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......)