Local weather change and human intervention threaten the Myristica swamps of Kerala

Sasthanada Myristica swamp, additionally a sacred grove, in Kollam
| Photograph Credit score: Particular association

““Have a look at the irony of it. A waterlogged ecosystem is sinking.” Naturalist E. Unnikrishnan is speaking concerning the Myristica swamps of Kerala. These swamps are discovered within the Sacred Groves or evergreen forest patches and are included within the littoral and swamp forest teams. Unnikrishnan, who has written a guide, Utharakeralathile Vishudhavanangal, on the sacred groves of North Kerala, explains that these are “remnants of forest vegetation, which have very restricted extent and distribution and therefore require pressing intervention for defense.” Present in freshwater areas, these groves harbour endemic and endangered plant species together with these with medicinal properties. “They’re threatened due to local weather change and the drying up of water our bodies which can be important to nurture the habitat.

The 55-acre Kammadam Kavu is the most important in Kerala. It’s lower than 10km from the ocean and fewer than 100ft above sea degree. This grove is dwelling to a Myristica swamp over 2-Three acres. Unnikrishnan, who additionally belongs to the Society for Environmental Schooling in Kerala (SEEK), elaborates the grove is particular because it has 5 rivulets that move into the Kariangode Puzha or river in Kasargod.

Naturalist and architect Shyam Kumar Purvankkara affords extra info. “The Myristica swamp, like a mangrove, is discovered inside a forest. However mangroves thrive in saline water, Myristica requires freshwater. This species has stilt roots, or knee roots that pop up above the water degree to breathe making a assorted habitat for a lot of life varieties.”

Uncommon biodiversity

The rationale these swamps are essential lies within the biodiversity they’re dwelling to. Unnikrishnan says that 50% of the vegetation are endemic to the Western Ghats. One of the crucial endangered endemic species is the Myristica malabarica, a wild relative of nutmeg used extensively in Ayurveda.Then there’s the Myristica fatue, which could be very uncommon with just below 20 timber in Kerala. “The Kulathapuzha Sashta Nada Kavu in Kollam has seven and there’s one tree at Paliyerikavu,” he says including that essentially the most stunning Myristica swamp is the Paliyerikavu of Karivellur in Kannur because it has “good regenerative patches.”  The Syzygium travencuricum “is a susceptible species listed within the IUCN Crimson Knowledge guide,” says Unnikrishnan. It often has low propagation however Paliyerikavu has appropriate waterlogged circumstances and conducive soil properties. This preserve has 50 to 60 Syzygium travencuricum vegetation.

Frogs, toads and caecilians additionally flourish in these swamps as, “these three teams of amphibians desire mating and replica in waterlogged patches like these. The drying of Myristica swamps will spell doom for a lot of amphibians and freshwater fish that breed right here,” explains Unnikrishnan, including that, as these swamps are nurtured by rivers, it’s important that the rivers stay wholesome.

He additionally factors out that it’s important to maintain the state’s rivers wholesome, because the waterbodies nurture these swamps. “Kerala has 44 rivers of which all besides three are western flowing. Nineteen rivers are in Kannur and Kasaragod district. These are quick, roughly 50-7-km in size and most originate within the midland laterite hills of the Western Ghats, which have the forest groves. If the rivulets disappear, the Myristica swamps will disappear,” says Unnikrishnan. The place the rivers are drying, he factors out, the swamps are being invaded by semi-evergreen and deciduous species resembling legumes, white dammer, terminalia and woody climbers resembling Acacia instia and Dalbergia, giant flowering vegetation and invasive species resembling Mikania and Acacia auriculoformis.

Cultural join

These groves even have shut ties with indigenous rituals and faith, elaborates Shyam. They’ve deities associated to snake and tree worship, and are protected by native communities, hooked up to temples or privately owned. Just a few, resembling Poongottu and Sasthanada groves in Kollam, belong to the Kerala Forest Division and are protected habitats. Shyam affords an anecdote to emphasize the hyperlink between tradition and the groves. When a Theyyam dancer enters a sacred grove, his anklets and oil lamp are left exterior. The assumption is that nature shouldn’t be disturbed.

Each Unnikrishnan and Shyam are apprehensive concerning the destruction of the groves. “The development trade is chargeable for 40% of total habitat destruction. If we don’t nurture our nature, then our future is gone. It’s all about co-existence,” says Shyam. Unnikrishnan provides, “The primary causes for the destruction of the swamps are human intervention, mismanagement of rivers and local weather change.”