Senna Spectabilis Uprooted To Increase Fodder In Male Wildlife Sanctuary
BENGALUR: The eradication of the highly invasive plant Senna Spectabilis is ongoing in about 60 hectares in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary from Konankere to Talabetta and soon after the uprooting, the cleared area will be replaced by grass cover as well as other forest plant species to increase fodder availability. MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is in Chamarajanagar district.
Eradication of Senna Spectabilis was carried out on a trial basis in the MM Hills subdivision; Uprooting has previously been done in other subdivisions of the Sanctuary, such as Hanur, where an estimated 70 hectares of the 530 km2 are under Senna Spectabilis.
The work of uprooting Senna Spectabilis was entrusted to an NGO-Vana Jana, which had earlier uprooted Senna Spectabilis in Punjanur area of Biligirirangana Hills, a tiger reserve in Chamarajanagar. The forest department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vana Jana and will regularly uproot Senna Spectabilis in identified areas for four years and replace the uprooted area with native grasses, among others, to produce required fodder for herbivores in the Sanctuary.
“More than Lantana Camara, there is an invasive species in large areas of MM Hills Sanctuary but the biggest threat comes from Senna Spectabilis. Nothing grows under Senna Spectabilis and the area around it appears to be well cleared.”
said Bhaskar Byanna, Deputy Conservator of Forests, MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.
Bhaskar explained that Senna Spectabilis is found in great density on roadsides and occupies several meters of forest areas. The presence of Senna Spectabilis poses a major threat to the survival of grass/forest tree species in forest areas, whereas Lantana has not affected the survival of native forest plants despite being distributed over large areas.
“We have a list of species that will be added to the area cleared by Senna Spectabilis,” DCF said.
Senna Spectabilis is found along roadsides/stream paths in forest areas including tiger reserves Bandipur and Nagarhole, a wildlife activist said. This invasive plant affects soil fertility and suppresses the growth of other native vegetation, which provides fodder for herbivorous animals living in forests.
