Madhucadiplostemon  and sacred grove

Subject: Environment

Context:

A tree species, long believed extinct, has been rediscovered after a gap of more than 180 years from a sacred grove in Kollam district.

Concept:

• Madhucadiplostemon, a species of flowering plant from Sapotaceae family, has been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
• It is believed that the species was a highly local endemic with a few individuals in the past, which were inadvertently removed for temple expansion in recent years.
• This species was first described by Robert Wight, a surgeon-botanist of the East India Company, based on his collection from Kollam in 1835 which comprises three specimens with immature flower buds.
• Since its original collection, individuals of Madhucadiplostemon were never collected again, neither from its locality nor elsewhere, and botanical explorations in Eastern and Western Ghats have failed to find the species.
• Moreover, it has not been enlisted in any of the recent treatises of southern India. The present collection hence forms a rediscovery of this species after a hiatus of 184 years since its first collection
• The institute is now planning to undertake off-site conservation activities for this species through its species recovery programme.

Sacred groves

• They comprise of patches of forests or natural vegetation – from a few trees to forests of several acres – that are usually dedicated to local folk deities(Example – Ayyanar  and Amman) or tree spirits (Vanadevatais).
• These spaces are protected by local communitiesbecause of their religious beliefs and traditional rituals that run through several generations.
• The degree of sanctity of the sacred forests varies from one grove to another. In some forests even the dry foliage and fallen fruits are not touched. People believe that any kind of disturbance will offend the local deity, causing diseases, natural calamities or failure of crops. For example, the Garo and the Khasi tribes of northeastern India completely prohibit any human interference in the sacred groves.
• In other groves, deadwood or dried leaves may be picked up, but the live tree or its branches are never cut. For example, the Gonds of central India prohibit the cutting of a tree but allow fallen parts to be used.
• Classification of sacred groves
  • Traditional Sacred Groves – It is the place where the village deity resides, who is represented by an elementary symbol
  • Temple Groves – Here a grove is created around a temple and conserved.
  • Groves around the burial or cremation grounds
• Ecological significance
  • Conservation of Biodiversity– The sacred groves are important repositories of floral and faunal diversity that have been conserved by local communities in a sustainable manner. They are often the last refuge of endemic species in the geographical region.
  • Recharge of aquifers– The groves are often associated with ponds, streams or springs, which help meet the water requirements of the local people. The vegetative cover also helps in the recharging the aquifers.
  • Soil conservation– The vegetation cover of the sacred groves improves the soil stability of the area and also prevents soil erosion.
• In India, sacred groves are found all over the country and abundantly along the western ghats in the states of Kerala and Karnataka. Although, there has been no comprehensive study on the sacred groves of the entire country, experts estimate the total number of sacred groves in India could be in the range of 100,000 – 150,000.