119 BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT REPORT – M/s POTHYS The proposed construction site is a plain land situated at Ernakulam Village, Kanayannur Taluk, Ernakulam District. General view of the site is given in Fig. 1-3. Analysis of the flora revealed that there are 47 species of plants present in the project area, distributed under 30 families among which, the family Leguminosae dominated with 7 species in terms of species number followed by family Moraceae (6 species). General View of the Site Fig. 1 Fig.2 Fig. 3 Table 1. Plants recorded from the proposed construction site Table 1.1. List of Trees Sl. Vernacular / Scientific Name Family Habitat Distribution Number Status No. English Name Albizia saman (Jacq.) Mazhamaram/ Native of Central and 1. Leguminosae Cultivated as avenue tree 1 Exotic Merr. rain tree South America Evergreen forests,along Garcinia gummi-gutta South India and Sri 2. Kodampuli Clusiaceae stream banks,also 5 (L.) Robs. Lanka cultivated Thengu / Cultivated throughout 3. Coccos nucifera L. Arecaceae Cultivated 13 Coconut the tropics Native of Tropical 4. Tamarindus indica L. Valampuli Leguminosae Cultivated 1 Africa; introduced and widely grown in India 120 and other parts of tropics Originally from Tropical America; now 5. Psidium guajava L. Pera Myrtaceae Cultivated 1 Exotic naturalised in the tropics Native of Tropical 6. Carica papaya L. Papaya Caricaceae Cultivated 1 America Evergreen and semi- 7. Mangifera indica L. Mavu Anacardiaceae evergreen forests and also Indo-Malaysia 1 widely cultivated Spathodea African Tulip 8. Bignoniaceae 1 campanulata Tree Cultivated from India to the Solomon Islands 9. Areca catechu L. Arecanut Arecaceae Cultivated 22 and in Africa and Tropical America Malaysia to North Australia and Polynesia, 10 Terminalia catappa L. Badam Combretaceae Plains, Cultivated 6 Commonly planted in the tropics Native of Central 11. Annona squamosa L. Atha Annonaceae Cultivated 1 Amrica andWest Indies Endemic Semi-evergreen and moist Artocarpus hirsutus Southern Western to the 12. Anjili Moraceae deciduous forests, also in 1 Lam. Ghats Western the plains Ghats Table 1.2.List of Tree saplings Sl. Vernacular / Scientific Name Family Habitat Distribution Status No. English Name Widely cultivated in the Artocarpus Evergreen and semi-evergreen 1 Plavu Moraceae tropics, origin is heterophyllus Lam. forests, also widely cultivated probably South India Indian Banyan Found in all kind of forests, now 2 Ficus benghalensis L. Moraceae subcontinent;widely Tree/Aalmaram widely planted in the tropics grown as avenue tree 121 Moist deciduous and semi- Erumanakku/ Indo-Malesia to 3 Ficus hispida L.f. Moraceae evergreen forests, also in the Parakam Australia plains Ficus exasperata Moist deciduous forests, also in East Africa, Arabia, 4 Parakam Moraceae Vahl. the plains India and Sri Lanka Trema orientalis ( L. ) Dry and moist deciduous Tropical Africa, Asia and 5 Pottaama Ulmaceae Bl. forests, also in the plains Australia Native of Tropical Pancharappazh 6 Muntingia calabura L. Muntingiaceae Cultivated, Ornamental America and West Exotic a/ Bird's Cherry Indies Moist deciduous and semi- 7 Ficus tinctoria Kallithi Moraceae evergreen forests, also in the Indo-Malesia plains Table 1.3.List of Shrubs Sl. Vernacular / Scientific Name Family Habitat Distribution Status No. English Name Most aggresive weed of Native of tropical America, Exotic/ 1. Lantana camara L. Kongini Verbenaceae disturbed ground from plains widely naturalised in Invasive to the hills. tropics and subtropics. Species Native of Tropical Africa; Aavannakku/ 2. Ricinus communis L. Euphorbiaceae Cultivated, also runs wild now cultivated throughout Exotic Chittavanakku tropics Native of Tropical America; 3. Scoparia dulcis L. Kallurukki Plantaginaceae Wasteplaces Exotic now Pantropical Cultivated throughout the 4. Musa paradisiaca L. Vazha Musaceae Cultivated tropics Degraded moist and dry Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Originally from America 5. Nattapoochedi Lamiaceae deciduous forests and Exotic Poit. now Pantropical wastelands Malamkurunth Dry and moist deciduous 6. Sida acuta Burm.f. otti/Malatanni/ Malvaceae Pantropical forests, also in the plains Kurunthotti Sesbania bispinosa Kitamu/ 7 Leguminosae Marshy fields in the plains Pantropical (Jacq.) W.Wight Kilannu Table 1.4.List of Herbs 122 Sl. Vernacular / Scientific Name Family Habitat Distribution Status No English Name Native of South Common on moist and 1. Mimosa pudica L. Thottavadi Leguminosae America, now Exotic ungrazed places. pantropical. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Waterlogged ditches and 2. Chembu Araceae Pantropical Schott streamside 3. Spermacoce hispida L. Tharthavel Rubiaceae Sandy low lands Peninsular India Native of South Shallow water pools, ditches America; now 4. Alternanthera sp. Alligator weed Amaranthaceae and marshes especially near Exotic established in Indo- railway tracks Malesia and Australia Degraded moist deciduous, Phyllanthus amarus 5. Keezharnelli Phyllanthaceae forest plantations and also in Tropics Schum. & Thonn. plains Grasslands and moist Kodiyavannakk Indo-Malesia and 6. Sebastiania chamaelea Euphorbiaceae deciduous forests, also in u Australia plains Cultivated as fodder grass, Central Asia and 7. Pennisetum sp. Poaceae often found running wild North Africa Disturbed ground and fallows, 8. Ageratum conyzoides L. Appa Compositae damp places and forest Pantropical Exotic undergrowth. Native of Tropical 9. Kyllinga sp. Cyperaceae Waste places,Marshy areas Africa, Madagascar Crassocephalum India, Sri Lanka, Deciduous forests, also in 10. crepidioides (Benth.) Appuppanthadi Compositae China, Africa and forest plantations and plains S.Moore Madagascar West Indian Wet places and mangrove 11. Fimbristylis sp. Cyperaceae Pantropical Fimbry forests Found by the waysides, 12. Boerhavia diffusa L. Thazhuthama Nyctaginaceae wastelands, river banks and Pantropical hedges Alternanthera sessilis Along sides of water courses & 13. Kozhuppa Amaranthaceae Pantropical (L.) R.Br. marshy areas 14 Stylosanthes sp. Leguminosae Roadsides and Wastelands Native of S.America 123 Table 1.5.List of Climbers Sl. Scientific Name Common Name Family Habitat Distribution Status No Merremia vitifolia Manja kolambi Degraded forest areas and also 1. Convolvulaceae Indo-China and China Exotic (Burm. f.) Hallier f. valli in the plains Centrosema Kattupayar/ Native of Tropical 2. Leguminosae Cultivated Exotic pubescens Benth. Butterfly Pea America Exotic/ Mikania micrantha Forest plantations and also in 3. Vayara Compositae Pantropical Invasive Kunth the plains in moist localities species Very common along roadsides, Native of tropical 4. Passiflora foetid a L. Poochapazham Passifloraceae thickets and water courses from America, now widely Exotic plains naturalized the tropics Coccinia grandis (L.) Dry deciduous forests and Peninsular India and 5. Koval Cucurbitaceae Voigt wastelands, also cultivated Sri Lanka 6. Ipomoea sp. Kozhuppa Convolvulaceae Ponds and lakes, wastelands Pantropics Pueraria Along margins of cultivated 7. phaseoloides Thotta-payar Leguminosae Tropical Asia lands (Roxb.) Benth. FAUNAL DIVERSITY The faunal species recorded here is based on the direct/indirect sightings form the proposed study site. Methodology Birds, Butterflies, Dragon Flies: Line Transect & Point count method Mammals: Line Transect method, Consultation with local people Amphibians: Transect and Patch Sampling Spiders: Searching and Direct Observations Regarding the conservation status of the fauna, none of the animal species identified from the site belonged to the threatened categories identified by the International Union for Conservation of the Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Most of them are common and widely distributed and the range of occurrence extended to wide geographical area. 124 The following lists of faunal elements were observed from the site: Birds : 9 species Mammals : 4 species Butterflies : 10 species Odonates : 5 species Amphibians : 3 species Reptiles : 4 species Spiders : 4 species Ants : 3 species List of Mammals Sl No. Common Name Scientific Name IUCN Status IW(P)A (Schedule) 1 Jungle striped squirrel Funambulus tristriatus Least Concern - 2 Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus Least Concern V 3 Pig Rat Bandicota indica Least Concern V 4 Common House Rat Rattus rattus Least Concern V * IW(P)A -The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. List of Reptiles Sl No. Scientific Name Common Name IUCN Status 1 Dendrelaphis tristis Common Bronzeback Tree Snake Least Concern 2 Calotes versicolor Oriental Garden Lizard Least Concern 3 Hemidactylus mabouia House gecko Least Concern 4 Cnemaspis sp. Day gecko Least Concern List of Amphibians Sl. No. Scientific Name Common Name IUCN Status 1 Duttaphrynus melanostictus Indian common toad Least Concern 2 Hoplobatrachus tigerinus Indian bullfrog Least Concern 3 Euphlyctis sp. skipper frog Least Concern 125 List of Birds Sl. No. Scientific Name Common Name IUCN Status 1 Copsychus saularis Oriental magpie robin Least Concern 2 Orthotomus sutorius Common Tailorbird Least Concern 3 Lonchura striata White rumped Munia Least Concern 4 Pycnonotus jocosus Red Whiskered Bulbul Least Concern 5 Oriolus xanthornus Black headed oriole Least Concern 6 Dicrurus macrocercus Black Drongo Least Concern 7 Dicaeum erythrorhynchos Pale billed Flowerpecker Least Concern 8 Megalaima viridis White cheeked barbet Least Concern 9 Corvus splendens House Crow Least Concern List of Odonates Sl No. Scientific Name Common Name 1 Hydrobacsileus croceus Amber-winged Marsh Glider 2 Bradinopyga