Biodiversity expedition to Kerala

Kerala’s coastal ecosystems

At Kolavi, Thikkodi, Kappad and Calicut Beach we will examine tropical strand vegetation and the transition between land and sea. Typical elements include Ipomoea pes-caprae, Spinifex littoreus, Pandanus, Calophyllum and coconut-dominated littoral vegetation, together with estuarine and shallow-water fauna.

Flora: goat’s-foot creeper (Ipomoea pes-caprae), a classic sand-binding pioneer on tropical beaches; screwpine (Pandanus odorifer), a characteristic woody element of the coastal fringe. Fauna: olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), which seasonally nests on parts of the Kerala coast; Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), a striking marine mammal of nearshore waters.

Kadalundi mangroves and estuary

Kadalundi Community Reserve combines tidal channels, mangrove vegetation and rich birdlife. Mudskippers, crabs, prawns and estuarine fishes occupy the intertidal zone, while herons, kingfishers, waders, plovers and terns use the mudflats and waterways.

Flora: Rhizophora mangrove (Rhizophora apiculata), representative of Kerala’s estuarine habitats; Avicennia mangrove (Avicennia officinalis), another characteristic tree of tidal wetlands. Fauna: mudskippers (Periophthalmus spp.), amphibious fishes adapted to exposed mud; smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata), a charismatic semi-aquatic mammal of quiet estuaries.

Myristica swamp forest

At Vallikattukavu we will visit one of the most unusual Western Ghats habitats: waterlogged evergreen forest dominated by nutmeg-family trees. Stilt roots, buttresses and knee roots are adaptations to saturated soils; specialised amphibians and caecilians occupy the wet forest floor.

Flora: Myristica swamp tree (Gymnacranthera farquhariana), which develops conspicuous knee roots above waterlogged soil; swamp syzygium (Syzygium travancoricum), a Critically Endangered endemic tree. Fauna: dancing frogs (Micrixalus spp.), famous for toe-waving displays beside forest streams; caecilians (Ichthyophis spp.), limbless amphibians living in wet organic soil.

Evergreen forests of Thusharagiri and Wayanad

These mid-elevation forests have a multilayered canopy with Cullenia, Mesua, Palaquium and wild nutmegs, together with canes, ferns, balsams and a rich epiphytic orchid flora. We will look at canopy layering, epiphytes, forest-edge transitions and changes in vegetation with rainfall and elevation.

Flora: wild durian (Cullenia exarillata), a major canopy tree and food source for endemic mammals; wild nutmeg (Myristica dactyloides), a characteristic shade-tolerant tree. Fauna: lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), one of the best-known rainforest primates of the Western Ghats; Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), a large arboreal squirrel of forest canopies.

Silent Valley National Park

A major rainforest landscape protecting tropical moist evergreen forest in the Nilgiri Hills and important endemic Western Ghats fauna. Forest specialists such as lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri langurs, shieldtail snakes and many bush frogs are closely tied to these ancient mountain habitats.

Flora of the high-elevation shola forests: Nilgiri rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum subsp. nilagiricum), a relict high-elevation plant; the epiphytic orchid Coelogyne mossiae, associated with cool, moist shola forest. Fauna: shieldtail snakes (Uropeltis spp.), specialised burrowing snakes of moist shola humus; endemic bush frogs (Raorchestes spp.), a highly diverse Western Ghats group.

Chinnar, a dry forest in the rain shadow

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats and includes dry deciduous forest, thorn scrub and riparian habitats. Sandalwood, Hardwickia, Anogeissus and Boswellia are representative plants.

Flora: Indian sandalwood (Santalum album), naturally present in the Chinnar–Marayoor landscape; Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata), adapted to steep, dry slopes. Fauna: grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura), the flagship mammal of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary; Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans), an iconic dry-zone reptile.

Munnar, Kolukkumalai and Eravikulam

Tea plantations form a striking managed landscape in the high Western Ghats. Eravikulam National Park protects a high-elevation mosaic of shola forest and montane grasslands and is famous for the endemic Nilgiri tahr.

Flora: Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), a famous mass-flowering shrub with a 12-year cycle; wild balsams (Impatiens spp.), colourful high-elevation herbs with many endemic species. Around the tea gardens: silver oak (Grevillea robusta), widely planted as a fast-growing shade tree, and Macaranga peltata, a pioneer of secondary vegetation. Fauna: Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), the iconic mountain ungulate of Eravikulam; Nilgiri pipit (Anthus nilghiriensis), an endemic of high-elevation tussock grassland; Malabar barbet (Psilopogon rubricapillus) and Asian fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) along forest edges and secondary growth.

Vagamon, montane landscapes

Open meadows, wooded patches and secondary vegetation provide a useful comparison with the shola-grassland system around Munnar.

Kadamakkudi island wetlands

Near Kochi, an estuarine island landscape with open water, aquatic vegetation and rich birdlife reconnects the route with Kerala’s lowland wetlands.

Flora: mangrove trumpet tree (Dolichandrone spathacea), a mangrove-associated tree; sea holly (Acanthus ilicifolius), a spiny associate of tidal wetlands. Fauna: Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster), the long-necked snakebird of open wetlands; pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus), adapted to floating vegetation.