Elephants deployed to clear invasive plant species

Elephants at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve are being used to clear lantana camara, an invasive species of plant which has taken over vast tracts of the reserve.

Lantana camara, eupatorium and parthenium, have taken over as much as 70 % of MTR. Over the last five years, the Forest Department has been waging a never-ending war with the invasive plants, trying to clear small sections of the weeds from the reserve forest and encouraging the growth of native flora to replace them.

“For a start, we are clearing the plants up to 30 m on roadsides, particularly where where tourism is permitted,” said Srinivas R Reddy, Field Director of the reserve.

Last year, elephants were used to clear up to 88 km of pathway within the reserve. As rain has set in early this year, and the moisture content makes it far easier for elephants to pull out the plants from the soil, it is hoped that the 62 km of pathways will be cleared in the coming weeks.

Apart from the obvious benefits the work to remove the plants has on the forests of Mudumalai, there are benefits for the elephants too, said Mr. Reddy. “One benefit is that they are away from the camp, thereby reducing the build up of pathogens, the elephants get a lot of exercise and because the mahout and the animal have to work together using commands, the training imparted to the elephants is reinforced,” he added.

Nine elephants are involved in the operation to clear lantana in the reserve. By clearing invasive plant species and creating fire-lines as well as patrol-lines for easier forest management, the Forest Department is also helping to encourage the growth of native plant and species of grass, on which herbivores in the reserve depend upon.

Apart from the use of elephants, manpower is also being used by the department to remove the invasive plant species. The process is both expensive and time consuming, with costs for clearing one hectare ranging from ₹ 15,000 to ₹ 40,000, depending on how thick the plants, especially lantana, have grown in clumps together.

“Though it would be ideal to not have any exotic plant species in the reserve, the removal has to be done gradually in phases. The animals have also adapted to the changes to a certain extent, and we need to study how the gradual removal of these plants has an impact on the wildlife here,” added Mr. Reddy.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/elephants-deployed-to-clear-invasive-plant-species/article19518764.ece