Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Pathanamthitta and Idukki in Kerala, India. It is a renowned Elephant and Tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses 925 km2 (357 sq mi), of which 305 km2 (118 sq mi) of the main zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982. The park is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala: the Periyar and the Pamba.
The first official action towards the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in Kerala was taken in 1934 by the Maharaja of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, by declaring the forests around Periyar lake as a private reserve to stop the encroachment of tea plantations. It was founded as Nellikkampatty Reserve. It was consolidated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1950 after the political integration of India. The sanctuary was included in Project Tiger, a Central Government initiative, and was renamed the Periyar Tiger Reserve in 1978. [2]
Geography
The misty mountain ranges of the Periyar region
Periyar National Park lies in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. In the north : The boundary commences from the point nearest to the Medaganam in the
interstate boundary up to Vellimalai. and the east Thence the boundary follows the inter-state boundary from Vellimalai to
Kallimalai Peak (G.O. (P) No.65/2003/F&WLD dated Thiruvananthapuram, 20 December 03) (1615 M) it is bounded by mountain ridges of over 1,700 m (5,600 ft) altitude and toward the west it expands into a 1,200 m (3,900 ft) high plateau. From this level the altitude drops steeply to the deepest point of the reserve, the 100 metre valley of the Pamba River. The highest peak in the park is the 2,019 m (6,624 ft) high Kottamala, the southernmost peak in India higher than 2,000 metres (6,562 ft). The Periyar and Pamba Rivers originate in the forests of the reserve, both in Mlappara.[3]
The other prominent peaks within the park are Pachayarmala, Vellimala, Sunderamala, Chokkampetti mala and Karimala.[4] The topography consists of steep and rolling hills which are thickly wooded.
The sanctuary surrounds Periyar Lake, a reservoir measuring 31 km2 (12 sq mi),[5] which was formed when the Mullaperiyar Dam was erected in 1895. The reservoir and the Periyar River meander around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife.
Climate
The temperature varies depending upon the altitude and it ranges between 15 °C in December and January and 31 °C in April and May. Annual precipitation is between 2000 and 3000 mm, about two-thirds occurring during the southwest monsoon between June and September. Much of the rest occurs during the northeast monsoon between October and December.
Summers are warm with some precipitation in April and winters are cold.
Boundaries
North: The boundary commences from the point nearest to the Medaganam in the interstate boundary up to Vellimalai.
East: Thence the boundary follows the inter-state boundary from Vellimalai to Kallimalai Peak (1615 M)
South: Thence the boundary follows along the main ridge to Chokkampettymalai Peak (1805 M). Thence along the main ridge to Udumalai (1594 M) (the same boundary which divides Ranni Forest Division and existing Periyar Tiger Reserve).
West:Thence the boundary proceeds due north along the main ridge dividing Periyar Tiger Reserve and Ranni Forest Division to Manikamalai and thence along the ridge to Sundaramalai 1813 M from Sundaramalai the boundary runs along the main ridge to Mangaladevi top 1737 M, and thence to Pachimalai top 1805 M from Puchimala top the boundary follows the Nallah in itself bank, Nallah coming from Mannarkavala and then proceed along Cherakottai river till it joins the Periyar lake between Pandaravara-malai and Poupara.[6]
Dense riverine forest in Periyar National Park
Flora
Spider flower (Cleome hassleriana) in the parkSubmerged trees in Periyar Lake
The park is made up of tropical evergreen, semi -evergreen and moist deciduous forests, montane grasslands, montane savannas, man - made stands of eucalyptus, wetlands, lake and river ecosystems.[7] A total of 1965 taxa (species and infraspecific) of flowering plants have been collected and described from the park. These include 17 species categorized as "possibly extinct".[4] out of the aforementioned flowering plant taxa, about 171 species of grass and 140 species of orchids have been recorded within the park.[7] The grasses are found in the open grasslands found on the edges of the water bodies and montane habitats where fire resistant vegetation grows and dense grasses like elephant grass are found. Various herbivores such as sambar, Asian elephants, gaur and wild boar have been observed to graze here.
There are about 160 butterfly taxa, including the South India's largest butterfly southern birdwing, lime butterfly, Malabar tree nymph, Indian awlking, Evershed's Ace which is endemic to the South Western Ghats, Southern spotted ace which is also endemic to the southern parts of the western ghats, but is more common and with a greater range than T. evershedi, Madras ace, the highly threatened Travancore evening brown, which can only be found in cane brakes, various kinds of uncommon Mycalesis species (the bushbrowns), some of which are endemic to the Western Ghats, and many kinds of moths, such as the Southern Atlas moth.[14] A survey jointly conducted by the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation, Indian Dragonfly Society and the Forest and Wildlife Department in October 2017 found 77 species of odonata including Asian emerald (Hemicordulia asiatica).[15][16] A survey jointly conducted by the same team in September 2018 found eight more new species.[17]
A Nephila pilipes spider also known as the Northern Golden Orb Weaver or the Giant Golden Orb Weaver found in the Park
2007 – 148 km2 of the Goodrical Range added to the reserve[1]
2011 – The management of Periyar Tiger Reserve has been assessed as "very good" by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.[18]
2012 - An additional 148 km2 of evergreen forest at Ponnambalamedu added to the reserve[19]
Ecosystem valuation
It is estimated that the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) provides flow benefits worth 17.6 billion rupees (1.9 lakh (190,000)/ hectare) annually. Important ecosystem services included gene-pool protection (7.86 billion), water provisioning to districts of Tamil Nadu (4.05 billion), habitat and refugia for wildlife (3.55 billion), employment generation for local communities (25 million), water purification services to nearby towns and districts (483 million) and recreation value (425 million).[20]
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