The bamboo grove at Anvavachal in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) is not just another place to hang out but is an ecosystem where 42 species of bamboo plants grow in harmony with the rest of the forest. Of the 42 varieties, 28 are exclusive natural species of Kerala that include Bambusa bambos , Ochlandra travancorica , and Dendrocalamus strictus .
Thekkady Range Officer Vinodkumar told The Hindu that the area around the grove was rich in bamboo species even before the grove was made. The marshy land of five acres was regenerated through systematic growth of newly planted species. The place turned an ideal hang-out spot in no time, thanks to the tendency of bamboo to grow fast, he said. It was, however, developed into the present level three years ago when most of the species were added.
The selected bamboos species were supplied by the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. The names and specialities of each species have been described right at the entrance of the grove.
The foreign species included Monastery bamboo, Thyrsostachys siamensis , and Gigantochloa atraviolacea .
Listing bamboo’s benefits, Mr. Vinodkumar said while bamboo rice was good for human consumption, its tender reed was a favourite food for wild animals including panda. Bamboo not only conserved soil but also cleaned air. It absorbed carbon dioxide and releases 35 percentage more oxygen than a hard wood tree. In the early period of human growth, huts were constructed with bamboo.
Bamboo grove was a step to return to that environment, he said.
