Rare myristica swamps discovered in sacred groves of in Kozhikode
Researchers discovered primordial Myristica swamps in two southern Kerala sacred groves, extending their known regional distribution beyond Kozhikode and providing new ecological sites for these fragile, nutmeg-dominated freshwater forest ecosystems.
Researchers discovered primordial Myristica swamps in two southern Kerala sacred groves, extending their known regional distribution beyond Kozhikode and providing new ecological sites for these fragile, nutmeg-dominated freshwater forest ecosystems.
Researchers discovered primordial Myristica swamps in two southern Kerala sacred groves, extending their known regional distribution beyond Kozhikode and providing new ecological sites for these fragile, nutmeg-dominated freshwater forest ecosystems.
In a significant ecological finding, Myristica swamps - a primordial freshwater swamp forest ecosystem endemic to the Western Ghats - have been discovered in two sacred groves (kavus) in southern Kerala. Until now, their presence in sacred groves had never been documented south of Kozhikode district. The newly identified habitats are at Mavelikkavu in Perumkulam near Kottarakkara (Kollam district) and Punnakkakkavu at Nooranad (Alappuzha district).
These ecologically fragile freshwater swamps are dominated by wild species of the nutmeg family (Myristicaceae). Their most striking feature is a dense network of modified aerial roots protruding above the waterlogged soil. Commonly known as 'knee roots' (muttu-veerukal), they are traditionally referred to as kavadi-veerukal in northern Kerala.
The discovery was made by Dr T R Jayakumari and R Vinod Kumar, researchers who have dedicated nearly 15 years to studying Kerala’s sacred groves.
The study received technical support from the Thiruvananthapuram Natural History Society. Previously in Kerala, such swamp patches inside sacred groves were recorded exclusively in the northern belt: Kammadam Kavu, Chittoor Kavu, Karimbil Kudumba Kavu, and Nakravanam Kavu in Kasaragod; Poongottu Kavu and Varavil Kavu in Kannur; and Vallikkattu Kavu in Kozhikode.