My recent visit to Andaman Islands (21-25 March 2013) (Contd...)

8. Interesting site visits in the Andamans

On 23^rd March 2013, we left Port Blair early morning at 3:30 am and headed towards middle Andaman. As the Andaman trunk road (ATR) passes through the extremely sensitive ‘Jarawa tribal reserve’, we travelled in a motor convoy facilitated by the Andaman Administration, from Jirkatang to Middle strait; no one was allowed to stop the vehicle in the reserve belt. From Middle strait, we crossed the sea by a ferryboat to reach Baratang, southern tip of middle Andaman. The entire length of ATR, on either side, is a very thick forest. From our vehicle, we saw diverse tree species such as Padauk, Teak, Lagerstonia, Dipterocarpus, etc.; variety of palms such as Calamus, Carypha and Pandanus; other plants such as bamboos, orchids, thick bushes and varied grasses. The coast of these islands, all along, is covered by diverse, dense green and beautiful mangroves.
 

9. Mud-volcano and Limestone caves

The Andaman administration is organizing well-planned and controlled eco-tourism in these islands. Facts and figures of interesting sight-seeing places are provided with sign-posts wherever necessary. Walking trails are laid to those sight-seeing locations. There are ecotourism guides at different places. We took breakfast at Mangrove forest rest house of the ministry of Environment & Forests, in Baratang and soon after proceeded to an interesting site ‘mud-volcano’ where we saw clay-like mud continuously oozing out from a spring-hole. The mud-volcano, unlike regular volcano, is cold and does now allow growth of vegetation in its immediate surroundings. Mud volcanoes also represent fragile seismic zones.
Next, in a motored-boat, we went to another interesting place, ‘limestone caves’, located not very far from Baratang. The route is through a mangrove creek. Forest guards and trained guides acconpanied us there. Similar to mud-volcano, limestone caves are also intriguing geological marvels. The boat-ride to limestone cave site is a breathtaking experience! All along the creeks, it was nothing but mangroves with intricately interwoven breathing roots and entangled branches. One has to see this to feel and understand the beauty of mangrove forests in the Andamans! I wondered, how much of planning, hard labour and continued efforts have gone to make this place accessible to general public. My deep appreciation and respects to Andaman Administration! The return journey again through Jthe arawa tribal reserve was also a carefully organized convoy trip. It was a long day trip and we returned to Port Blair by late evening.

(Contd....)

 

My recent visit to Andaman Islands (21-25 March 2013) (Contd...)

2. Botanical Survey of India and its station in Port Blair

Established in 1890, Botanical Survey of India (BSI) is the premier research organization in the field of plant taxonomy and floristic studies in our country [<www.bsi.gov.in>]. Affiliated to the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, New Delhi, the BSI has its headquarters located in the city of Kolkata. The institute has about 3 million dried plant specimens in herbaria, numerous living plants in various botanic gardens and arboreta, 11 regional circles and 6 experimental botanic gardens, all spread around the country. Since inception, the BSI has been engaged in survey, documentation, domastication and conservation of plant wealth of the country. I am fortunate to have associated with this premier botanical organization, now as a member of their Research Council.

3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Situated in the middle of Bay of Bengal, the group of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a jewel in the Indian Territory. The islands, numbering 572 with a total geographic area of 8249 sq km, represent ecologically sensitive and biogeographically significant ecosystems.  Warm and humid tropical climate, not-so-easy access and unique geographic position in the Indian subcontinent, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a distinct and undisturbed plant composition which shows affinity to both the mainland and the Myanmar and Malaysian flora. Oriented in a north-south direction and stretching over a length of 912 km, the islands have a maximum width of 57 km. Receiving an annual rainfall of 300-380 cm and temperature varying between 23-35 ⁰C,  relative humidity in the islands builds up to 90% in the hotter months. This combination of weather resulted with a luxuriant and diverse vegetation; nearly 85% geographical area of the Islands is covered by dense forest.

4. Plant wealth:

Most of the vegetation in the Islands is of tropical evergreen type, composed of numerous huge trees - most of them more than 50 m tall, bearing wide buttresses at the base and branched canopy above, with intricately intertwined stranglers, dangling climbers, dense lianas, epiphytic orchids, thick undergrowth and thorny bushes, intermixed by thick-leaved palms where sunlight hardly penetrates and touches the forest floor even at 12 noon mid-day.  Besides, the islands have thick moist deciduous, littoral and vast mangrove vegetation all around. Prominent plant species of the Andaman islands include the famous Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb.), Burma teak (Tectona grandis), Lagerstonia, Dipterocarpus, etc.; bamboos; orchids (Dendrobium sp., ....many more); palms such as species of Calamus, Carypha, Pandanus, etc. and mangroves (Rhizophora spp.) and many more. Major animal groups include the elephants, crocodiles and turtle. Important group of birds include the Megapode sp. (incubator birds). We saw a rare species of mongo, Mangifera griffittie, said to be the only tree in Asia, in the Mt Harriet National park.
Cultivated crops in Andamans include rice, coconut, areca-nut, banana, fruit trees such as mango, jackfruit, citrus, etc. and variety of vegetables but all these are visible mostly in the fringes of Port Blair. The degree of endemism in the islands is estimated to be 20% with a biodiversity profile of more than 2500 flowering plants, 5500 animal species and numerous lower plants including fungi. Most of the flora is yet to be documented. The most fascinating feature of this nature’s floral bounty is the close and intimate relationship between plants and the dependant six highly endangered aboriginal tribes viz. Andamanese, Jarawas, Nicobarese, Onges, Sentineles and Shompens. The population of these tribes, inhabiting the interiors of the forests in the islands, is in said to be alarmingly very low.

5. Plant wealth inventory by A & N Circle the BSI
The Andaman & Nicobar botanical circle of the BSI was established in 1972. From inception, the Circle has been exploring the different islands for its plant wealth and has already brought out volumes of knowledge.  Examples include - Flora of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Vol. 1 and Flora of Great Nicobar Islands. Besides, the circle is carrying out studies on multiplication, introduction and conservation of rare and endangered plants, EIA and ethno-botany. Survey of mangrove species of islands has resulted with documentation of a diverse variety of species, indicating that the Islands are a rich repository of best mangroves of the world. A large number of new plant species have been reported from the A & N Islands.

6. My first visit to Andaman Islands, in 1990

Accompanied by Dr. K.G. Bhat, formerly Professor of Botany in Poornaprajna College Udupi Karnataka State, I visited the Islands once earlier in May 1990, to sample fungal specimens. Dr Bhat, knowledgeable on taxonomy of flowering plants of southern India, was a great help in the identification of plant hosts of my fungi.  We stayed in Port Blair for a week and had visited Ross Island, Mt Harriet, Sippi Ghat and adjoining forests. An army officer Major Krishnan stationed in Port Blair those days and who was known to my elder brother helped us with accommodation, food and transport.

Besides several hitherto known taxa, I described 6 new species of micro-fungi from the Andamans from that earleir brief visit (Bhat & Kendrick, 1993).

7. Current visit to the Andaman Islands

22^nd March 2013 was a full-day official meeting with the scientists and researchers of the BSI.  We learnt a great deal in detail the vast floristic work carried out by BSI and its different regional offices. Indeed, it was a rich experience.

 

In the evening, on completion of official meeting, we visited the infamous cellular jail of Andaman Island.  For the second time (first in 1990), I visited the particular prison cell where great freedom fighter late Veer Savarkar was lodged for a long time. It was like a pilgrimage, for me....!

In the next two days, we visited several other interesting places in the Andamans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Contd......)

Azad Housing Society family members visited ‘Sahakari Spice Farm’on Sunday, April 21, 2013

Summer months; children in the Society have annual vacation. Some of us thought why not organize a brief day-long ‘outing’ to an interesting place where all can go and spend time together for a while. We felt that such an outing will be very relaxing, fun, educative and curious to all of us. Accordingly, we decided to pay a visit to ‘Sahakari Spice Farm’ in Ponda, Goa, a popular tourist site, on Sunday, April 21, 2013. Two of our Society members, Dr Uday Kakodkar and Dr I.K. Pai coordinated the programme.

The 'Sahakari Spice Farm' is located on the Panaji-Bengaluru National Highway in Ponda, Goa and 35 km from Panaji. It is an extensive areca farm, intermixed with coconut, banana, cocoa, and various spices such as black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, clove and all-spices. Being well-irrigated and well-organsied, the farm is a lush green site, in spite of mid-summer.

 

In all, 44 members, young and old, of the Society joined in this trip. A hired, special bus sailed us to the Farm at 10:30 am in the morning. We were welcomed in a traditional way with garlands and tilak to the Farm. A serene ambience under the dense canopy of areca trees, to begin with we were offered organically prepared health drinks, kokum juice and/or lemon-grass tea, which instantly quenched our thirst . Next, a well-trained guide took us around and nicely explained the various plantations and spices grown in the farm. It took about 1½ hours to go around and see the various herbs, spices, nuts, fruits and learn the details. We enjoyed watching the live demonstration of areca tree-climbing by skilled personnel. Some of us enthusiastically experimented the tree-climbing. It was a great fun! We were brought back to an airy, spacious, and canteen-attached all-weather shed of traditional roof and tiles. It was a wonderful place to settle, relax and eat. First, we were served with cashew fenny as an appetizer, followed by a sumptuous lunch in traditional Goan style. Indeed, it was a luxurious lunch with a number of items to eat, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Leisurely we ate and enjoyed the food, time and place at will. A traditional dance troupe performed Goan dances as we eat our lunch. After lunch, children ran around, jumped and played a lot. We returned back to our home by 5:00 pm.

Truly, the 'outing' was very nice and we will remember this always!

 

 

 

D. Jayarama Bhat