Shola Forests of Environment and Biodiversity

Editors K.K.N.Nair S.K. Khanduri K. Balasubramanyan

Kerala Forest Department

Kerala Forest Research Institute 2001 Contents

Foreword Preface Executive summary

GENERAL INTRODUCTION Chapter 1. Knowledge on the environment, vegetation and biodiversity of the shola forests of Kerala: The present scenario 3 K.K.N. Nair and S.K. Khanduri

SOIL AND WATERCOURSES Chapter 2. Characterization of soils in the sholas of Idukki and Wayanad Districts 25 V. Nandakumar, P. Rajendran and K. Narendra Babu Chapter 3. The role of sholas in maintaining watercourses in the high ranges of Kerala 71 Thomas P. Thomas and S. Sankar

VEGETATION AND FLORA Chapter 4. Mapping and analysis of the shola-grassland vegetation of Eravikulam, 95 A.R.R. Menon Chapter 5. Meliolaceous and soil fungi and lichen flora of the sholas of Munnar and Wayanad 117 T.K. Abraham Chapter 6. Microbial diversity of the sholas of Munnar and Wayanad 137 -EJ. Maria Florence, M. Balasundaran and K.V. Sankaran Chapter 7. Soil microflora of the sholas of , Idukki District 151 K.V. Sankaran and M. Balasundaran Chapter 8. Inventory and computerized herbarium of higher plants in the sholas of Munnar, Idukki District 179 K. Sudhakara Chapter 9. Endemic arborescent flora of the sholas of Kerala and its population and regeneration status 209 K.K.N. Nair and A.R.R. Menon Chapter 10. Biodiversity mapping of the sholas through remote sensing and GIS techniques 237 P. Vijayakumaran Nair and T.S. Baburaj Chapter 11. Floristic and ecological studies on the sholas of Idukki District 259 K. Swarupanandan, N. Sasidharan, K.C. Chacko and S. Chand Basha Chapter 12. Phytosociology and litter dynamics of the sholas of 287 K. Vidyasagaran and K. Gopikumar FAUNISTIC DIVERSITY Chapter 13. Insect fauna of the sholas of Idukki and Wayanad Districts 317 George Mathew, K. Mohanadas and CM. Brijesh Chapter 14. Macroinvertebrate fauna of Mannavan shola, Idukki District 341 K.K. Ramachandran Chapter 15. diversity and associated aspects of selected sholas of Kerala 353 D. Sanjeev Ghosh Chapter 16. Richness of avifauna in the sholas of Munnar, Idukki District 365 P.O. Nameer

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT Chapter 17. Disturbed shola forests of Kerala and strategies for its conservation and management 395 U.M. Chandrashekara, P.K. Muraleedharan and V. Sibichan

SYNOPTIC SYNTHESIS Chapter 18. Environment and biodiversity of the shola forests of Kerala: An appraisal 441 K.K.N. Nair, S.K. Khanduri and K. Balasubramanyan

Author index 449 Subject index 451