16 temple attaining prominence over the grove has resulted in the temple committee looking after the management of temples rather than the groves. The worship, which started with a grove associated with a local deity, such as Badrakali, Iyapppa, Vishnu, or Shiva, has passed through several stages and has finally given way to huge temples where daily worship is held. Small platforms with symbolic stones have given way to temple structures with various types of architecture, which has the influence of neighbouring districts of Kerala and Karnataka. Ecological Value of Sacred Groves Access to and interference with sacred groves was restricted and hence the natural resources mostly remained unexploited, permitting the complex ecological processes to continue uninterrupted over a longer period. This made sacred groves a micro hotspot of biodiversity. The sacred groves are richer in native species and are diverse in species of trees, climbers, plants, birds, butterflies, fungi and other insects (Box 1). Box 1 Diversity of Sacred Groves Tree diversity: Sacred groves are repositories of certain red-listed and endemic tree species of western ghats. Trees such as Dysoxylum malabaricum (devadhara or white cidar), Vateria indica (doopa), Artocarpus fraxinifolius (balanji), Artocarpus hirsuta (hebbalsu), Garcinia gummi-gutta (panapuli) are a few to name. Fungi diversity: Studies (Kushalappa & Bhagwat, 2001) suggest that a network of micro-reserves such as sacred groves may shelter a diversity of species belonging to habitat-specific groups of organisms such as macrofungi. The species turnover of macro-fungi in sacred groves was found to be higher than that in reserved forests. Fungi species such as Xylaria and wood rotting macro-fungus such as Ganoderma were found in sacred groves of Kodagu. Animal diversity: Sacred groves are home for many birds such Malabar whistling thrush, small green barbet, Malabar grey hornbills, spot billed duck etc. They also support a large number of amphibians, reptiles, small animals, boars and micro-organisms. Medicinal plant diversity: Justicia wynaadensis (Maddu thoppu), Asparagus racemosus (Takki), Cynodon dactylon (Garike pillu), Solanum xanthocarpum (chunde, Kudane), Rauvolfia serpentina (sarpaganda), Vateria indica (Bili doopa), Garcinia gummi-gutta (panapuli), Ventilago madraspatana (Maithal), Smilax china (Munnrothballi) are a few to name. A documentation programme on medicinal plants conducted at five sacred groves showed that the number of medicinal plants varied from 16 in Kumboor sacred grove in Somwarpet taluk to 65 species in Vanabhadrakali sacred grove in Virajpet taluk. Some of the important ecological services provided by sacred groves are related to their function in recharging aquifers as well as soil conservation and maintaining of the nutrient cycling. Recharging of aquifers is related to the function of the vegetative mass of the grove itself to retain water, soak it up like a sponge during wet periods and release it slowly in periods of drought. Accumulation of forest litter, its decomposition, the organic material built in the soil and its return to the biomass of the standing forests secures a continued nutrient cycle, ensuring the maintenance of biodiversity, continuity of the evolutionary process and the comprehensive health of the enclosed landscape (Bhagwat et al 2005a). RCE Kodagu published an educational package, consisting of a poster, booklet, and a cassette of songs, for middle school teachers and students so that they can understand the background, issues, and importance of conserving the SGs and the methods to be adopted for conservation. More than 55 schools across Kodagu used the package to conduct surveys and document the medicinal plants. They put up an exhibition for the benefit of other schools, students and community members in 2007. Conservation of Sacred Groves The local communities are the protectors of sacred groves and conserved them as part of their culture and traditions. The people of the village where the sacred grove is situated took on the moral responsibility of preserving nature’s gift in its untouched form. The only exception to the rule of non-interference was during the special festivals at the deity’s abode in the sacred grove for which the produce from the sacred grove was utilised to a very minimal extent. All native communities in Kodagu have a 111
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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