PHYSICAL FEATURES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

FORESTS

FORESTS.-The district of Ratnagiri is formed by a narrow belt of low Natural Resources. land, lying between the Indian Ocean and the Sahyadri hills, with a total length of about 300 miles and a breadth of thirty to forty-five miles. Though hilly and rugged as a whole, the district presents in different parts many characteristic features. Near the Sahyadri hills the valleys are more open and the hills less rugged than towards the centre of the district, which is little less than a mass of wild rugged hills. These again, towards the coast, fall into nearly level plateaus in great part made barren by a capping of laterite rock, cleft by deep narrow steep-sided valleys and ravines, through which rivers and streams find their Way from the Sahyadri hills to the sea.

The forest areas in the district except in Dapoli, Sawantwadi and Kudal talukas are in charge of the Revenue department. The talukawise distribution of forest areas in the district is as below:-

About 1829, on the suggestions of the Collector, Mr. Dunlop, the forests were for the most part placed at the disposal of the people. The grant was considered as a charter for unlicensed, unlimited and unguarded wood cutting. Untold quantities of Ratnagiri wo3d were year after year, sent to Bombay. After the proclamation, the people sold the standing timber as fast as they could find buyers. This resulted in the denudation of private forests and at present most of the country is void of forest growth.

The only forests in charge of the Forest department, are in Dapoli, Sawantwadi and Kudal talukas.

Dapoli Taluka.-The forest area in charge of the Forest department is only four square miles. Teak and other moist deciduous species grow in this area. It has been included in the present Janjira Sub-Division. The teak that is available in this area is of a superior quality.

Sawantwadi and Kudal Talukas.-The terrain of the ex-Sawantwadi State, i.e., Sawantwadi and Kudal is a typical example of the Konkan tract of which it forms the southern part. Its entire bulk lies to the west of the main ridge line of the Sahyadris except the plateau region which is wedged in between the Belgaum and Kolhapur district borders. The tract thus lies within the narrow physical limits between Sahyadri heights reaching 3,200 above the mean sea level down to elevations approaching sea level. The average width of the tract is 20 miles only and the whole tract is entirely rugged and hilly with precipitous drops in places.

The forests of the former Sawantwadi State mainly fall into two distinct climatic formations: (1) Bombay sub-tropical ever-green forests and (2) South Indian tropical moist deciduous forests. The latter is composed of two edaphic variations: (i) forests having laterite red soil and (ii) forests with sandy loams. The main species on the plateau of the top canopy is anjani (Memecylon edule) which associates in order of incidence with hirda (Termi-nalia Chebula), amberi (Nothopegia colebrookiana), amba (Mangi-fera indica), shendri (Mallotus philippinensis), asena (Bridelia retusa), landi (Legerstroemia parviflora), bibi (Holigarna arnot-tiana), Callicarpa species and Jambhul (Eugenia jambolana), which is rather sparse. The middle canopy is made up of bhoma (Glochidion lanceolarium), parjambhul (Olea dioica), dinda (leea macrophylla), tamalpatra (Cinnamomum tamala), pandhari (Murraya exotica), makad limbu (Atlantia monophylla), kutkuta (Comiarus wightii), narkya (Mappia foetida), bhandira (Clerondandron infortunatum), tupa (Canthium umballatum), dikemali (Gardenia lucida), karavti (Streblus asper), triphol (Zanthoxylum rhotsa), kalhoni (Hydno-carpus wightina) and Glycosmis pentaphylla, kapshi (Lingustrum neilgherrense), vanephalli (Garcinia malabarica), and kumbhal (Sideroxylon tomentosum), occur in both the upper as well as middle canopies.. The undergrowth consists of both evergreen and deciduous species such as hasoli (Grewia mocroces), wakeri (Wagatea spicata), karvi (Strebilanthus callosus), harki (Rauwolfia serpentina), nirgud (Vitex negundo), nirgunda (Vitex trifolia) and ukshi (Galycopteris floribunda). There is also some incidence of cane (Calemus thwaitesii) too, but not on a scale, making its exploitation worth while.

The composition on the western slopes is characterised by the rapid disappearance of anjani (Memecylon edule), as the elevation falls and increasing presence of such members in the canopy as jambhul (Eugenia jambolana), parjambhul (Olea dioica), nana (Lagerstroemia lanceolata), ain (Terminalia tomentosa), jamba (Xylia zylocarpa) and koshimb (Schleichera trijuga), rather prominently making a transition from ever-green into the moist deciduous.

The most characteristic species is teak (Tectona grandis) which reaches luxuriant size in the sandy loams found in Mangaon and parts of Malgaon and Mazgaon rounds. In lateritic red soils, teak has reached moderate size particularly during the period of earlier plans. In both the edaphic variations, it is associated with ain (Terminalia tomentosa), kinjal (Terminalia paniculata), nana (Lagerstroemia lanceolata), siddum (Tatramelas nudiflora), Koshimb (Schleichera trijuga), kinai (Albizzia precera), sawar (Bombax malabaricum), shiras (Albizzia labbek), wavla (Holoptalia integrifolia), etc., forming the top canopy. The dominant species jamba (Xylia Xylocarpa) and koshimb (Schleichera trijuga), are seen to associate teak in over-whelming preponderance in lateritic red soils and not in sandy loams formed from granite or granitoid gneiss. The proportion of teak in this canopy varies from region to region, between nil to almost 30 per cent. of the crop. The proportion of leak is considerable towards the northern side of the tract.

The species forming a middle storey are bibi (Holigarna arnot-tiana), satwin (Alstonia scholarim), asan (bibla) (pterocarsus marsuphium), kajara (Strychnes muxvomica), amba (Mangifera indica), phanas (Artocarpus integrifolia), shisham (Dalbargia lati-folia) kokum (Carcinia indica), watamb (Artocarpus lakoocha), pangara (Erythrina indica), paneruk (Sterculia urens), kolinder (sterculia guttata), kumbhi (Careya arborea), phanashi (Carallia integerrima) shivan (Gmelina arborea), etc., hed (Adina cordifolia), and kalamb (Mitragyna Parviflora) being rather sparse.

The under growth is generally made up of the ever green shrubs, ukshi (Calycopteria floribunda), dhaiti (woodfordia floribunda), hasoli (Grewia nicreces), kuda (Helarrhena antidysenterica), kudi (Wrightia tinctoria), bhandira (Clerodendron infortunatum), bedki (Gymnema sylvestra), toran (Zizyphus rugosa), tippan (Allophyllus cobbe), karawand (Carrisea carandus), etc. Ghaneri (Lantana camara) is seen to invade western exposed forest lands due to cuttings, done for kumri cultivation in the past.

The forests in some parts and along the low ghat line touching the toes of Sahyadris contain species of bamboos main among which are velu (Bambusa arundinaces) and chivari (kadhani Oxytenanthera monostigma) ; manage (Oxytenanthera stockeli), being foud only in Malki lands.

The teak areas in Kudal peta appear to have suffered serious maltreatment in the past. Even the large size trees are seen to have lost their form. The greatest damage to forests is caused along the border approaching the Goa territory as considerable amount of wanton cutting has occurred here in the past, rendering the very form of growth quite stunted and leaving the land bare in many places. Towards the east, the forests are being maintained and on the whole a major part of the forests is saved from depredations since the beginning of organised working under definite plans.

The chief consuming centres for major forest produce are Vengurla, Malvan, Ratnagiri, Shiroda, Aronda, Kankavli and Sawantwadi in Ratnagiri district and Kolhapur, Nipani, Belgaum, Gadhinglaj and Ajra outside Ratnagiri. Minor forest produce such as shikekai, shembi-bark, sawar cotton, tamalpatra, kokam, watsol, wavding and hirda are mostly exported to Bombay, via Vengurla harbour. The tract has a net-work of roads although no roads are constructed by the Forest department.

LIST OF TREES, SHRUBS, CUMBERS, BAMBOOS AND GRASSES OCCURRING IN THE FORESTS OF RATNAGIRI DISTRICT.

The following is a list of the chief minor forest produce from the Ratnagiri district.

TOP