The summer is on its peak. Mostly we call it as Fire Season in forestry language. The forests floor is full of litter which acts as highly inflammable fuel in present situation. A small spark can destroy the forest in seconds. Mostly this season is very warm and humid hence rarely people think to visit forests in summers, but most of them do not know that is the time when they can see the most of the important plant species particularly trees in their fruiting stage. And again this is the breeding time of the birds.
In last few visits I have observed that most of the tree species on which the Terai can boasts off is under fruiting stage. A tree with fruits gives a different look. It helps many a time to identify and understand a tree in a more elaborated manner. The important tree species under fruiting are Sal (Shorea robusta), Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo), Teak (Tectona grandis), Toon (Cedrela toona), Asidha (Lagerstroemia parviflora), Jheengan (Lannea coromondalica), Haldu (Adina cardifolia), Phaldu (Mitragyna parviflora), Bel (Aegel marmelos), Gutel ( Trewia nudiflora), Khair (Acacia catechu), Siras (Albezzia procera), Gular (Ficus racemosa), Kathanjeer (Ficus rumpii), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Bargad (Ficus bengalensis), Tendu (Dyosperos melanoxylon), Jamun (Syzigium cumuni), Udal (Sterculia vilosa), Mahua (Madhuca indica), Palash( Butea monosperma) etc.
Similarly many important herbs, shrubs and climbers are also bearing fruits like Aila ( Acacia pinnata), Kathneem (Murraya koenigii), Bhant (Clerodendron viscosum), Dhudhi bel (Ichnocarpus frutescence), Bent (Calamus tenuis), Ratti (Abrus precatorius), Madar (Calotropis procera) etc.
Katerniaghat forests is mostly dominated by Sal species which comes under Moist Bhabhar Sal. In Miscellaneous forests Terminalia alata forests, Cane brakes, Barringtonia Swamp Forests, Low Alluvial Savannah Woodland, Northern Mixed Dry deciduous forests, Aegel forests, Khair-Sissoo forests are prominent.
This time the most attractive fruits are of Udal (Sterculia vilosa). The fruits are basically pods which fruits in a bunch. After ripening its colour changes from green to deep red like Semal flower. This tree is common in all Terai forests. Other attractive fruiting is in Jheengan (Lannea coromondalica), in which no leaves are visible and fruits in bunch hang like an ornament. Khair tree gives an abandoned look of a burnt tree, full of pods and dried leaves.
The Terai forests are full of fruits and at the same time birds are ready to produce new off springs. The Mother Nature has already arranged the food for all, well in advance.
In last few visits I have observed that most of the tree species on which the Terai can boasts off is under fruiting stage. A tree with fruits gives a different look. It helps many a time to identify and understand a tree in a more elaborated manner. The important tree species under fruiting are Sal (Shorea robusta), Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo), Teak (Tectona grandis), Toon (Cedrela toona), Asidha (Lagerstroemia parviflora), Jheengan (Lannea coromondalica), Haldu (Adina cardifolia), Phaldu (Mitragyna parviflora), Bel (Aegel marmelos), Gutel ( Trewia nudiflora), Khair (Acacia catechu), Siras (Albezzia procera), Gular (Ficus racemosa), Kathanjeer (Ficus rumpii), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Bargad (Ficus bengalensis), Tendu (Dyosperos melanoxylon), Jamun (Syzigium cumuni), Udal (Sterculia vilosa), Mahua (Madhuca indica), Palash( Butea monosperma) etc.
Similarly many important herbs, shrubs and climbers are also bearing fruits like Aila ( Acacia pinnata), Kathneem (Murraya koenigii), Bhant (Clerodendron viscosum), Dhudhi bel (Ichnocarpus frutescence), Bent (Calamus tenuis), Ratti (Abrus precatorius), Madar (Calotropis procera) etc.
Katerniaghat forests is mostly dominated by Sal species which comes under Moist Bhabhar Sal. In Miscellaneous forests Terminalia alata forests, Cane brakes, Barringtonia Swamp Forests, Low Alluvial Savannah Woodland, Northern Mixed Dry deciduous forests, Aegel forests, Khair-Sissoo forests are prominent.
This time the most attractive fruits are of Udal (Sterculia vilosa). The fruits are basically pods which fruits in a bunch. After ripening its colour changes from green to deep red like Semal flower. This tree is common in all Terai forests. Other attractive fruiting is in Jheengan (Lannea coromondalica), in which no leaves are visible and fruits in bunch hang like an ornament. Khair tree gives an abandoned look of a burnt tree, full of pods and dried leaves.
The Terai forests are full of fruits and at the same time birds are ready to produce new off springs. The Mother Nature has already arranged the food for all, well in advance.
Photo-Udal fruits, K'ghat range.
3 comments:
I had the privilege of visiting Katernia ghat last month.. Generosity of warden Mr Shukla and DFO Mr Pandey got the lodge for overnight stay. I was visiting this area after 27 years.. deja vu… luckily a very pleasant experience while staying at Katernia Ghat after torturous – arduous journey esp. Sitapur onward and it got worse as we approached Katernia ghat.. My fiancée acute asthma 38C + temperature and visiting from Australia after four long years did not help our cause and she had serious doubt about my sabbatical holidays plan.
During those old golden days (I was in class VIII), Girijapuri / Shanker nagare were well maintained colonies .. fishing was *totally* prohibited at shardanagar and kailashpuri barrage and roads were lot better.. but times has taken its toll and what’s left is not being maintained.. During those teenager days my and my friends kafila used to roam around Bichia – Katernia Ghat – Kailashpuri and Girijapuri and once in a while rajapur mandi and that’s on our push bikes (and with parents on Government Jeep). We used to hear lots of stories about tiger sighting but never saw one or even saw a tiger kill.. Only time I saw was two dead tiger cubs by the road side in murtiha range and people said they were poisoned.
Only silver lining was the forest department.. I did notice lots of grown up trees all along the road side and very rich terai flora and fauna for which our forest department really need accolades. The best I did not see any tree logging and it’s a big achievement.. my only complain is about closure of the the crocodile farm and missing black deer.
I am coming back katernia ghat and I know you are safe in the hands of Mr Pandey and his team..
prabhat
I have lived in the Girijapuri area for a year in 1989 / 1990, posted there at the Manager of the State Bank of India, and have great memories of the time. Reading your post brings back memories of those days.
Wildlife was abundant and easily seen. Morning walks from the Girijapuri colony back gate to the pontoon bridge were made interesting by sightings of chital, nilgai and blackbuck grazing in the open fields on either side of the road in plain view.
There was a resident cattle lifting tiger, and I saw 3 kills made by this animal near the back gate of the Irrigation Colony; 3 cows from the grazing herd were killed at 0700 hrs on a Saturday morning, and part of the 3rd cow eaten, before the villagers came and drove the tiger away. A related observation is that at that time, population of white backed vultures was abundant. When I saw the kills at 1500 hrs, hundreds of vultures were feeding on the kills on the ground and sitting in the trees. It would be interesting to have your observations on the state of the vulture population now, with the well publicized decimation of the vulture population in India due to veterinary Diclofenac use.
Anecdotal evidence from the residents was that the population of tigers had increased substantially at that time. The watchman of the Irrigation Dept guest house recounted how a leopard had jumped over the boundary wall of the guest house, and made of with his goat. The messenger of my branch took leave for 2 days to search for his missing cow, and did not find it - written off to the predators. He did tell me he saw the remains of several tiger / leopard kills while searching for his cow.
On my boat trips in the Girwa reservoir created behind the Kailashpuri barrage, I have seen numerous Ganjetic dolphins, Gharials and birds of all kinds. Black partridges used to abound in the forests, especially along the bund road, as also wild boar.
Forest Dept control of tree felling was effective, and tree cover was abundant. Meneka Gandhi had ordered the closure of the stone mining from the river bed; The locals commented on the renewable nature of this activity; Every monsoon, the river in spate would bring down another layer of boulders from Nepal for the next mining season, and this mine was one of the largest stone sources for Railway track ballast. Does that ban still continue?
Dear Sir,
I am interested in Joining a NGO associated with wildlife conservation.
I am ready to give up my Banking carrier for this cause.
Please suggest some NGO with whom I can start this work.
You can also visit my blog at www.simplysiddhartha.blogspot.com.
Regards
Siddhartha
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