Ecological Notes On Two Sacred Groves Along Krishna River Basin of Sangli District
Ecological Notes On Two Sacred Groves Along Krishna River Basin of Sangli District
Ecological Notes On Two Sacred Groves Along Krishna River Basin of Sangli District
- 2014)
© RUT Printer and Publisher (http://jsrr.net)
ISSN: 2249-2321 (Print); ISSN: 2249-7846 (Online)
Received: 16-06-2014, Revised: 12-08-2014, Accepted: 26-08-2014e
ABSTRACT
Sacred groves were a feature of the mythological landscape and the cultural practice of mankind.
Sacred groves also feature prominently in many Asian and African mythologies and cultures, most
notably in India, Japan, West Africa and Anatolia. In India, sacred groves are scattered all over the
country and do not have any federal legislation. Each sacred grove is associated with presiding
deity and the groves are referred to by different names in different parts of India. They were
maintained by local communities with hunting and logging strictly prohibited within these
patches. Sacred groves are protected areas of forest because of religious beliefs and constitute an
important aspect of the cultural life of various communities through out the world. The
biodiversity keeps the ecological processes in balanced state, which is necessary for human
survival. Therefore, the biodiversity rich sacred groves are of immense ecological significance.
They also play an important role in the conservation of flora and fauna.During the present
investigation, two different sacred groves from Krishna river basin of Sangli District namely
Brahmnal and Ankalkhop were visited regularly to record ecological features. It includes, floristic
composition, dominance, associations amongst the plant species. The vegetation is scrub with
dry deciduous forest. The soil substratum is also hard with less water holding capacity. The
grasses dominate during rainy season. The vegetation mentioned in above groves is very typical in
nature. These groves conserve plants in situ.