A herd of gaurs grazing in a swamp in the midst of a tea plantation near Valparai in Coimbatore district. | Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY
Despite facing threats from invasive exotic plants, the swamps in the Valparai plateau covering vast private forest areas of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) continue to serve as grazing grounds and source of water for large herbivores in the summer.
While some of the swamps in the tea and coffee estates in the hill station have been infested fully by Ludwigia peruviana, a yellow-flowering aquatic weed native to Central and South America, others are serving as single spots where animals can find lush grass and water in the summer.
Notably, animals skip swaps or vayalas that have been fully infested by these weeds, which suppress the growth of grass varieties that are palatable to most of the herbivores.
Two forest ranges of the ATR, namely Valparai and Manambolly, are in the Valparai plateau. Tea estates, which are known as private forests, are home to the maximum numbers of swamps, interspersed with small hills.
According to Forest Department staff, animals such as elephants, gaur and deer largely depend on these swamps for foraging in the summer as some of the streams are dry.
Due to the soaring temperature and disturbances caused by tourists and vehicles, animals come to the swamps along the sides of roads early in the morning and late evening, they said.
Senior officials with the Forest Department said invasive species such as Lantana camara and wattle and Senna spectabilis have already been removed from several hectares of forest lands and the drive is continuing under the State government’s special policy on invasive plant species.
Bhargava Teja, Deputy Director of the Pollachi Division of ATR, told The Hindu under which Valparai falls, said the department had removed invasive plants like Ludwigia from some of the swamps a few years ago.
“A proposal will be prepared for the removal of such invasive plants and better management of these swamps, soon,” he said.
