S.
2.1
STUDY AREA
Location
Hosur
latitudes
and Dharmapuri Forest Divisions lie
between
the
12° 7" and 12° 44" North and longitudes 77° 30"
to
78° 27" East. The study area is bounded on the north and
west
by
that
Karnataka
adjoins
state except in parts of Rayakotta
Krishnagiri
Range
range and Andhra Pradesh in
the
north-
east. The river Cauvery that flows through Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu
states is the south-western boundary of the study
area.
The western and to eastern sides the study area is bounded
Karnataka and Chinnar river respectively
H.2
by
(Fig 2 ) .
Past history o-F the study area
Little or no information about the history of this forest
tract
exists
comprise
before
1792. Large areas in
tracts
Hosur and Dharmapuri Forest Divisions
that
were
now
brought
under British rule through treaties with Tippu Sultan in
1792
and
wood
1799. These forest tracts are well known for sandal
production. The protection for aandal and other timber species
began during Tippu's rule. He appointed two hundred Nayars
Denkanikotta
wood
to watch over and protect the
forest
and
severe
punishment
was
adjoining
at
sandal
inflicted
upon
offenders. Subsequently, when the forest was passed on to
the
East
and
India Company this forest had undergone
relentless
exploitation
for
about 180 years.
continuous
In
1886
government notified these as Reserve Forests (Subaiah,
the
1982).
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More
recently, there are proposals to declare this area as
a
sanctuary.
2.3
Topography
The entire study area is spread alonfi the receding slopes
of the Mysore plateau. The Melagiris is a loose chain of hills
that
runs
plateau
the
roughly in the north-south direction.
descends
Cauvery
from north to south, from
plains.
On the western
The
Mysore
Denkanikotta
side
there
are
to
smal]
outcrops of rocks and hillocks.
The general altitude of the study area ranges from 400 to
1000
meters above MSL (Mean Sea Level). Since the study
descends
the
southwards through a series of hills to the
altitude declines steadily towards south. On
area
Cauvery
the
south-
eastern end, the Melagiris culminate in the impressive peak of
Guttirayan
Ourg with an elevation of 1395
meters
above
sea
1evel.
The
study
area
has
two
main
drainages,
the
river
Doddahalla which runs through the heart of the study area
the Chinnar river which originates from Thally and runs
the eastern foothills of the Melagiris. Both these drain
and
along
into
the Cauvery river.
2.4
Geology
In
the
formation
quartz
of
study
area the underlying rock
Archean
origin traversed
by
is
a
gneissic
trapdykes.
reef exist in the north-eastern part of the
area
Fine
and
while iron ore is found around Anchetty and along the
river
banks.
varying
from
in
the
which
The most conunon soil type is a red
depth and fertility. Such red soils
decomposition and weathering
are
more
or
less
of
Cauvery
sandy
are
loam
derived
underlying
ferrugineous,
rocks
especially
the
hornblendic varieties. There is generally a deficiency of lime
in the soil.
2.5
Climate
2-5.1
Rainfall
Although
benefit
both
the monsoons
(Southwest
and
Northeast)
the study area, the Southwest monsoon (May -
August)
brings more rains. The average rainfall varies between 700 and
950
mm (Fig. 3 ) . The northern portions of the
(Thally and Denkanikotta ranges) receive
Hosur
plateau
a fairly high annual
rainfall ( about 950 mm) while in the southern portion of
plateau
(Anchetty, Hogenakkal and Urigam) the average
the
annual
rainfall seldom exceeds 700 mm.
2.5.2
Temperature
During winter (December-January) the minimum
temperature
is often below 10 C while the maximum temperature is generally
under 25 C and seldom the temperature reaches 35 C during
hottest
days. During the dry season the minimum
temperature recorded were 23 C and
35
and
C respectively.
the
maximum
Z.6t
Human
The
settlements
and
biotic
pressure
study area Is well known for its
livestock
camps.
The
major sources of revenue for the
around
the
study
area
are
cultivation,
penning
people
the
in
live
stock
grazing, Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) collection and
cutting.
The biotic pressure are also increasing due
and
wood
to
the
industrial expansion around the study area.
Apart from the seven major smokeless industries in SIPCOT
there are some fruit juice package, dry food processing
and red tiles manufacturers are basically
industries
second
which
units
fuel wood dependent
are expanding towards the study
phase of SIPCOT started recently is likely
area.
to
more than 4000 families and this extension also would
The
employ
increase
the biotic pressure in the study area.
All
areas
possible low lying fertile, water persistent
expansion
of
cultivation over revenue lands has made enough dents into
the
study
are
area
under
and
cultivation.
consequently,
corridors become bottle necks.
The
in
recent
forest
some
areas
the
crucial
Fig. 3
Fig. a.
Fig. b.
THALLY
300
300
260--
2S0
S
J
M
S
1988
J
M
S
J
M
A
MONTHS
DENKANIKOTTAI
8
J
1988
1091
S
J
M
S
M A
1991
MONTHS
R a i n f a l l
Fig. c.
ANCHETTY
260
S
S
1988
J
M
S
MONTHS
Rainfall
Rainfall pattern In various parts of the study area
M
A
1991