Much information was elicited from the members of 'Saravathy Valayabhivrudhi Sanga' of Maradavally who were involved in group discussions and field visits. The profile of the area is as follows:
Village |
Maradavalli |
Location |
25 km from Sagar Town, Shimoga District in western ghats |
Geographical Area |
38.6 sq. km |
Population |
466 |
Elevation |
600-700 m MSL |
Rock type |
Metamorphic |
Soil types |
Red Sandy & lateritic |
Rain fall |
250-300 cm |
Forest area |
23.2 sq. km |
Forest type |
Semi evergreen (intermediate between evergreen & moist deciduous) |
The village is in the catchment of River Saravathy, which has been dammed for the Linganamakki Reservoir. Plantation crops dominate the agricultural land area of 76 ha. The village has a forest area of 232.888 ha which is rich in natural resources and a high hill towards its north from which the backwaters of Linganamakki Reservoir, Sagar town and Kodachadri hill range are visible as shown in Figure 2.
These are:
The village has a population of 310 adults and 166 children with 64 being below the age of six. The overall literacy of the village is 60% and female literacy is low. The traditional major community groups own agricultural lands and plantations. Carpenters and agricultural laborers belong to backward communities who are often landless.
As landless laborers are principally deployed by contractors for collection of MP, there is relatively lower awareness of the role of biodiversity conservation.
The Villagers have listed 147 species of medicinal plants in Maradavally State Forest. Of these, 14 are listed as endangered. The medicinal plant wealth includes tall trees, shrubs and climbers. The important medicinal trees, shrubs and climbers and their usage as listed by the members of the Saravathi Valayabhivrudhi Sanga are given in Tables 1, 2, and 3 respectively.