KOZHIKODE: For the last five to six months, forest personnel along with over a dozen workers have been taking an all out effort to destroy an invasive plant species at Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. But, the more they cull the plant the more the saplings of it sprout.
“The species is spreading like wildfire destroying other plant species and jeopardising the ecological balance,” said Muthanga deputy range officer Murali Krishnan. The plant named Senna spectabilis (calceolaria shower) has gobbled up a vast tract of land in the sanctuary and the forest officials are clueless on ways to check it from spreading further.
“Though we are trying our best, all our efforts are going vain. Even if we chop the plant and dig the root out, we could see fresh saplings sprouting from the spot and engulfing the whole area within a short span of time,” Murali Krishnan said adding that the growth of the species has affected many indigenous species.
“If something is not done immediately, the entire forest range in Wayanad will be dominated by this single species. Now, we are peeling off the skin of the plant right from the root to trunk.
But, it was not a viable option because it requires huge manpower and we’re not sure whether such procedure will yield any concurrent result.
According to the forest officers, the plant will grow upto the height of 15 to 20 metres within months. Officers said the exotic species was introduced in India as part of the social forestry programme in 1990s.
“The then state government had planted the species to increase the green cover. But, the decision turned counter productive,” the officers added.
Bio-diversity expert and assistant professor of Department of Botany, University of Calicut A K Pradeep said the Forest Department has to take an effective step on a war footing.
“It is mainly through seeds that the plants spread. The only measure that can be taken is to not let the buds to blossom by cutting off stems, which require huge manpower,” he added.