ANAMUDI SHOLA NATIONAL PARK

 

ANAMUDI SHOLA NATIONAL PARK

FORMATION OF ANAMUDI SHOLA NATIONAL PARK

Anamudi Shola NATIONAL PARK  was declared as a National Park in December 2003 as per notification No: 12876/F2/2003/F &WLD dated 14.12.2003 of the Kerala Government. The Anamudi Shola National Park consists of three Shola Reserve Forests namely Mannavan Shola, Pullambadi shola and Idivaru Shola together occupying an area of 42.68 Sq, Km).

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANAMUDI SHOLA NATIONAL PARK

The Anamudi Shola National Park is located in the Western Ghats. It lies just east of Eravikulam National Park, where precipitation is maximum and the rain clouds traveling further east becomes relatively barren which accounts for the lesser rainfall. The coldest months are December and January when the minimum temperature inside forests fall up to 6° C even at lower elevations. The temperature varies with a minimum of 6° C (December) to a maximum of 30° C (April). There are 4-5 dry months, spanning between December and March. The terrain is undulating with hillocks of varying heights. The altitude ranges between 1600-2400 m. The forest is seen as a continuous path from 1600 m up to 2000 m. above which it is seen as small patches dispersed among the grasslands. The area is drained by small streams and they finally join Pambar river, which flows east and joins Amaravati reservoir.

ACCESSIBILITY

Anamudi Shola National Park is Accessible from Kochi (160 Km) and Coimbatore (150 Km) airports along main roads. The nearest railway station in Kerala is Aluva (170 Km) and in Tamil Nadu Udumalpet (100 km) The nearest town is Munnar. A footpath of about 7 Km connects Kanthalloor - Sethu Parvathipuram (S.P Puram) and traverses the Shola and hence the accessibility is good in respect of Mannavan Shola.

ALTITUDE

The altitude ranges between 1600-2400 m. The forest is seen as a continuous patch from 1600 m up to 2000 m, above which it is seen as small patches dispersed among the grasslands.

FAUNA AND FLORA OF ANAMUDI SHOLA NATIONAL PARK

The National Park offers a wide range of habitat types to the flora and fauna. 62 Species of trees, 174 species of herbs and shrubs, 39 species of climbers,13 species of birds, 9 species of mammals, 100 species of butterflies and 232 species of moths have been recorded from the Shola. The important mammals found in the Park are elephant leopard, tiger, gaur, wild boar sambar, common langur, wild dog and jungle cat.Rainfall and terrain are the important factors that influence animal movements. The two Muthuvan settlements namely Koodalloor Kudi and Valsad Petty Kudi located inside the National Park, also have significant impact on the range of wild life and habitat. The vegetation comprises mostly of Southern sub-tropical Hill Forests, which gradually

transform to the Southern Montane wet Temperate Forests (Champion and Seth, 1968) towards the top (Idlimotta region). At the lower altitude (1600 m), the average height of the forest is 20-25 m, with the species of Elaeocarpus tuberculatus, Gordonia obtuse, Persia macrantha etc., while the maximum height of 28-31 m is observed at 1800-1900m altitude contributed by the species of Syzygium (S densiflorum, S gardneri, S.carvophyllatum, S. cumini). Elaeocarpus glanduloses ete. At idlimotta Sholas (higher reaches of Mannavan shola at an altitude of 2100-2400 m), the vegetation comprises of

stunted patchy Shola forests (Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forests -Champion and Seth, 1968). with an average height of less than 15 m. Patches of Pteridium aquilinum, Rhododendron arboreum, Vaccinium laschnaultii, Eurya nitida, Microtropis ramiflora, Gaultheria fragrantissima, etc. are found in the grasslands,