopea, Lophopetalum, Poeciloneuron, Bischofia, Terminalia, Lagerstroemia, Machilus, Syzygium, Lophopetalum, Mangifera, Vitex, Artocarpus, Hopea, etc. Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a wide range of wild animals generally found in southern India. Gaur, sambar and spotted deer are commonly seen in the early morning or evening hours. The sanctuary is known for the endangered Lion tailed macaque, as well as king cobra, common otter, bamboo turtle and the great Indian hornbill. Muntjac and mouse deer are found generally in the shrub and rarely encountered. Carnivores like leopard, jungle cat, palm civet etc., also occur here. Wild boar, porcupines, common langur, bonnet macaque, Indian hare, etc., are found throughout the sanctuary. Seethanadi, Golihole and some of the other big streams form the aquatic habitat of the sanctuary and contain the rare Mahseer fish. There are not many tourists to this sanctuary. Agriculture is the major occupation in and around the sanctuary. They grow paddy, areca and coconut. Some depend on employment provided by the cashew factories and rice mills.

87

Almost all the villagers rear cattle of local breed and occasionally hybrids. They depend on forests for grazing their cattle. Poaching of animals is rather rare and confined mainly to the fringes of cultivations. There are no encroachments inside the sanctuary.

Site element 034 Agumbe Reserved Forest and Site element 035 Balahalli Reserved Forest These two contiguous Reserved Forests are situated within the Shimoga Forest Division in Karnataka. They are very similar in their climate, soil, flora, fauna and human pressures. Agumbe (13°30’ to 13°38’ N & 75°02’ to 75°07’ E) is 57.09 km² in area and Balahalli (13°27’ to 13°30’ N & 75°05’ to 75°10’ E) is a smaller forest covering only22.63 km². Although they are not protected areas these regions harbour several faunal species found in neighbouring sanctuaries and parks, and together form a larger contiguous landscape within which wildlife may be better conserved. Thus they contribute to the overall conservation value of the site.

Site element 036 Kas Plateau The presence of numerous barren rocky lateritic plateaus locally called Sadas is a unique feature of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, locally known as the Sahyadri. These plateaus possess very characteristic herbaceous ephemeral vegetation. The lateritic plateau of Kas is one of the most important sadas located 30 km to the west of Satara city, the headquarters of the District of the same name. The Kas plateau is at an elevation of around 1,200 m. The rainfall received is between 2,000 to 2,500 mm annually, mostly falling during the southwest monsoon. Of the total area of 1,792 hectares under Kas plateau (location: 17°43'15" N and 73°48'30" E), 1,142 hectares is recorded as Government forest and is included under the nomination. The region could be called the ‘Plateau of Flowers’ of the Sahyadri for its spectacularly beautiful flowering of herbaceous flora with the monsoon rains. The ephemerals, herbs, bulbous, tuberous plants and orchids show the panorama of colours during the monsoon months on the Kas Plateau. The succession of colours as different species dominate the flowering on the plateau of Kas week after week is a spectacular and beautiful phenomenon. Thus the Kas plateau appears to change colour after every 15-20 days as the monsoon progresses. The parade includes the yellows of Senecio and Smithia species, the blues of Utricularia, the rosy pink of Impatiens species, the whites of Eriocaulon and Habaneria species and the purple colours of Strobilanthes species. More than 850 species of flowering plants have been reported from Kas region. Of these, 39 species find mention in the Red Data Book as endangered, forming approximately 6% of the total Red Data species. The herbaceous flora of the plateau mainly includes more than 300 species of grasses, Impatiens, Utricularia, Eriocaulon, ground orchids, Smithia, Dipcadie, Senecio, Rotala, Disophylla and Strobilanthes species. Many rare endemic endangered plants like Ceropegias, Seshagiria, Arisaemas, Decaschistia, Trithuria and Dipcadi species also grow on this plateau. Recent studies on the rocky outcrops on such plateaus reveal that these sadas support such natural herbaceous vegetation, which is complex and adapted to survive in adverse conditions. Cynobacterial crust, lichens, desiccation-tolerant ferns and varied mosses also occur abundantly on the rocky outcrops. Such rocky outcrops need to be given due emphasis

88

to ensure representation of this unique ecosystem of the northern Western Ghats. As the Kas plateau abounds in such myriad flora and presents an outstanding example of this formation and vegetation, it merits consideration for nomination within the Sahyadri region.

Site element 037 Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary The Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the important Protected Areas of the Sahyadri or the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. The sanctuary is located to the north of Chandoli National Park (17° 23' to 17° 44' N and 73° 34' to 73° 51' E). In recognition of its ecological, faunal and floral significance, the Government declared the area as Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary in 1985, with the stated purpose of protecting, propagating, or developing wildlife and its environment. The area under government ownership is 245.25 km². The mean annual rainfall of the area is about 2,500 mm with a maximum of up to 5,000 mm. The central portion of Protected Area is occupied by long Shivsagar reservoir of the Koyna River part of 2,200 MW hydroelectric power project. The average altitude of the sanctuary area is around 900 m. On either side of the reservoir and feeder streams, the Protected Area terrain is mountainous, with steep precipitous slopes, deep valleys and long lateritic plateaus. The soil of the sanctuary is formed from the red laterite of the Western Ghats. Lateritic plateaus along the upper reaches, locally called sadas are a unique habitat in this Protected Area. The Koyna valley is home to several endemic, rare and endangered plant species. Much of the diversity is found within the major forest types, including west coast semi-evergreen forests, western (montane) subtropical hill forests and southern moist mixed deciduous forests. There are also small pockets of grasslands that are very important for herbivores. The Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary contains relatively undisturbed evergreen formations in the higher reaches and along several valleys with minimal likelihood of adverse anthropogenic influence in the future. The presence of the large trees of species such as Harpulia arborea, Scolopia crenata and Turpinia malabarica and the endangered Mappia foetida has been recorded in the sanctuary. The forests are home to endangered mammals such as tiger and leopard, as well as herbivorous species such as gaur Bos gaurus and sambar Cervus unicolor, sloth bears Melursus ursinus and Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica. A large variety of avifauna is also seen in the area. The presence of two critically endangered vultures, one vulnerable and three Western Ghats endemic species has also attracted the notification of the area as an Important Bird Area. A unique endemic species of amphibian the Koyna toad Bufo koyanensis is reported from this sanctuary, which is its type locality.

Site element 038 Chandoli National Park Chandoli National Park is located at the junction of the Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara and Ratnagiri districts of western Maharashtra. It spreads along the crest of the North Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats and lies between Koyna and Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuaries. This Protected 0 0 0 Area covers an area of 308.97 km² between 17 03'29" N and 17 17'17" N and between 73 03'29" E and 730 41'55" E). The altitude of national park ranges from 589 m to 1,044 m. The area receives about 3,000 mm to 4,000 mm of rainfall annually. The entire catchment of the Chandoli dam and reservoir is in the protected area, which is named after the village name

89

Chandoli. Earlier, it was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. After appreciation of the biological and floral significance of the area, the Government notified the area as a National Park in May 2004. The relocation of 32 villages in the sanctuary precincts as a result of the dam as well as the sanctuary resulted in a habitat conducive for a relatively undisturbed setting within the protected area. The Warana river originates in the protected area and flows from west to east dividing the protected area in southern and northern halves. A dam at Chandoli village forms the eastern boundary of the protected area. A distinct feature of the sanctuary is the presence of numerous barren rocky lateritic plateaus locally called sadas. These plateaus possess very characteristic herbaceous ephemeral vegetation. Herbaceous flora of the plateau includes more than 300 species of grasses, Impatiens, Utricularia, Eriocaulon, Ground orchids, Smithia, Dipcadies, Senecio, Rotala, Disophylla and Strobilanthes species. They are virtually devoid of any perennial vegetation and have overhanging cliffs on the edges, numerous fallen boulders with dense thorny secondary vegetation and small caves—a favorite habitat for sloth bear. The major forest types of the National Park are western tropical hill forest, west coast semi-evergreen forest and southern moist mixed deciduous forest. The major vegetation prevailing over most of the area is dense semievergreen forests having remarkably wide range of flora and great variety of fauna. Dwarf evergreen forests of anthropogenic origin have been observed and these are dominated by ubiquitous Memecylon umbellatum, Olea dioica, Syzygium cumini with typical associates being Actinodaphne angustifolia, Bridelia retusa, Ficus glomerata and Lagerstroemia lanceolata. Terminalia paniculata is more common in the lower valleys. The National Park is known to have at least 23 species of mammals, 122 species of birds, 20 species of amphibians and reptiles. The fauna found in the National Park includes leopard, sambar, gaur, sloth bear and the Indian giant squirrel. The area has got global and national significance due to the persistence of the tigers in the area.

Site element 039 Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary, the first wildlife sanctuary of Maharashtra State, was notified 0 0 in 1958. It lies on the southern side of the Sahyadri sub-cluster (between 16 10' N and 16 30' 0 0 N and between 73 52' E and 74 5' E). The sanctuary forms part of the Western Ghats and is popularly known as ‘Bison Sanctuary’ as the ‘Indian Bison’ or gaur is locally considered the flagship species of the forest. The sanctuary forms part of the game reserve kept by the then Maharaja of Kolhapur State declared as Dajipur (Bison) Sanctuary. It was later extended as Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary in September 1985 covering an area of 351.16 km². The mean annual rainfall is about 2,500 mm reaching a maximum of around 5,000 mm. There are numerous streams, perennial and seasonal, scattered all over the area. Two dams have been constructed on the rivers Bhogavati and Dudhganga. The catchments of these two reservoirs namely Rajarshi Shahu Sagar and Laxmi Sagar are included within the sanctuary. These two reservoirs and their surrounding forests constitute prime habitat for the wildlife of this sanctuary. Bhogavati, Dudhganga, Tulshi, Kallamma and Dirba are among some of main rivers that flow through the sanctuary area, draining into the River Krishna, a major river of the dry Deccan Peninsula to the east. Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary contains tropical wet evergreen forests typical of the northern Western Ghats. Many areas remained relatively

90

unexploited. The main forest types are southern tropical semi-evergreen forests and west coast semi-evergreen forests, southern tropical moist mixed deciduous forests and west coast tropical wet evergreen forests. There are also Rais and Devrais (sacred groves or patches of forests traditionally protected by local villagers) occur in the area and are of cultural and religious importance. The rich biodiversity of the sanctuary provides ample opportunity for research and education. The aesthetic and recreational value of the area attracts a significant number of wildlife enthusiasts and visitors. Besides the gaur, the sanctuary is known for the occurrence of species such as the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Indian giant squirrel and great hornbill. The sanctuary is home to a large variety of wild animals including 47 species of mammals, 59 species of reptiles, 20 species of amphibians, 264 species of birds and 66 species of butterflies. This area also harbours endemic and threatened flora. It has been recognized as an Important Bird Area within the state of Maharashtra. With the relocation of several villages and the cessation of mining in one of the bauxite mines in the area, disturbance levels have decreased and the site has gained considerably in terms of long-term conservation potential.

91

4. Tentative List – Single Site Nomination 4.1 NAMDAPHA

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By

92

Names

Dr. Aparajita Datta Ms. Ayesha E Prasad

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

Name of Property Namdapha region: Including three site elements Namdapha National Park, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary and Jairampur Forest Division

State, Province or Region Arunachal Pradesh State

Latitude and Longitude Namdapha National Park

27°39’ to 27°16’ N

96° 12’ to 96°54’ E

1985 km2

Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary

27°40’ to 28° 0’ N

96°20’ to 96°55’ E

783 km2

Jairampur Forest Division (includes Reserved Forests and Unclassed State Forests)

27° 0’ to 27° 40’ N

95° 0’ to 97° 0’ E

1500 km2

Description Namdapha National Park, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary and Jairampur Forest Division are located within India’s northeastern frontier state–Arunachal Pradesh. Among the last great remote wilderness areas of Asia, Namdapha and its adjoining areas, is flanked by the Patkai hills to the south and south-east and by the Himalaya in the north. The area lies close to the Indo-Myanmar-China trijunction. Forests are contiguous across the international boundary with Myanmar, with several adjoining protected areas, including the huge recently declared Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve (Rabinowitz 2001, 2004). The entire area is mountainous and comprises the catchment of the Noa-Dihing River, a tributary of the great Brahmaputra river which flows westwards through the middle of Namdapha. Numerous streams drain into the Noa-Dihing and forest pools and natural salt licks are abundant in the area. The park spans a wide altitudinal range from 200 m to 4,571 m at Dapha Bum, the highest point in the park. The terrain is steep and inaccessible. Interior and higher areas have not been explored, except by hunters from local communities. It is bordered on the north by the Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary (550m to 4200 m), Lohit district. To the east and south-east lie the Patkai hill ranges and the international border with Myanmar. To the south-east are unclassified state forest (USF) areas (c. 700 km²) of the Vijaynagar circle. To the west, are Reserved Forests and USF areas of the Jairampur Forest Division. Kamlang WLS is bounded on the north, it is bounded by the Lang river and later by the Lati, to the south lies the Changlang-Lohit district boundary and on its western side, the Tawai Brai up to its confluence with the Kamlang river. The area is mostly steep mountainous terrain, with few gentle slopes crisscrossed by numerous rivers (Lai, Lati, Lang and Kamlang), rivulets and perennial streams.

93

Site Map for Namdapha region

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)9

(viii)9

(ix) 9

(x) 9

The forests of Namdapha are magical with towering dipterocarps and other emergent species, a profusion of ferns, orchids and lianas. The amazing altitudinal range means that one can experience everything from snow-covered peaks, alpine flowers and high altitude lakes, moss-covered wet subtropical forests, mist-drenched and cloud-covered forests, hidden forest pools, salt licks, rocky ravines and streams to sandy river beds, grasslands and the clear turquoise blue waters of the Noa-Dihing river and the deceptively calm yet turbulent Namdapha river. Dr. Salim Ali eloquently penned an appeal saying that Namdapha is "an area which should pre-eminently be left alone, for future study as an index of a vanishing environment". The entire area is mountainous and comprises the catchment of the Noa-Dihing River (a tributary of the Brahmaputra River) flowing westwards through the middle of the park. To the north of the park and in Kamlang WLS are several snow-covered peaks (> 3000 m) of the main Himalayan range. Several passes and small hill ranges occur in the area. The southern side is flanked by the lower hills of the Patkai range. Lakes, pools, swamps and natural salt licks are scattered throughout the area. Geologically, rocks and soils are of recent origin and include shales, sandstone, conglomerate, clay and coalseams. The climate is sub-tropical,

94

with a distinct cold season from December to February. Temperature varies from 5*C to 35*C at lower altitudes and drops to below freezing point at higher altitudes. Annual precipitation varies from 2500mm to 3500mm, 75% of which falls between April and October during the south-west monsoon. The rest is under the influence of the north-east monsoon from December to March. There is hardly any dry month. According to Forest Department sources, total annual precipitation is 6300mm (Ghosh, 1987) Several rivers originate in the catchments of these forests. There are important ongoing ecological processes and plant-animal interactions that are as yet little understood or studied in these relatively remote forests. Arunachal Pradesh serves as a meeting region of temperate east Himalayan flora, Palearctic flora of the Tibetan highland and wet evergreen flora of South-east Asia and Yunnan. The Brahmaputra valley that runs between the Eastern Himalaya in the north, Garo/Khasi/Jaintia and Mikir/Cachar/Barail hills ranges in the south too acts as an ecotone between the temperate east Himalayan flora and the wet evergreen and wet deciduous floristic elements. Rhododendron (96 species) forms the major high altitude ornamental plant in the region. The region is also abundant in angiosperms with 82 (out of 167 species found in India) found in this region. Twenty taxa of gymnosperms occur in North-East (out of a total of 54 for India). Some of these such as Amentotaxus, Cephalotaxus and Larix are endemic to this region. The world’s northernmost rainforests are found in the Namdapha region on the windward slopes of the Eastern Himalaya. Due to the geographic location of these sites at the junction of the Indo-Malayan and Palearctic biogeographic zones, the region boasts an astounding variety and has been classified as a biodiversity ‘hotspot’. As a result of its altitudinal range, high rainfall and biogeographic location, there is high species diversity. Habitats range from alpine, temperate and subtropical to tropical rainforests facilitating the presence of diverse fauna. Its dipterocarp forests (lowland tropical evergreen forest) are amongst the most extensive tracts remaining in India. Other forest types are tropical semievergreen forests, subtropical broad-leaved forests, subtropical pine forests, temperate broadleaved forests, alpine meadows, bamboo brakes, secondary forests and riverine grasslands. Floral diversity includes 1119 species (215 families), many rare and endemic taxa, with new species and records for India. It also has high lichen (73), bryophyte (59) and pteridophyte (112) diversity. The area harbours wild relatives of cultivated plants, medicinal plants, orchids and economically important plants. A number of threatened and endemic taxa (eg. Sapria himalayana, a rare root parasite) occur in this area, including 15 known only from the area and nowhere else in the world. Faunal diversity is reported to be around 1399 species. This includes more than 90 species of mammals, many of which are rare and threatened including the elusive clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa. The area is home to at least eight cat species including the tiger Panthera tigris and clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa (IUCN 2004). The snow leopard Uncia uncia although believed to exist in the higher areas, has not been properly confirmed. Other cats found here include the leopard, golden cat, marbled cat, fishing cat, leopard cat and jungle cat. Seven primate species are reported from the area. This includes the Hoolock gibbon Hylobates hoolock (arguably the best unfragmented habitat in the NE region for the

95

species), as well as the Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis, stump-tailed macaque Macaca arctoides, pig-tailed macaque Macaca nemestrina, capped langur Trachypithecus pileatus (IUCN 2004), 15 species of viverrids, herpestids and mustelids, six deer species (including the musk deer Moschus sp. and two new records for India, the leaf deer Muntiacus putaoensis (status yet to be ascertained and listed in the Red List) and the black barking deer Muntiacus crinifrons (IUCN 2004), three mountain ungulates (the rare takin Budorcas taxicolor, serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis and red goral Nemorhaedus baileyi). Other herbivores include the wild pig and gaur. However, elephant populations in the Namdapha area have declined considerably with only one or two herds seen occasionally. Other carnivores include the Asiatic Black bear Ursus thibetanus, the rare Malayan sun bear Helarctos malayanus, the endangered red panda Ailurus fulgens and the wild dog Cuon alpinus. The area also harbours 5 species of diurnal tree squirrels and at least 5 species of flying squirrel (only site in the world known to support Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi, endemic to India and listed as a critically endangered species). There are many other lesser known rodents, bats and shrews. Further biological surveys are likely to add to the area’s mammal assemblage. With about 425 recorded bird species, Namdapha National Park is a paradise for birdwatchers. Further surveys in the higher altitudes are likely to add to the list. The area has five species of hornbills and several pheasant species. The area is home to several species of rare wren babblers, laughingthrushes, parrotbills, fulvettas, shrike babblers and scimitar babblers. It is also one of the only 2 sites to support the snowy-throated babbler (Stachyrei oglei). Other rare, restricted-range or globally-endangered species include the white-bellied heron, rufousnecked hornbill, green cochoa, purple cochoa, beautiful nuthatch, Ward’s trogon, ruddy kingfisher, blue-eared kingfisher, white-tailed fishing eagle, Eurasian hobby, pied falconet, white-winged wood duck, Himalayan wood owl, rufous-throated hill partridge and white-cheeked hill partridge. It is one of the best places to observe and study several species of Phylloscopus warblers. Several migratory species range through this area in winter such as the Amur falcon, long-billed thrush, dark-sided thrush and eye-browed thrush. Recent surveys have documented a herpetofaunal diversity of 72 species, with several new records of snakes hitherto reported from India. The black softshell turtle Aspideretes nigricans believed to be extinct in the wild was discovered in Eastern Himalayan region, and is expected to exist in Namdapha as well. The rare keeled box turtle Pyxidea mouhoti is also seen here. Further, Namdapha National Park and Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary were among 8 sites chosen by the CEPF for the conservation of amphibian populations (including the Namdapha tree frog Rhacophorus namdaphaensis) considered globally threatened by the Global Amphibian Assessment (IUCN-SSC and CI-CABS 2003), that they harbour. Apart from faunal surveys, there has been almost no ecological research in the area. The site includes several Global 200 Ecoregions, 2 Endemic Bird Areas and several centers for plant diversity (WWF/IUCN 1995). A total of 76 species of fishes belonging to 35 genera have been recorded

96

from the drainage system, of which five are new to science, and three are new to India. Amphibians total 25 species and include 24 out of 150 species of Anuran known from India, with 3 species new to science. At least 11 other species, including Rhacophorus maximus (rediscovered after 75 years), are considered to be rare in India. Invertebrates (585 recorded) include 188 beetle species, of which 14 are new to science, 140 butterflies, 35 moths, 24 Hemiptera and 15 Mantodea (Ghosh, 1987), but this is likely to be grossly under-estimated and further surveys are necessary to fully document invertebrate diversity. The floral and faunal species composition of Kamlang WLS is believed to be similar to Namdapha, although no survey or research has been undertaken here.

Statement of Authenticity and Integrity The Namdapha forests were declared a Reserved Forest in 1970 under the Assam Forest Regulation Act 1891 (first proposed in 1947), subsequently as a wildlife sanctuary in 1972, finally declared a Tiger Reserve in March 1983 and a National Park in May 1983. An area of 177 km² of RF was added to the Tiger Reserve in 1986 and is designated as the buffer zone, while the rest (1,808 km²) is considered the core zone. It has also been proposed as a biosphere reserve. The Project Tiger website states that the ‘legal status of the buffer area is Reserved Forests. Steps have been taken to change it to Wildlife Sanctuary under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972’. It is not clear whether final notification has taken place. Ornithological surveys in Namdapha were first initiated by Dr. Salim Ali in the 1980s, while Zoological Survey of India and Botanical Survey of India had conducted faunal and floral surveys respectively. Although the area remains largely unfamiliar to science, the last few years have witnessed several efforts to explore and describe the region’s biodiversity (see Bibliography). The preponderance of these highlights the region’s unique diversity of habitats, flora and fauna and emphasizes the importance of conserving it. The three nominated sites are contiguous tracts of forest with Jairampur Forest Division in the west, Namdapha National Park in the center and Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary in the north. The 157 km Miao-Vijaynagar road (M-V Road) runs through Namdapha. It was built in 1972, prior to constitution of the National Park. The road was partially motorable till sometime in the 1980s and defunct since the mid 1990s. Most local travel is done on foot. The dense vegetation and steep terrain have served as natural barriers to large-scale disturbance; however, the surrounding area supports a diversity of tribal communities which is reflected in a wide spectrum of land-use and pressures. The tribal community resident around Kamlang WLS is the Miju Mishmis, who practice slash-and-burn cultivation and hunting is an important activity. Population density is low and village sizes are small. There are a few villages inside in the western part of the sanctuary. Namdapha increasingly faces several threats, due to a complex interplay of factors. The most significant of these threats are encroachment (habitat loss) and hunting. The entire area has oil and coal reserves (currently there is open-cast mining and oil drilling in Assam and lower areas near the Assam-AP border quite far from the park, however, this remains a future potential threat here.

97

Changlang district is home to several indigenous tribes, the Tangsa, Singpho and Lisu (Yobin), as well as about 15,000 Chakma and Hajong refugees (from Bangladesh) that were resettled here in 1964. Tibetan refugees were also settled in the area. Miao, the sub-divisional headquarters of the district (west of the park) had a population of about 3,000 people in the 1980s; now increased to 5780 in 2001 census. There are settlements of Buddhist Singpho and Tangsa as well as cultivated lands in the adjoining forests near Miao. Tribes from other areas like the Wancho, Nishi and Adi have also recently settled in Miao. Towards the north-western boundary of the park there are a total of 12 villages (mainly Chakma) with a total of 704 households (4,191 people), although only six are located close to the park boundary (within 5 km). Prior to park declaration, Chakmas were living in the buffer zone. After 1983, they were resettled outside. However, they still depend on park resources and enter the park for wood extraction, collection of non-timber forest products, hunting and fishing. There are also nontribal people, Government employees and military personnel in Miao and Vijaynagar circles. The north-western edge of the park is under potential threat from human demand for natural resources and cultivable land. Hunting, however, is the biggest threat and is prevalent among all tribal groups in the area. Beyond the eastern boundary of the park in the USF forests of Vijaynagar are 13 villages (673 households, 5147 population, 2001 census). Nepali ex-servicemen (total population: 2405, 2001 census) settled by the Government in 1962-65 reside in 9 of these villages, while Lisus reside in 4 main villages (total population: 2,700; 2001 census) outside the park area. Although there are other tribal communities living around the Park, the main community that directly affects the Park and is affected by its presence is the Lisu. Lisus have the best knowledge of the formidable terrain of the area and are skilled in the forest. The Lisu villages are remote (157 km walk) and can only be accessed through the Namdapha National Park. They have a reputation of being skilled hunters and earlier used to be slash-and-burn agriculturalists. They are currently almost totally dependent on wet rice cultivation in the small valleys. Over the past decade, there is increasing shortage of agricultural land due to erosion by the Noa-Dihing river. While there were a few Lisu households in the park area before park boundary demarcation, some families have migrated into the park in recent years due to loss of cultivable land. Currently there are 3 Lisu settlements (66 families, 317 population) inside the park. However, efforts are on to find a solution to the Lisu land problem and provide alternate lands for resettlement and adequate compensation. Conservation efforts are on to garner the community’s support in park protection and monitoring and assist the community in finding alternate livelihood options.

Bibliography Ali, S. and S.D. Ripley. 1979. Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary - an appeal for its preservation. Hornbill 11: 5-6. Arunachalam, A., R. Sarmah, D. Adhikari, M. Majumder, and M.L. Khan. 2004. Anthropogenic threats and biodiversity conservation in Namdapha nature reserve in the Indian Eastern Himalayas. Current Science 87: 447- 454. Athreya, R. A., A. S. Captain and V. R. Athreya. 1997. A faunal survey of Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Unpublished Report to Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department. 50 pp.

98

Captain, A. and A. Patel. 1997. Sinonatrix, a new genus for India. Hamadryad 22: 114-115. Captain, A.and B. Bhatt. 2001. First record of Amphiesma venningi (Wall, 1910) (Serpentes, Colubridae, Natricinae) in India with remarks on its subspecies. Hamadryad 26: 326330. Chauhan, A.S., P.K. Singh, and D.K. Singh. 1996. Contributions to the Flora of Namdapha, Arunachal Pradesh (ed. P.K. Hajra). Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata. Chatterjee, A.K. and S.S. Chandiramani. 1986. An introduction to Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Tigerpaper 13: 22-27. Datta, A. Forthcoming. Protecting with people in Namdapha: threatened forests, forgotten people. In Making Conservation Work. Editors. G. Shahabuddin and M. Rangarajan. Permanent Black Datta, A. 2003. A survey of endangered mammals in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh: discovery of two muntjacs from India. Unpublished report to the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department. Datta, A., Pansa, J., Madhusudan M.D. and Mishra, C. 2003. Discovery of the leaf deer Muntiacus putaoensis in Arunachal Pradesh: an addition to the large mammals of India. Current Science 84: 454-458. David, P., A. Captain, and B. Bhatt. 2001. On the occurrence of Trimerusus medoensis Djao in: Djao and Jiang 1997 (Serpentes, Viperidae, Crotalinae) in India, with a redescription of this species and notes on its biology. Hamadryad 26: 210-226. Ghosh, A.K. 1987. Qualitative analysis of faunal resources. Proposed Namdapha Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. 129 pp. Jain, S.K. and A.R.K. Sastry. 1983. Botany of some tiger habitats in India. Botanical Survey of India, Howrah. Pp. 26-29. TN Khoshoo. 1992. Plant Diversity in the Himalaya–Conservation and Utilization. Pandit Gobind Ballabh Pant Memorial Lecture II. GB Pant G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Gangtok, India. Maitra, A. 1993. Profile of a Little Known Tribe: An Ethnographic Study of Lisus of Arunachal Pradesh. Mittal Publication, New Delhi, 1993. Olson, D. M. and E. Dinerstein. 1998. The global 200: a representation approach to conserving the earth’s most biologically valuable ecoregions. Conservation Biology 12: 502-515. Pawar, S. S. and A. Birand. 2001. A survey of amphibians, reptiles, and birds in Northeast India. CERC Technical Report No. 6. Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India. Rabinowitz, A. 2001. Beyond the Last Village. Island Press, New York. Rabinowitz, A. 2004. A question of balance. National Geographic Magazine, April, 205 (4): 98-117. Rao, R.R. and P.K. Hajra. 1986. Floristic diversity of the eastern Himalaya - in a conservation perspective. Proceedings of Indian Academy of Sciences (Animal Science / Plant Science) Supplement, 103-125. Sharma, B.D., A.S. Chauhan and B.N. Wadhwa. 1990. Study and conservation of the Plant resources, Proposed Namdapha Biosphere Reserve. Arunachal Pradesh. Botanical Survey of India. Singh, P. 1995. Recent bird records from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Forktail. 10: 65-104. Singh, D. 1996. The last frontier: people and forests in Mizoram. New Delhi: Tata Energy Research Institute. 301 pp.

99

4.2 WILD ASS SANCTUARY

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By Names

Dr. TR Shankar Raman Ms. Ayesha E Prasad

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Bharat Pathak (IFS), Conservator of Forests

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Wildlife Circle, Junagadh, Gujarat Forest Department.

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Sardarbaug, Junagadh, Gujarat, India.

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

+91 285 2632900

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

+91 285 2631678

Telephone +91 821 2515601

100

Name of Property Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch

State, Province or Region Gujarat State

Latitude and Longitude Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch

220 55'N to 240 35' N

700 30' E to 710 45' E

4,954.00 km2

Description The Wild Ass Sanctuary is located in the Little Rann of Kutch of the Gujarat State in India. It covers an area of 4954 km². The Sanctuary is named after a sub species of wild ass (Equus hemionus khur), the last population of which it harbours. The Rann is one of the most remarkable and unique landscapes of its kind in the entire world. It is a vast desiccated, unbroken bare surface of dark silt, encrusted with salts which transforms into a spectacular coastal wetland after the rains. The present saline desert of the Little Rann (saline desert-cum-seasonal wetland) of Kutch is believed to have been shallow sea. The variety of the geomorphic facets of Kutch such as the present surface configuration, its landforms, drainage characteristics and relief pattern clearly reveals a complex interplay of tectonics, sea-level changes and lithology as also erosion and deposition. The Rann can be considered a large ecotone, a transitional area between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. During monsoon, the Rann gets inundated for a period of about one month. It is dotted with about 74 elevated plateaus or islands, locally called 'bets'. The largest plateau called Pung Bet has an area of 30.5 km² and the highest island Mardak is 55 m. The vast cover of saline mudflats in the Sanctuary has no vegetation, except on the fringes and bets. Vegetation is largely xerophytic with the ground cover predominated by ephemerals. Their active growth is triggered by the advent of monsoon rains. Although the islands and fringes both have been colonized by Prosopis juliflora, the islands have a richer floral diversity than that of the fringes. 253 flowering plant species have been listed, out of which the number of species of trees was 18, shrubs-23, climbers/twiners-18, herbs-157 and grasses-37. Bets and fringe area of extensive marine saline flats of the Little Rann of Kutch mainly support a variety of indigenous plants like Suaeda spp., Salvadora persica, Capparis decidua, Capparis deciduas, Calotropis procera, Tamarix sp., Aeluropus lagopoides, Cressa cretica, Sporobolus spp., Prosopis Cineraria, etc. The dominant families representing more than 10 species are Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Herbaceous taxa are predominant over shrubs and trees. 107 species of algae are present in the water bodies of the area. The Sanctuary is habitat to about 93 species of invertebrates, including 25 species of zooplanktons, 1 species of annelid, 4 crustaceans, 24 insects, 12 molluscs and 27 spiders.

101

Totally 4 species of amphibians (frogs and toads) and 29 species of reptiles (2 species of turtles, 14 species of lizards, 12 snakes and 1 crocodile) occur. The mixing of tidal water from the Gulf of Kutch with the freshwater discharged from the rivers takes place in the Little Rann of Kutch, making it an important spawning ground for prawns. Metapenaeus kutchensis is the most dominant and important prawn in the area. The sanctuary provides an important feeding, breeding and roosting habitat for a large number of birds due to its strategic location on bird migration route and its connection with the dynamic Gulf of Kutch. According to an estimate about 70,000-75,000 birds nests in an area spread over 250 acres. Nine mammalian orders with 33 species/subspecies have been reported from the Little Rann of Kutch, including the world’s last population of the khur sub-species of the wild ass.

Site Map of the Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)

(x) 9

The Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann of Kutch is a unique natural ecosystem that is saline desert during summer and biologically rich wetland during and after the monsoon. This transformation is both ecologically unique as well as spectacular to behold. This coastal desert-wetland landscape is home to several endangered and endemic floral and faunal species.

102

The Sanctuary harbours the last surviving population of the khur sub-species of the wild ass in the world. This population of the wild ass is an isolated population having no interaction with any other species or sub-species of wild ass populations. The wild ass population of the proposed site in the Little Rann of Kutch has also a very interesting conservation history having reduced to mere 362 in the year 1963, the population of this sub-species has now reached to about 3860 (2004 estimate) due to successful conservation after notifying the site as the Sanctuary (Protected Area) in the year 1973. Besides the wild ass, the proposed site supports the populations of several endangered and endemic flora and fauna. Six species of the birds found at the proposed site are listed in the IUCN Red List. They are white-backed vulture Gyps bengalensis, longbilled vulture Gyps indicus, Houbara bustard Chlamydotis undulata, Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus, pallid harrier Circus macrourus and lesser flamingo Phoenicopterus minor. Of these, the two vulture species are critically endangered globally. The proposed site is an undisturbed breeding area for lesser and greater flamingos during the wetland phase.

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity Recognizing the ecological, faunal, floral, geo-morphological and zoological significance, and for the purpose of protecting, conserving and developing wildlife, an area of 4840.9 km² in the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) was notified as 'Wild Ass Sanctuary' (WAS) by the Government of Gujarat in January, 1973 under section 18 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 vide notification no. GH/KH/13/WLP/1972/79736/P under section 20 and 21 of the Gujarat Wild Animals and Wild Birds Protection Act, 1963. An additional area of 112.81 km² of Santalpur and Vav Talukas of Banaskantha district was added to the Sanctuary vide notification no. GKH/78/WLP/1976/11118989191/P under Section 18 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, making a total area of 4953.71 km². Due to its uniqueness, the Little Rann of Kutch has been listed as one of the 13 wilderness areas selected for development as Biosphere Reserves by the Government of India. The proposed site is currently protected against wildlife poaching. However, on account of pending settlement of rights and demarcations works, anthropogenic activities for livelihood such as grazing, fishing, salt farming, etc. exert pressure on the natural ecosystem and natural resources. Parts of the notified area are used by salt workers for salt manufacturing, the army for a firing range and local people for grazing of their livestock. Rare incidents of poaching have been recorded. Several departments including five District Magistrates have administrative stakes over the proposed site, though geographically it is part of the Kutch district. On the fringe areas of the proposed site, i.e. outside Protected Areas land is being converted to industrial use, many of them salt based chemical industries. For an effective protection system for the Sanctuary, a proposal for additional posts including the post of Deputy Conservator of Forests and other field staff has been submitted to the Gujarat

103

Forest Department. Wireless equipments have been provided to the field staff and wireless network is very well strengthened. Currently adequate scientific information is available based on the previous research by several institutions and universities. During the year 1997-98 the Gujarat Forest Department had assigned the job of Ecological Study of the Wild Ass Sanctuary to the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation. The GEER Foundation completed the study and published the report in the month of March 1999.This study report gives a base line ecological data and description. Population of the Flagship species, the wild ass is monitored at the interval of five years and the next estimation will be done in the year 2009. The avifauna, particularly the aquatic avifauna is monitored as part of the Asian wetland birds every year including monitoring of the flamingo breeding.

Bibliography Singh, H.S. 1999. Ecological studies of Wild Ass Sanctuary. Unpublished manuscript. GEER Foundation. Shah, N.V. 1993. The Ecology of Wild Ass in the Little Rann of Kutch. Ph.D.Thesis., M.S.University. Sinha, Bitapi C., Impact of Land use on the ecodegeneration of the Wild Ass habitat in the Little Rann of Kutch. Ph.D. Thesis, Hemvantinandan Bahuguna University, Shrinagar, Garhwal. Mehr, S.S. and Patel P.P. 1988, Quaternary Geology and geomorphology of the Ranns of Kutch, M.S.University. Naik, R.M. 1991, Coastal marine ecosystems and anthropogenic pressure in the Gulf of Kutch, WWF India. Sponsored research project by the Bioscience Department of the Saurtashtra University, Rajkot. Babbar, V. and Pathak, B 1994, Current Ecological Status of Kutch, GEC, Vadodara. IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 20 January 2006.

104

4.3 KANGCHENDZONGA

State Party India

Date of Submission January 2006

Submission Prepared By Names

Dr. Charudutt Mishra Ms. Ayesha E Prasad

Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Institution

Nature Conservation Foundation

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment

Address

3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park Mysore 570002, India

659 5th A Main, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024, India

E-mail

[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax

+91 821 2513822

+91 80 23530070

Telephone

+91 821 2515601

+91 80 23533942, 23530069

105

Name of Property Kangchendzonga National Park

State, Province or Region Sikkim State

Latitude and Longitude Kangchendzonga National Park

27°03’ to 28°07’ N

88°03’ to 88°57’ E

1784 km2

Description Located in the small Himalayan state of Sikkim, Kangchendzonga National Park (Kangchendzonga National Park) is the highest of the country’s high altitude national parks. The third highest peak on the planet – the Kangchendzonga, straddles the western boundary of the park, from which the reserve gets its name. The reserve also includes the vast Zemu Glacier. Situated in such an inaccessible expanse, the region has remained untouched to quite a large extent. Covering an area of 1,784 km², the Park occupies as much as 25.14% of the land area of the state. The park was commissioned in 1977 by virtue of its floral, faunal, ecological and geo-morphological importance. It encompasses a wide variety of ecological conditions and is home to several rare plant and animal species. Wildlife conservation remains the Park’s primary goal with anti-poaching efforts constituting a significant proportion of governmental Park management activities.

Site Map of Kangchendzonga National Park

106

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value Criteria met (i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)9

(viii)9

(ix)

(x)

The Kangchendzonga National Park is unique in its natural beauty, capturing the awesome splendour of the towering Himalaya, as well as the lush beauty of their high altitude forests. Affording breathtaking views of the world’s third tallest mountain peak, the Kangchendzonga, and other lofty Himalayan peaks, Kangchendzonga National Park is one of the best places to experience the majesty of these high mountain landscapes. The Kangchendzonga is one of the most striking physiographic and geomorphic features on the planet. It is the third tallest mountain in the world, rising to an altitude of 8,586m, surpassed in height only by Everest (8,844m) and Godwin-Austin (8,611m). It lies on the western boundary of the Park. Situated between 1,829 m and 8,585 m, Kangchendzonga National Park is endowed with one of the most extensive high altitude ecosystems in the world. It includes temperate and tropical forests, alpine meadows and dense green lowland vegetation, the habitat of several endemic orchids. The forests are representative of a variety of plant communities which include diverse vegetation types corresponding to variations in climatic and edaphic factors. It is probably the largest, biologically intact continuous tract of mountainous land with valleys of lush green forests, meadows and alpine lands reserved primarily for the conservation of native wildlife. The floristic wealth of the Park is rich and diverse in both composition as well as value. Among the fauna, Kangchendzonga National Park is home to the enigmatic and globally endangered snow leopard Uncia uncia and red panda Ailurus fulgens, as well as other endangered fauna such as musk deer Moschus chrysogaster, bharal Pseudois nayaur, monal pheasant Lophophorus impejanus and crimson tragopan Tragopan satyra. The high altitude lakes of the Park serve as stop-over points for migratory waterfowl such as bar-headed goose Anser indicus and the world’s most endangered crane, the black-necked crane Grus nigricollis. A species of particular importance is the newly designated primate species, the Nepal langur Semnopithecus schistaceus which is endemic to the higher elevations in Sikkim and Nepal. The Park is thus a site of spectacular beauty, paralleled by few other mountain landscapes in the world.

Statements of Authenticity and Integrity th

The Kangchendzonga National Park was commissioned on 27 August 1977, and covered an area of 850 km² then. In 1996, this area was increased to 1,784 km². The Park, after its expansion, occupies as much as 25.14% of the area of the state of Sikkim. After this expansion in 1996, the Park is being demarcated into three zones—core, buffer and tourism. The Park boundary is about 350 km in length, of which about 100 km have been demarcated by boundary pillars. A recent national biogeographic assessment report (Rodgers et al. 2002) indicates that Sikkim state has the best coverage under wildlife protected areas (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks, >40% of the state’s area) in the country.

107

In order to generate more information to improve management efforts, a Wildlife Research Wing is already engaged in the study of wildlife, their ecology and habitats. This information will be used to review and revise existing records. Wildlife areas have been surveyed and mapped. Further, to conserve the diversity and integrity of biotic communities of plants and animals within a natural ecosystem, Kangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, covering an area of 2,566 km² is being established. This reserve will be managed for research, education and training. The Reserve will include Kangchendzonga National Park, an area of 1,784 km² as Core Zone I, Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary as Core Zone II, and also have 5 buffer zones. The vast area of the Kangchendzonga National Park comprises of government Reserved Forests, with no human habitation within it save one small, isolated village named Tsoka. This village is comprised of 10 houses with a total population of 90. Since this small settlement occupying about 13 acres of land is situated in the region of the Park being proposed as the tourism zone, the settlement is likely to be considered part of the ecosystem of the Park. Settlements along the southern and western boundaries of the park exert pressure on the park’s resource through grazing. Pastoralists here have been enjoying grazing rights for many years despite the efforts made to relocate them to areas outside the Park. Grazing is intense in the trans-border areas. Nearly 2,000 yaks and cows and an equal number of sheep belonging to grazers from Sikkim are found from the temperate forests to the alpine lands. Owing to its status as a National Park, Kangchendzonga is strictly protected by law from diverse forms of human encroachment and exploitation. Anti-poaching operations, such as patrolling and trap-demolition, are carried out by armed field staff. The Park has a network of wireless communications set up in important places. Field infrastructure such as inspection or patrolling paths to improve primary means of communication, log huts, log bridges, wildlife hides, bunkers and watch towers, has been built within the Park in order to facilitate management and protection by Park authorities. The Park has also been equipped with monitoring equipment such as darting equipment for tranquillisation and cameras. Local residents are actively involved in Park programmes. Development work in the buffer villages as well as in the Park is implemented with the support and participation of local people. Tourist entry to the park remains restricted to mountaineers and to more serious expeditions. Kangchendzonga National Park includes some of the best-known mountains and peaks which are a great attraction for mountaineers and trekkers from all over the world. Adventure tourism is slowly picking up in the region. Special permits are required from Central and State Governments for adventure tourism purposes. Income generated from tourism contributes a significant proportion to local impoverished economies.

Bibliography Rastogi, A., Shengji, P., and Amatya, D. 1997. Regional consultation on Conservation of the Kanchanjunga Mountain Ecosystem. WWF (Nepal Programme) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Rodgers, W. A., Panwar, H. S., and Mathur, V. B. 2002. Wildlife protected area network in India: a review (Executive Summary). Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.

108

5. Nomination Schedule The Government of India wishes to nominate the sites according to the following schedule: S. No.

Site

Year

1

Western Ghats Cluster

2006-07

2

Namdapha National Park, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary and Jairampur Forest Division

2007-08

3

Kangchendzonga National Park

2008-09

4

Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch

2009-10

109

110

6. Acknowledgements The Chief Wildlife Wardens of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Gujarat have extended cooperation and assistance during the preparation of these dossiers. We are grateful to them. We also acknowledge the assistance rendered by the following individuals: P Anur Reddy, Winston Suting, Sai Prakash, SJ Chandrashekar, Sandeep Tambe, Ajith Kumar, Divya Mudappa, Pavithra Sankaran, S. U. Saravanakumar, Suresh Ganapathiappan, Sudhir Shivaram, Jayanth Sharma and KrupakarSenani

111