After a gap of over two years, the forest department is reintroducing thousands of native Shola trees to habitats from where they were displaced by invasive wattle and eucalyptus plantations.
D.Guruswamy, District Forest Officer, Nilgiris Division, told The Hindu that Shola saplings, grown at the nurseries run by the forest department, are being planted in Avalanche, Cairn Hill and Kotagiri.
“In Avalanche, over 2,000 trees are being planted by the banks of a river flowing through the area, where invasive trees have been removed or were washed away during recent floods,” an official from the Forest Department said.
Mr. Guruswamy said the plantation drive was happening after two years with funds from the Special Area Development Programme.
The plantation is being done in forest patches which have been most affected by the spread of invasive species.
Prevent incursions
“Some of these areas had previously been plantations, while others had been affected by the spread of invasive species from adjoining habitats. After their removal, the Shola saplings are being planted to first increase the composition of native trees in forest cover, and to also prevent invasive flora from re-establishing themselves,” an official said.
The heavy rains that lashed parts of the Nilgiris, especially Avalanche and Korakundah, had caused many landslips and damaged vast tracts of native forests, officials said.
With the plantation drive, it is hoped that at least some of the damage caused to the forests could be undone, with proper conservation and management.
