As the city undergoes a transformation from green to concrete, it may be in religious places that one can find the remnants of native biodiversity.
Unlike man-made parks that have trees chosen for aesthetics, religious sites, such as temples, mosques and churches and even cemeteries, have a significant share of native trees and a broader variety, too.
A recent study by researchers from the Bengaluru-based Azim Premji University and Germany (Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Science) enumerated 5,504 trees in religious places in the central business district.
Researchers studied the biodiversity in 62 religious places in central Bengaluru, within a 6-km radius from the General Post Office.
In these institutions ranging from barely 0.17 acres to a more sizeable 24 acres for cemeteries, researchers found 93 species of trees, of which more than half were native species.
This ratio is better than in parks where four out of five trees planted are exotic species introduced for their aesthetics.
Ficus dominates
What also separates the trees in religious places from the rest of the spaces studied is the abundance of the Banyan fig ( Ficus benghalensis ), which not only has religious connotations, but supports a variety of animals.
Its vast canopy is a habitat for mammals, such as squirrels, monkeys and potentially even the slender loris.
It is the fourth most abundantly found tree in religious institutions while in other studied areas, it doesn’t feature in the top 10, the researchers noted.
“The ficus is a keystone species and can be the residence of insects, birds, and mammals. Without this tree, the ecosystem around it falls,” said Harini Nagendra, professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University and one of the authors of the study.
The importance of the tree was seen recently when initial plans for the redesigned Kalasipalya bus stand meant cutting down 24 trees, a majority of them being ficus. Authorities of Sri Lokamatha Ayyappa temple in the area said the trees are a roosting place for over 8,000 rose-ringed parakeets.
At twilight, hundreds of birds fly toward the congested area to reach the trees to roost. Public outrage saw civic authorities relent and save 22 trees.
Researchers note that religious sentiments see these trees having a better chance of protection, particularly from the local devout community, in a city where infrastructure projects are eating into the greenery.
“This extra protection also sees it be more diverse, have bigger trees and diverse biodiversity. Moreover, like in ashwath kattes, there is an emphasis on species such as neem or ficus, which ensure rich biodiversity even in congested areas,” said Seema Mundoli, associated researcher from APU and a co-author of the paper.
However, not everything is rosy. As temples attempt to expand within the property, with more built-up structures and concrete parking lots, the ficus faces a threat, said Ms. Nagendra.
“In some temples, concrete has been poured around the trees, which would eventually kill them. The deep roots of the ficus or other sacred species are also cited as problems, and other ornamental trees are being planted,” she said.
Trees tell a story of the people who nurture them
In a forest, it is nature’s hand that guides the ecosystem. In the city, it is the people’s. Since they started their field visits in 2011, the team from Azim Premji University, along with their collaborators, have been looking at the various spaces within the city, occupied by various communities, to look at the plant biodiversity. The trees narrated a tale of the people who nurture them.
“In parks, what we are seeing is that the administration has a preference for ‘easily manageable’ trees with narrow canopies rather than raintrees and copper pods that require cleaning. In slums, there is tremendous knowledge of nature, and how to plant herbs, spices that can cater to an entire household in the limited space,” said Ms. Nagendra, who has authored a series of studies that look at tree diversity in parks, apartments and home gardens, slums, religious institutions, and the wide and narrow streets of the city.
In slums, the focus is more on utilitarian trees or shrubs, while in apartments, it was ornamental trees. As each community fashions the trees to their needs and likes, what is disappearing from the city are fruit trees.
“In the past, the relative abundance of sweet tamarind or mango fruit trees did give additional livelihood and nutrition to the lower-economic sections. The civic administration thought that having fruit trees will lead to conflict over who owns the fruits. This actually deprives many from the lower sections of nutrition or livelihood by making oils from the seeds or connecting with nature,” said Ms. Nagendra.
Seema Mundoli, also from APU and one of the co-authors of the research papers, said the mapping of the biodiversity had shown that instead of merely ornamental plants, the thrust has to be on multi-use trees whose canopies provide shade and purify the air, whose seeds can be used for extraction of oil, and whose branches can provide firewood. “These can be planted in different parts of the city ,” she said.
While a study on the preferences of educational institutions is still being written, the team has their eyes on perhaps tabulating greenery in government institutions and corporate campuses, which will allow us to read the tree’s tales of its masters.
