Mangroove forest on Alappuzha

These are the special type of forest commonly found in the saline water areas. These forest have a special type of flora including  some oviparaous trees and its associate species. Many years ago the coastel areas of kerala has around 7200 squre kilometer of mangroove forest. But because of deforestration for the land and other resourses these area is reduced into 21 square kilometer.
These mangroove forest plays very important role in the purification of saline water in the coastal areas. And these plants have a special ability to grow in salt water. Because of these property these plants give a green cover to the waste and saline areas near the sea. Also the special type of breathing roots of these plants in the lakes and other water areas provides a very good shelter to many important marine species like fishes, molluscas etc. Also they act as a breading place of them. This way they increase the marine wealth of our nation and also they reduce a great amount of carbon content in air. The mangroove forest increase the ground water level and protect the coastal areas from the natural disasters like tsunami.
The important mangroove species found in kerala are
1. Avicennia officinalis
2. Avicennia marina
3. Luminitzera Racemosa
4. Aegiceras corniculatum ( pookandal)
5. Vrugeria cilindrica
6. Brugeira sexangula
7. Rhizhophora apiculata
8. Acanthus Icifolius
9. Rhizhophora muchronata
10. Kandelia candel

     Most of the kandal species are belong to the Rhizhophoracea family. The main associate species of kandal are
Dalbergia kandanatansis, poovarash, othalam, punna, machithol etc. The artificial regeneration of the kandal is done to protect the remaining areas.

Arippa

Arippa is a microclimatic region near the kulathupuzha, in the way to the great pilgram centre sabarimala. It is a semi evergreen forest but because of its micro climatic facters it look like a evergreen forest. The important of this forest is the presence of the meristica swamps. The meristica swamps are the habitat of many amphibians and other species.
     Also one of the forest training school of kerala forest department is situated in this forest. The other one is at the walayar.

Chinnar wildlife sanctury

The flora and funna of chinnar sanctury

The chinnar is declared as a sanctury in 1984. It has around 90.442km2 area. The heights of the forest is between 448 m to 2378 m.

The chinnar is a rainshadow region. And it is the only rainshadow forest in kerala. The flora of chinnar is classified in to 6 types. They are
         1.Shola forest
         2.Grass lands
         3.Dry deciduous forest
         4.Thorny scrib jungle
         5.Rhiparium gallery forest
         6.Most deciduous forest
  The only on Thorny scrib forest in kerala is in chinnar. The endangered and endemic tree found only in chinnar is Albizia lathani.
The flagship speices of chinnar wildlife sanctury are Grizeld Gaint Squrrel,Tafted gray langor and star tortoise. Also many other wild species are found in chinnar sanctury.

In chinnar sanctury the pambar and the chinnar joins and flow together as kuttar.There is a very good Eco Tourism. It has two tree houses in the forest and six log houses. They also have a hut in vashyapara. The chinnar is famous for the dolmens. These dolmens are the secondary burial place of the people lived in the mesolithic age. These dolmens are also have some petroglace and petrography wall pictures. Also a beautiful waterfal is found in the chinnar. It is the Tuvana waterfall.

Kulathupuzha

 The Kulathupuzha  is a beautiful forest place in the vally of western guats. This  Place lies in the Tenkasi route from Thiruvananthapuram

Beedikunnu

These are some photos when the Beedikunnu area is caught by fire in 2011. We worked hard to extinguish the wild fire. We worked full night for it.

Kulathupuzha

In this I want to share some photos of the interior Forest of kulathupuzha with you. These are some old photos which are taken when I was working in the Kulathupuzha Forest Section.

Ponmudi

Ponmudi is the most beautiful eco-tourism centre in Thiruvananthapuram city. It is cituated at the sourthern part of the western-ghats.Here some photos of the plants found in the ponmudi Forests.

These plants are very common in the areas of Darppakulam in the ponmudi.

Darppakulam Water Fall in Ponmudi Forest