The Ranni Forest Division in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, India, was constituted on 7 July 1958, comprising the Ranni,

Vadasserikkara Vadaserikara is a village in Pathanamthitta district, in the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the 11 villages in Ranni and sits at the confluence of the Pamba and Kallar River.Nearest Railway Station Is Thiruvalla,Located At A Distance Of ...

, and Goodrical ranges, with its headquarters at Ranni. It covers the parts of

Konni Konni may refer to: * Konni (dog), Russian President Vladimir Putin's dog (1999-2014) *Konni, Kerala, a town in Kerala state in India * Konni (Hausa state), a traditional Hausa state in south central Niger * Birni-N'Konni (shortened to Konni), a to ...

reserve forest and the reserves of Ranni, Goodrical, Rajampara, Karimkulam, Kumaramperoor, Valiyakavu, and Schettakkal. It covers an area of .

Types of forests and composition

Reserve forests covering and vested forests covering are the major types of forests in this division. The Ranni Forest Division, with its natural beauty and richness in flora and fauna, is a storehouse of many varieties of plants and animals. The forests in the Ranni range can be classified into the following categories. *West coast tropical evergreen forests *West coast semi-evergreen forests *Southern moist mixed deciduous forests *Southern sub tropical wet hill forests *Southern montane wet temperate forests *Reed breakes *Grass lands *Manmade forests

Divisions of Ranni forest

Goodrical range

The Goodrical forest range is situated in the eastern side of Pathanamthitta district, with an area of . Comparatively, human interference is less in these forests than in others in India. But at times of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, these forests ranges are crowded with devotees. Evergreen and semi-evergreen types of forests are here. There are three forest stations under this range: *

Plappally Plappally is a settlement located in the ''Goodrical range'' of Ranni forest division in the state of Kerala, India. The place is an intersection point of Mannarakulanji–Chalakkayam state highway ( NH-183) and Erumely–Thulappally–Plappall ...

*Kochukoikkal *Pachakkanam

Vadasserikkara range

The Vadasserikkara range lies to the eastern part of Ranni, with its headquarters at Vadasserikkara. This range covers an area of almost of the Ranni Forest Division. Kakkattar and Kallar, tributaries of the

Pamba River The Pamba River (also called Pampa River) is the longest river in the Indian state of Kerala after Periyar and Bharathappuzha, and the longest river in the erstwhile former princely state of Travancore. Sabarimala temple dedicated to Lord Ayy ...

, flow through this range. Small-scale agriculture is done in the populated regions of the 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: * Chittar *Gurunathanmannu *Thannithodu

Ranni range

The Ranni range covers an area of , 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: *Karikulam *

Kanamala Kanamala (), commonly known by the name Pambavalley, is a village in Erumely panchayath in Kanjirappally tehsil of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated in the border of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, but offici ...

*Rajampara

Index of flora and fauna

Flora

Many unique plants and herbs can be seen in these forest ranges. Medical plants such as Shatavari (''

Asparagus racemosus ''Asparagus racemosus'' (satavar, shatavari, or shatamull, shatawari) is a species of asparagus common throughout India and the Himalayas. and northern Australia. It grows tall and prefers to take root in gravelly, rocky soils high up in piedmon ...

''), '' Solanum anguivi'', ''

Desmodium gangeticum ''Desmodium gangeticum'' is commonly known by the name salparni. It can be found throughout most parts of India and Himalayas. Description ''Desmodium gangeticum''s growth habit is a small shrub. It can grow up to 2–4 feet tall. The leaves ...

'', ''

Cissus quadrangularis Cissus quadrangularis is a perennial plant of the grape family. It is commonly known as veldt grape, winged treebine or adamant creeper. The species is native to tropical Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and much of Africa. Description ''Cissus ...

'', '' Pseudarthria viscida'', ''

Strobilanthes ciliatus ''Strobilanthes'' is a genus of about 350 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, mostly native to tropical Asia and Madagascar, but with a few species extending north into temperate regions of Asia. Many species are cultivated for ...

'', and ''

Dysoxylum ''Dysoxylum'' is a flowering plant genus of trees and shrubs from the mahogany family, Meliaceae. Botanical science has recorded about eighty species in this genus, growing widely across the regions of Malesia, the western Pacific ocean, Austr ...

malabaricum'' (Vella akil) grow in the deeper parts of the 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. Carex baccans (14945605827)

Fauna

Fishes and amphibians

The natural streams and rivers in these ranges are the repository of varied fish species and amphibians. Almost 51species of fishes and 43species of amphibians were reported from the various streams and water bodies in the forest divisions of Ranni. They are the following. Nandus nandus

For more details

Reptiles and mammals

Kerala's forests are the storehouse of many species of reptiles and mammals. Reptiles of 59species and mammals of 34species were reported from the forests of Ranni. The rain forests here are the habitat of the venomous King cobra. Many King cobras were caught by

Vava Suresh Vava Suresh (born 1974) is an Indian wildlife conservationist and a snake expert. He is known for his mission of saving snakes that have strayed into human-inhabited areas in Kerala, India. He has captured 200 (as of November 2020) King cobras, ...

, the snake expert and wildlife conservationist for the

Angamoozhy Angamoozhy is a village in Pathanamthitta district in the Indian state of Kerala. Angamoozhy is located near the Kakkad power station and the Sabarimala temple. Geographically Angamoozhy is High-range area. Economy Angamoozhy is mainly a pla ...

, Chittar, and Moozhiyar regions in the Goodrical range. The mammals are also rich in number, with countless species in these forests. Shikra

Coelognathus helenus indische schmucknatter

Birds

There are abundant species of birds in these forests, including some that face extinction. There are 196 known species of birds reported from the Ranni division. MalabarGreyhornbill

List of birds

Tribal settlements

The forest ranges of Ranni are inhabited by many tribal communities, mainly the Ulladan, Vettuvan and Malavedan, each having their own traditions and beliefs.

References

External links

Official website of Kerala forest department
{dead link, date=April 2018 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
Ranni division-Kerala forest department
Forestry Protected areas of Kerala 1958 establishments in Kerala Protected areas established in 1958 Geography of Pathanamthitta district Tourist attractions in Pathanamthitta district