Established 1958 | Area 1059.0640 km | |
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Governing body Kerala Forest Department Website www.forest.kerala.gov.in | ||
The Ranni Forest Division was constituted on July 7, 1958 comprising Ranni, Vadasserikkara and Goodrical ranges with its headquarters at Ranni. It covers the parts of Konni reserve forest and the reserves of Ranni, Goodrical, Rajampara, Karimkulam, Kumaramperoor, Valiyakavu and Schettakkal. With an area of 1059 km2, the Ranni Division is one of the best ecosystems in Kerala state.
Contents
Types of forests and composition
Reserve forests with 1057 km2 and vested forests with 1.5 km2 are the major types of forests in this division. Ranni forest division with its natural beauty and richness in flora and fauna are the store house of many varieties of plants and creatures. The forests in Ranni range can be classified into the following categories.
Goodrical range
Goodrical forest range is situated in the eastern side of Pathanamthitta district, with an area coverage of 654 km2.Comparatively human interference is less in these forests. But at times of Sabarimala pilgrimage, these forests ranges are crowded by devotee's. Evergreen and semi-evergreen type's of forests are here. There are three forest stations under this range;
Vadasserikkara range
Vadasserikkara range lies to the eastern part of Ranni with its headquarters at Vadasserikkara. These ranges covers almost 268 km2 area of Ranni division. Kakkattar and Kallar, the tributaries of Pamba River flows through this range. Small scale agriculture is done in the populated regions of Vadasserikkara range, especially on the gentle slopes. The natural forests of this range are classified into west coast tropical evergreen forests, west coast semi-evergreen forests, southern moist mixed deciduous forests and grasslands. There are three forest stations under Vadasserikkara;
Ranni range
Ranni range has an extent of 136.2 km2 and its headquarters is at Ranni. Evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous types of forests can be seen here. The three forest stations under this range are;
Flora
Many unique plants and herbs can be seen in these forest ranges. Medical plants like Shatavari, Solanum anguivi, Desmodium gangeticum Cissus quadrangularis, Psuedartheria viscida, Strobilanthes ciliatus, Dysoxylum malabaricum (Vella akil) etc. can be obtained from the deeper parts of forest. The eco system of the forests here is suitable for the growth of these plants. A complete list of plants seen in Ranni division is given below.
Fishes and amphibians
The natural streams and rivers in these ranges are the repository of varied fish species and amphibians. Almost 51 species of fishes and 43 species of amphibians were reported from the various streams and water bodies in the forest divisions of Ranni. They are the following.
For more details
Reptiles and mammals
Kerala's forests are the store house of many species of reptiles and mammals. Reptiles of 59 species and mammals of 34 species were reported from the forests of Ranni. The rain forests here are the habitat of venomous King Cobra. Many King cobra's were caught by Vava Suresh, the snake expert and wildlife conservationist from Angamoozhy, Chittar, and Moozhiyar regions in the goodrical range.
The mammals are also rich in their number, with countless species in these forests. Little cormorant, Darter, Grey heron, Malabar grey hornbill are some of them. A detailed list is given below.
Birds
There are abundant species of birds in these forests including specie's facing extinction. There are 196 known species of birds reported from Ranni division.
Tribal settlements
The forest ranges of Ranni are inhabited by many tribal communities, mainly the ulladan, vettuvan and malavedan's, having their own traditions and beliefs.