VEGETATION MAPPING AND ANALYSIS OF ERAVIKULAM NATIONAL PARK OF KERALA USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUE Thesis submitted inpartial fulfilment of the requirement forthe degree ofDoctor of Philosophy of the Cochin University of Science andTechnology By ~K. SURESH BABU DIvision ofEcology KERALA FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Peechi ·680 653, KERALA OCTOBER 1888 DECLARATION I, P.K. SURESH BABU, hereby declare that the thesis entitled VEGETATION MAPPING AND ANALYSIS OF ERAVIKULUM NATIONAL PARK OF KERALA USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUE submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree ofDoctor ofPhilosophy in Enviornmental studies is my original work and has not previously formed the basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or any other similar title. AV Place: Peechi P.K. SURESH BABU Date: 05-09-1998. CERTIFICATE This IS to certify that the thesis entitled VEGETATION MAPPING AND ANALYSIS OF ERAVIKULUM NATIONAL PARK OF KERALA USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUE is based on the original work done by Mr. P.K. SURESH BABU, in Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi from registration to submission, that this work has not previously formed the basis for the award ofany Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or any other similar title and that it represents entirely an independent work on the part of the candidate. // ~ttLLC'> Place: Peechi Dr. A.R.R. Menon Date: 05-09-1998 Supervisor 1)~tedtD My t;r.~ CONTENTS Acknowledgements List ofTables List offigures List ofplates Chapter I INTRODUCTION 1-10 Chapter II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 11-24 Chapter III STUDY AREA 25-34 Chapter IV METHODOLOGY 35-59 1. Vegetation mapping 35-48 2. Vegetation analysis 48-59 Chapter V RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 60-138 1. Vegetation mapping 60-83 2. Vegetation analysis 84-138 Chapter VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 139-145 REFERENCES 146-163 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the course of this study I had received tremendous help from various sources. I will be failing in my duty ifI do not acknowledge the following who deserve prime consideration. My heartfelt thanks are due to Dr. AR.R. Menon, Scientist, Division of Ecology, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, for his valuable guidance, constant encouragement, valuable suggestions and all help rendered in his capacity and supervision. Sincere thanks are due to Dr. S. Chand Basha, former Director, KFRI, who inducted me as a Research Fellow and Dr. KS.S. Naif, present Director, KFRI, for permitting me to carry out the research work and for all the excellent facilities provided. I am grateful to Dr. K Balasubramanyan, Scientist-in-Charge, Division of Ecology, KFRI, Peechi, for critically going through the manuscript and rendering his valuable advice. Dr. K Swarupanandan, Scientist, Division of Ecology, KFRI, rendered valuable suggestions and I am beholden to him. Thanks are also due to Dr. N. Sasidharan for identifying the plants. Thanks are also due to the officials of the Kerala Forest Department (Wildlife Wing), for providing financial assistance and for permitting me to work in the National Park.Shri. M. Pradeep kumar, Research Fellow, KFRI, assisted me in all the cartographic works. I am profusely thankful to him. Sri. M.A Suraj and Dr. AD. Varghese, Research Fellows, KFRI rendered enormous assistance in the field and in laboratory analysis. I am much grateful to them. The Director, Kerala State Land Use Board, Thiruvananthapuram, is thanked for permitting me to use their satellite imageries and laboratory facilities. Dr. Adiga, Shri. Ranganath and Miss Manju, Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre, Bangalore, for their assistance in Digital Image Processing. Or. P.V. Karunakaran, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun helped me in the field for accommodation and provided the meteorological data. I acknowledge him with gratitude. My special thanks to friends Shri. A. Veeramani, c.p Shaji Shri. M. Amruthu, Shri. S.A. Sabu Jahas and Shri. G. Christopher , KFRI, who rendered their valuable help and moral support in various ways especially in solving all the problems I encountered with the computer. Sri. Jayson, Director, ABC systems, Kunnamkulam, provided computer facilities during the last stage of my work and Shri. Sunil, staff of ABC Systems helped me in the word processing. Without their help this work could not have been executed in time. I offer my sincere thanks to them. The scientific staff of KFRI, offered valuable suggestions at various stages, I am much benefited by their advice. It gives me immense pleasure to thank my colleagues Dr. P. Jayakumar, Sri. Kishor Kumar, Sri . Martin, Sajeev, and Gigi .K. Joseph. for their sincere help at various stages and also for the moral encouragement which inspired me. I extend my sincere thanks to Dr. c.K. Soman, Senior Scientific Assistant, KFRI, for his valuable help.. Last but not the least, I owe my gratitude to my parents, brothers, Smt. Aruna, my wife and Son Arjun. P. Suresh for suffering the loneliness and keeping all problems away from me. P.K. Suresh Babu List ofTables I. Comparison of thematic information in the map prepared through visual interpretation ofaerial photographs, satellite imageries, and digitally classified output. 2. Image interpretation key for different land-cover classes usmg pan­ chromatic B&W aerial photographs. 3. Image interpretation key for landcover mapping using FCe. 4. For accuracy evaluation of digital image processing, confusion matrix developed showing percentage ofpixel going into different classes. 5. Area estimation of different cover classes obtained through different remotely sensed data. 6. Mean values ofabundance, density, basal area, frequency and IVI of Shola forests in different localities. 7. Phytosociological data ofShola forests-locality: Naikollymala 8. Phytosociological data ofShola forests- locality: Anamudi 9. Phytosociological data ofShola forests- locality: Umayamala 10. Phytosociological data ofShola forests- locality: Turner's valley 11. Phytosociological data ofShola forests- Jocality:Eravikulam 12. Phytosociological data ofShola forests- locality: Rajamala 13. Phytosociological data ofShola forests- locality: Puvar 14. Basal area ofShola forests in different localities. 15 Family Important Values (FIV) ofShola forests. 16 Constancy values ofShola forests 17. Raunkier's percentage frequency classes. 18 Distribution pattern ofspecies ofShola forests and sub-tropical forests 19. Maturity index, Diversity index and Continuum index values of Shola forests. 20. Matrix ofsimilarity and dissimilarity. 21. Floristic diversity ofshola forests 22. Phyto-sociological data ofsub-tropical hill forest. 23. Family important value (FIV) ofsub-tropical hill forest 24. Floristic diversity ofsub-tropical hill forest 25. Grassland community -type I 26. Grassland community -type 2 27. Grassland community -type 3 28. Comparison ofvegetation characteristic ofother tropical forests in India 29. Comparison of vegetation characteristic of Shola forests and subtropical hill forest. List of Figures 1. Eravikulam National Park - location 2. Monthly distribution of rainfall and temperature of Eravikulam National Park in 1993. 3. Monthly distribution of rainfall and temperature of Eravikulam National Park in 1994. 4. Percentage humidity ofEravikulam National Park- 1993 and 1994. 5. Eravikulam National Park- land cover (prepared from 1:15,000 B&W aerial photographs of 1992. 6. Flow-chart for visual interpretation offorest cover mapping. 7. Eravikulam National Park-land cover (prepared from 1:50,000 IRS IB LISS 2 Geo coded imagery of 1993. 8. Eravikulam National Park- land cover (prepared from 1:1,25,000 IRS I-A LISS 2 imagery of 1990. 9 The details of software and commands used for digital analysis of IRS digital data 10 Eravikulam National Park- contours. 11 Eravikulam National Park- slope 12 Eravikularn National Park drainage 13 Percentage frequency ofShola- Naikollymala 14 Percentage frequency ofShola-Anamudi 15 Percentage frequency ofShola- Umayamala 16 Percentage frequency ofShola- Turner's valley 17 Percentage frequency ofShola- Eravikulam 18 Percentage frequency ofShola-Rajamala 19 Percentage frequency ofShola- Puvar 20 Distribution ofShola in different size classes 21 Distribution ofShola in different altitude classes List of plates Plate lA- Undulating terrain ofrolling grasslands Plate IB- Characteristic geomorphology ofthe study area Plate 2 - Digitally classified output Plate 3 A- A view ofShola grassland vegetation Plate 3B- Tribal settlements in Lackam (Muduva Kudi) Plate 4A- Neelakkurunji gives an enchanting beauty to the valley. Plate 48- Grasslands provide excellent forage to Nilgiri Tahr. CHAPTER I INTRODIJCTION r.t Forests The natural resources, essential for human development and survival are getting depleted and destroyed at an alarming rate. The growing human population and their requirements for food and energy resulted in overexploitation of natural resources. This indiscriminate use of our resources will definitely lead to complete depletion of our natural resources in the nearest future. Forests and wild life are the two most important natural living resources. In addition to food and shelter, they provide wood for cooking, timber for construction, cellulose and pulp tor the production ofpaper etc. They also have other important crucial ecological roles to play such as, maintaining and sustaining the supply ofoxygen, by absorbing carbon dioxide, combating air pollution, regulating water resources, controlling water and wind erosion, mitigating floods and droughts, conserving genetic