**1. Introduction**

The shola forest-grassland is the tropical montane forest found in the upper reaches of India's Western Ghats. This mosaic ecosystem is native only to the southern Western Ghats and found in the high altitude mountains of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This is a unique system where the vast grassland is interspersed with the forest. The forest is made up of evergreen native trees which are dwarf in nature and the hill slopes are covered with native grass species. The vegetation is double layered storey with closed canopy. These ecosystems have high water retention capacity, absorb rains and retain them within their soil. The grassland let the rainwater to flow through the sholas into the stream. The streambed and decaying litter of forest holds the water and release it slowly released to form small streams and these streams joined to form large streams and then rivers throughout the year. Thus it acts as the water reservoir of the region of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. This shola-grassland is the origin to many of the rivers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala region.

**28**

Mizoram, India.

*Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development*

[9] Teki Surayya "A study on dependence of forest dwellers upon fuel wood and non-wood forest products for survival and pertinent marketing issues: a case study of North Andhra Coastal Districts", funded by IIFM Bhopal

[10] Pethiya B Pand Teki Surayya "Assessing the Impact of Micro-Finance as a tool for adoption of appropriate technology and conserving the environment", Fund by IIFM, Bhopal,

[11] Mishra, Manish, Taki Surayya and R. P. Mishra. 2001. Observation on the phenology and fruit yield of Achar (Buchanania lanzan) tree in the tropical forest of Orissa state. Paper submitted in the Symposium on: The Art and Practice of Conservation Planting under the topic "Tropical Tree Seed Research"

[12] Teki Surayya, Manish M, R. Mishra "Marketing of selected NTFPs (Non-Timber Forest Products): A case study of Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada Districts, Orrissa State" the Journal of Non-Timber Forest Products, Vol. 10 (3/4): 186-194, 2003, Dehradun

(1999-00)

(2003)

Taiwan.

[1] Pethiya B P and Teki Surayya, "Role of Micro Finance in Marketing of NTFP's and improving the living standard of rural poor". IIFM, News Letter, vol. III, No. 02, June, 2000a

**References**

[2] Pethiya, B.P. and Surayya, Teki. 2000b. Financing the Environment. Indian Journal Of Forestry, Vol. 23(2): 168-173, 2000, Dehradun, India.

[3] Pethiya, B.P. and Surayya, Teki. 2000, Role of micro finance in marketing NWFP and improving the living standard of rural poor, IIFM, News letter, Vol. III, No. 2, June 2000c

[4] NABARD's SHG-Bank Progress, cited on 20th October 2007, on line available from URL http://www.nabard.org/pdf/

[5] Pethiya B P and Teki S, "Emerging Microfinance Practices: with special reference to Forest Dwelling community in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states". Journal of Paradigm, volume VIII, No. 1 January–June, 2004, MIT,

[6] Prasad Ram, P.C. Kotwal and Manish Mishra. 2002. Impact of harvesting of Emblica officinalis (Aonla) on its natural regeneration in central Indian forests. Journal of sustainable forestry.

[7] Prasad Ram. 2001. Documentation of published and unpublished literature on non-timber forest products in India. OT report and MRM dissertation on NTFPs from 1989-1999 at IIFM, Bhopal.

[8] Teki Surayya, (2000) "Dependence of Forest Dwellers on Fuel- wood and Non-wood products for their survival and pertinent Marketing Issues" Proceedings of International Workshop on Agro-Forestry and Forest Products, November, 2000, NEHU, Aizwal,

highlights%200607.pdf

Ghaziabad, pp 81-97

Vol. 14, no. 4, 2002.

pp. 8-9.

## **2. Shola-grassland ecosystem**

Tropical montane evergreen forests, locally called as sholas (borrowed from the Tamil word "Sholai") naturally coexist with grasslands at an elevation range of 1400–2700 km [1]. The shola-grassland ecosystem mosaic consists of rolling grasslands with shola fragments limited to sheltered folds and valleys in the mountains alienated from the grasslands with a sharp edge. As, sholas commonly have constant cloud cover they can be classified as lower montane cloud forest or upper montane cloud forest depending on elevation [2].

Widespread transformations of shola forest-grasslands into plantations and agricultural lands are increasing and these are the common global phenomenon affecting Africa, southern Asia, Europe, Australia, North America and South America [3–9]. The mega diverse countries like India sheltering about 200,000 of all known species are threatened largely by clearing of vegetation [10–12]. This biodiversity in India, is mostly concerted in the Western Ghats which is a 1600 km long mountain range classified as a biodiversity hotspot with a high degree of species endemism and also with many worldwide threatened species having a very restricted distribution [13–17]. Shola forests-grassland mosaics of the Nilgiri hills are characterized by high level of endemism due to the unique climatic conditions. They are rich in flora and fauna with many of them are endemic to the region.

#### **3. Flora**

Sholas contain vegetation species of both tropical and temperate affinities [10] and many of them are endemic to the region. Phytogeographical analysis of shola genera reveals that genus found on the periphery of shola fragments and as isolated trees on grasslands are typically temperate (Rubus, Daphiphyllum and Eurya) or sub-tropical (Rhododendron, Berberis, Mahonia are Himalayan) in origin. On the other hand, species found within shola fragments are IndoMalayan or Indian in origin [18, 19]. Dominant overstory species in the shola include members of Lauraceae, Rubiaceae, Symplocaceae, Myrtaceae, Myrsinaceae and Oleaceae while dicotyledonous understory species are dominated by Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Acanthaceae, [20, 21]. Monocot species in the understory are dominated by members of Poaceae, Orchidaceae and Cyperaceae [21]. Species were found to be significantly influenced by soil moisture (overstory and understory) and soil nitrogen (understory only) alongside the edge-interior gradients in shola fragments [16].

#### **4. Fauna**

The shola-grassland ecosystem mosaics are home to many threatened faunal species due to their unique climate, evergreen nature and high altitude. They act as the home for many faunal species of conservation concern including the tiger (*Panthera tigris tigris*), dhole (*Cuon alpinus*), gaur (*Bos gaurus gaurus*) Nilgiri langur (*Trachypithecus johnii*) and Nilgiri marten (*Martes gwatkinsii*). The Nilgiri tahr (*Niligiritragus hylocrius*) which is endemic to the ecosystem-mosaic has been studied thoroughly over the years [11, 14, 20, 22–25]. Through habitat preferences, faunal species also have been observed to reflect the shola-grassland ecosystem mosaic pattern. Despite a lack of resource-driven interspecific competition, small mammal communities in the Nilgiris showed a high degree of preference for either shola or grassland. On the other hand, these patterns were masked in exotic plantations [26]. Invasive species in the shola-grassland

**31**

*Ecosystem Changes in Shola Forest-Grassland Mosaic of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR)*

**5. Diminishing shola forest-grassland ecosystem: causes**

the water streams are drying up and impacted the region.

pointed out as the changing trend of biodiversity [30].

expansion of invasive species [37, 38].

In the shola grasslands of state Kerala, the recent demographic changes have increased dependence on firewood, at the same time, the introduction of new crops like lemongrass and higher livestock stocking rates have put further pressure on these systems [31]. In Nilgiri also the grasslands are extremely threatened, as they are widely afforested with exotic tree plantations, mainly for energy needs [32]. According to various studies, eucalyptus-afforested grasslands in the Nilgiri suffered from significant hydrological impacts, such as reduced water yield and stream flow, and reduced seasonal runoff volume [33–36]. These disequilibria have relentlessly affected native sholas and grasslands through increased incidence of fire and

A documentation study carried out in the region reveled that factors responsible for the diminishing shola forest grassland ecosystem include extensive land conversion such as conversion into agricultural plots, commercial plantations, developmental activities, plantation of exotic trees and burning practices, annual fires.

ecosystem mosaic also observed with strong habitat selection patterns and show

The shola grasslands act as the water harvesting and water storage structures and they store large quantities of water from the mountains. These ecosystems are home to many floral and faunal species and they are rich in biodiversity. As the grasslands are depleting, flora and fauna which are endemic to the region are under severe threat. Many of the perennial rivers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are originating from this forest-grassland mosaic. With the depletion of these unique ecosystems,

The shola-grassland ecosystem is one of the most diverse but threatened landscape of the Western Ghats. These ecosystems are very sensitive to climate and climate changes have greater influence on this forest-grassland. These unique ecosystems are being degraded by many natural and anthropogenic pressures. Since the mid-nineteenth century, land use changes fragmented the Nilgiri shola forest grassland. Land management of the Nilgiri Hills is considerably changed by British company and crown governments [27] and beginning in 1837, tea and eucalyptus plantations were established and expanded them. During World War II, wattle, eucalyptus and pine plantations were promoted at the expense of highly diverse and resource-rich grasslands and shola forests by the colonial state. Grasslands and sholas were gradually cleared to provide plantation lands and wood [27–29]. Planting of timber-yielding exotic tress mainly Black wattle (*Acacia mearnsii*) and eucalyptus has been a cause of distress in these landscapes. As the grasslands are easy to clear off, tea estates, coffee estates and timber plantations were established by the British and later by the Indian forest department to satisfy the various need of the growing economy. This resulted in the loss of major proportion of the shola forest and grassland. Many developmental works have been carried out in the region and these developmental activities results in the gradual loss of the ecosystem. Between 1973 and 2014 Shola grasslands area had seen a 66.7% decline. A study carried out in the region revealed that the plant diversity and quality of the natural environment were very much affected in the highland region. Exotic weeds, conversion of native forest into timber plantations, encroachment of forest areas by midlands and lowlands, grazing of natural forest areas by domestic animals, poaching by encroachers, human population growth, ecotourism and pilgrimage, industrial effluent affected areas, pollution and contamination, forest fires and illicit felling were the reasons

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95033*

a strong preference for shola cover.

ecosystem mosaic also observed with strong habitat selection patterns and show a strong preference for shola cover.
