General Features of The Study Area
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The study area is located in Alibag Taluka of District Raigad, Maharashtra. Substantial areas under Alibag Forest Division and Roha Sub Division fall in the study area. The topography of the area within 10 km radius of the proposed project site is mostly hilly, rugged and in some places highly precipitous with general slope towards west. The chief hill range in the study is in the Western Ghats running north-south and occupying a major proportion of the area. This range forms the eastern boundary for the Kolaba Forest Division and the proposed project site at Usar. Another rugged belt of hills run along west. In between these two hill ranges, there is an intricate network of numerous and irregular minor hill ranges with spurs and shoot stretches of the Western Ghats in the east. The elevation of these hills ranges between 40 and 400 m above MSL. All the hill ranges are extensively cut by numerous rivulets and rivers forming many irregular ravines and valleys (Damle, 1973). The climate of the study area is typical of that on the west coast of India with plentiful and regular rainfall during monsoon, oppressive weather in the hot months and high humidity throughout the area. The average rainfall at Alibag is 2492 mm of which 95% is received from south west monsoon. The mean annual maximum and minimum temperature at Alibag are 30.30C and 22.70C respectively (Damle, 1973). The forests in the study area are now confined to steep hills, higher hill slopes and spurs of hills and are much scattered and isolated due to intervening occupied lands. The lower slopes, flatter tops and terraces of these hills are invariably cultivated ‘Malki lands’ and ‘Inam forests’. With the tracts being very hilly and rugged, all available lands fit or unfit for cultivation are under permanent or intermittent cultivation (Damle, 1973). The vegetation of the study area is represented by the following major forests types: (1) South Indian Moist Deciduous Forests, (2) Southern Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests, and (3) Tropical Riparian Fringing Forests (Champion and Seth, 1968). The subtypes of these forests that have been reported to occur in the tract of the study area are detailed in Table 3.1. Table 3.1 Forest types represented in the study area.
Source: Dimle (1973). The South Indian moist deciduous forest This forest type with very moist and moist teak forest sub types occur in Alibag Forest Division and are mostly confined to lower slopes of hills and occasionally extend up to 400 to 450 m depending upon the favourable conditions. Apart from Tectona grandis, this type is characterized by Terminalia alata, T. bellerica, T. peniculata, Gaurga pinnata, Bombax ceiba, Anogeissus latifolia, Albizzia lebbek, Grewia spp., Butea monosperma, Ixora parviflora, Wrightia spp., Bridelia spp., etc. Tree density varies from 0.5 to 0.8/ha. depending upon the biotic influences. The southern moist mixed deciduous forest type is similar to the above types with the exception that the teak is present occasionally (Damle, 1973) The Southern tropical semi evergreen forest The forest type is represented by the West Coast Semi Evergreen Forest type and are found in Alibag Forest Division and Roha Sub Division. Floristic of this type is represented by Syzygium cumuni, Mangifera indica, Terminalia alata, T. paniculata, Diospyros melanoxylon, Ficus glomerata, Mallotus philippinensis etc. Tropical riparian fringing forests This forest type is confined to main river and stream banks and forms narrow strips along Amba and Kundalika rivers. This type is characterized by species such as Ficus glomerata, Syzugium cumini, Pongamia pinnata and Mangifera indica. Tree density ranges from 0.4 to 0.8/ha. depending upon the biotic pressures (Damle, 1973). The study area falls in the west coast of India and on account of this, the landscape has been endowed with the beautiful coast line. Rivers, creeks and networks of numerous riverlets and streams drain the area. |
Last Updated: September 29, 2015
