Cardamom Hills
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| Cardamom Hills | |
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 Cardamom plants |
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| Elevation | 2637 m (8652 ft) |
| Location | Tamil Nadu, South India |
| Range | Western Ghats |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | FaultArchaean continental collision |
| Age of rock | Cenozoic, 100 to 80 mya |
| Easiest route | SH 19, SH 33 (Satellite view) |
The Cardamom Hills are part of the southern Western Ghats located in southeast Kerala and Southwest Tamil Nadu in South India. Their name comes from the cardamom spice grown in much of the hill's cool elevation, which also grow pepper and coffee. The Western Ghats, Periyar Sub-Cluster including the Cardamom Hills, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.[1]
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[edit] Geography
The Cardamom Hills Central point is about . They cover about 2,800 km² of mountainous terrain with deep valleys, and includes the drainages of the west flowing Periyar, Mullakudy and Pamba rivers. It includes Idukki Dam and Mullaperiyar Dam. They conjoin the Anaimalai Hills to the northwest, the Palni Hills to the northeast and the Agasthyamalai Hills to the south as far as the Ariankavu pass (at c. 9° N). The crest of the hills form the boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The highest peak in the range is Anamudi, with a height of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft.) in Eravikulam National Park, the highest point in India south of the Himalayas.[2]
[edit] Climate
These hills experience average daily temperatures of 15°C in winter to 31°C in summer (April-May). The annual rainfall of 2,000 mm to 3,000 mm in Periyar decreases to less than 1,500 mm in the east in Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary. On the western side, two-thirds of the precipitation is received during the southwest monsoon from June to September. The areas also receive rainfall from the northeast monsoon (October-December) and from pre-monsoon showers (April-May).
[edit] Biome Protection
These hills are comprised largely of several contiguous protected areas intended to restrict human access, protect specific endangered species and preserve some of the still undeveloped forest biomes. The central part of the hills comprise the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary covering an area of 777 km². The 350 km² core zone of the sanctuary is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. Periyar is a major ecotourism destination.
To the south of the Periyar Tiger Reserve are the reserve forests of the Ranni, Konni and Achankovil Forest Divisions. The Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary and reserved forests of the Tirunelveli Forest Division are contiguous with Periyar on the eastern side of the hills in Tamil Nadu in the rain-shadow area with mostly drier forests. The Meghamalai reserve forest, also contiguous with Periyar, is proposed to be the 600 km² Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary to protect several threatened species including: Bengal Tiger, Indian Elephant, Nilgiri tahr, lion-tailed macaque, Slender loris, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Salim Ali's fruit bat, Great Indian Hornbill, Hutton's pitviper and Vindhyan Bob butterfly.
[edit] Cardamom Hill Reserve
The Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) is within the Cardamon Hills Idukki District. It comprises 334² km (2,15,721 acres) reserve forest according to the Kerala Forest Department interpretation of an 1897 royal proclamation of the Kingdom of Travancore. It is bordered by the Tamil Nadu border to the east, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary on the south, the Periyar River on the west, and Boddi Mettu, Chokkanad and Wudirapuza to the north. The rain forests of CHR are a natural wildlife corridor to Periyar National Park from the Anaimalai Hills and Palani hills of Tamil Nadu and is the catchment area of 6 major hydro-electric projects in Idukki District.
The CHR accounts for about 70 percent of the cardamom production of India.[3] CHR contains The Cardamom Research Station, situated in the Pampadumpara village of Udumbanchola taluk. It is located on the eastern side of Kumily-Munnar road.[4] See:map. CHR is the center of a controversy between the Forest department and the Revenue department over control of the Cardamom plantations in the Reserve. Non-cardamom cultivation, illegal land conversion, and large scale destruction of trees in the CHR have been blamed for flash-floods and landslips in Idukki and siltation problems in the Idukki dam.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ UNESCO, World Heritage sites, Tentative lists, Western Ghats sub cluster, Niligiris. retrieved 4/20/2007 World Heritage sites, Tentative lists
- ^ Frommers Travel Guide (2007) Wiley Publishing, Inc., retrieved 9/4/2007 Introduction to Cardamom Hills
- ^ Shaji K A (5 September 2007) Tehelka, retrieved 8/13/2007KERALA RED GRABS KERALA GREEN
- ^ KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, Research Stations, retrieved 9/5/2007 Cardamom Research Station
- ^ Govind M. Harish (12/18/2005) The Hindu, retrieved 7/24/2007Row among departments highlights damage to Cardamom Hill Reserve
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