RESOURCE USE, CULTURE AND ECOLOGICAL CHANGE : A CASE STUDY OF THE NlLGlRI HILLS OF SOUTHERN INDIA
A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Borfor of vl$neophg L in the Faculty of Science
BY R. PRABHAKAR
Centre for Ecological Sciences INDIAN INSTITUTE OP SCIENCE BANGALORE - 560 012 (INDIA) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to my advisor Prof. Madhav Gadgil, for constantly impelling me to stretch my imagination into newer and uncharted areas of science. This he showed through personal example and by the critique he provided at each stage of my work. I also thank Ramachandra Guha who initiated me into this study and provided me comments from a social science perspective tbat was important for an interdisciplinary work of this nature.
I thank Dr. N.V. Joshi, for his constant encouragement and his frank and critical comments at each stage of my work. I also thank Dr. R. Sukumar for his support and enthusiasm towards my work.
To the people of the Nilgiri area, I am greatly obliged. The elders have willingly participated in my study and provided me insights info the interactions and process that operated in the Nilgiri area. During the elaborate and long interviews that I have had with then, they have, with nostalgia, relived their experiences, and have hoped that their voices will be heard, appreciated, and taken note of, in planning for the future. To them I dedicate this work.
My seniors, Ranjith, Chandru and Arun, with whom I spent many happy first few years, were instrumental in inculcating a work ethic and research culture that stood me in good stead during trying times. To my colleagues, Negi, Dhruv and Karthik, for their camaraderie and company. I am grateful for the editorial help from David Schonfeld, Nambi, Rajashaker and Chandru. I thank the field staff and my colleagues at the field station in Masinagudi who have shared the joys and strains of field work; and the staff at CES who have provided all the support and a favourable environment for efficient work. Financial support for this project has been provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. I am grateful to the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, for providing me the support for the production of this thesis.
Finally, I truly appreciate the sustained support from my companion Sangeetha, who has shared with me my trials and triumphs. Her patience during this period of studentship has provided the stability in the home and family that was necessary for the pursuit of this work.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ...... v LIST OF FIGURES ...... vii GLOSSARY ...... ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...... 1 CHAPTER 2: FRAMEWORK AND HYPOTHESES ...... 23
CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS ...... ; ...... 33
CHAPTER 4: SIGUR PLATEAU ...... 45
CHAPTER 5: THE NILGIRI WYNAAD PLATEAU ...... 77 CHAPTER 6: THE NILAMBUR VALLEY ...... 113
CHAPTER 7 THE A'ITAPPADI PLATEAU ...... 151
CHAPTER 8: THE NILGIRI PLATEAU ...... 185 CHAPTER 9: THE COIMBATORE PLAINS ...... 237
CHAPTER 10: CONCLUSION ...... 267
REFERENCES
APPENDIX I: LIST OF IMAGES AND MAPS USED FOR THE VEGETATION AND LAND USE MAP OF THE NILGIRI AREA ...... A-2 APPENDIX 11: LEGEND OF THE VEGETATION AND LAND USE MAP OF THE NILGIRI AREA DRAWN ON A SCALE OF 1.100.000 ..... A-4
APPENDIX 111: VEGETATION SAMPLES ...... A-5 APPENDIX IV: SCHEDULE FOR HABITATION SURVEYS ...... Am10
APPENDIX V: LIST OF HABITATION SURVEYS ...... A-29 APPENDIX VI: LIST OF ORAL HISTORIES ARCHIVED AT THE CENTRE FOR ECOLOGICAL SCIENCES ...... A-35 LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Characteristics of Resource Uses ...... 26 Table 10.1 Relation between Resource Endowment and Commercial Resource Use ...... 270 Table 10.3 Relation between Access Regimes and Commercialisation ..... 272 Table 10.4 Relation between Disease Environment and Commercialisation . . 273 Table 10.5 Relation between State Policy and C