Andaman And Nicobar Islands: Flora - Revision history

Pdewan: /* Vanilla andamanica Rolfe(Orchid) */

2023-06-28T18:06:46Z

‎Vanilla andamanica Rolfe(Orchid)

Pdewan: /* TIMBER */

2023-06-28T18:05:59Z

‎TIMBER

Pdewan: /* FISHES */

2023-06-28T18:02:15Z

‎FISHES

Pdewan: /* FAUNA */

2023-06-28T16:55:19Z

‎FAUNA

Pdewan: /* Pandanus odoratissimus Linn.f.(Kewda) */

2023-06-28T13:28:59Z

‎Pandanus odoratissimus Linn.f.(Kewda)

Pdewan: /* Parasitic plants */

2023-06-28T13:28:18Z

‎Parasitic plants

Pdewan: /* FAUNA */

2023-06-28T13:27:48Z

‎FAUNA

Pdewan: /* An overview */

2023-06-28T13:26:16Z

‎An overview

Pdewan: /* An overview */

2023-06-28T13:25:57Z

‎An overview

Pdewan: /* An overview */

2023-06-28T13:24:40Z

‎An overview

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 [[Category:India|A ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA
 ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA]]
 ==Vanilla andamanica Rolfe(Orchid) ==
 OrchidThis climbing orchid is endemic to Andaman & Nicobar Islands, it has creamy white fragrant flowers. It is considered to be wild relative of Vanilla planifolia which is the source of 'Vanilla' essence, which is used for flavouring Ice creams, cakes etc.
 ==Xylocarpus molluccensis (Lam.) Roem. ==

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 The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and orchids. The Middle Andamans harbours mostly moist deciduous forests. North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers. The north Nicobar Islands (including Car Nicobar and Battimalv) are marked by the complete absence of evergreen forests, while such forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group. Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars, and while deciduous forests are common in the Andamans, they are almost absent in the Nicobars". This atypical forest coverage is made-up of twelve types namely (1) Giant evergreen forest (2) Andamans tropical evergreen forest (3) Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest (4) Cane brakes (5) Wet bamboo brakes (6) Andamans semi-evergreen forest (7) Andamans moist deciduous forest (8) Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest (9) Littoral forest (10) Mangrove forest (11) Brackish water mixed forest (12) Submontane hill valley swamp forest. The present forest coverage is claimed to be 86.2% of the total land area.
 [[Category:Andaman And Nicobar Islands|F ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA
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 [[Category:India|A ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA
 ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA]]
 =Details=

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:02, 28 June 2023
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	[[Category:India\|A ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA		[[Category:India\|A ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA
	ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA]]		ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA]]
−
−	~~=FISHES=~~
−	Each life form in the sea is confined to its own particular zone, where pressure, light, temperature and salinity are more or less constant. In this stable environment some creatures have remained unchanged throughout their entire history. The now famous Coelacanth, one of the groups of fishes thought to have been extinct for 60 million years, has remained essentially like its relatives as they appear in fossils. Fishes are the masters of water world. For more than 360 million years they have inhabited it. Today we have about 40,000 varieties of fishes known to science. They range in size from 10 mm (Philippine Gobie) to 21m. (whale shark). Some are flattened, others inflated, many spindle shaped, a few snakelike, still others are compressed depending on the environment in which they live or particular way of life.
−	~~==MARINE AQUARIUM==~~
−	Marine fish and animal keeping still has a certain mystique attached to it. This is one of the most complicated aspects of live stock management. The animal husbandry involved in it is mainly nurtured through water chemistry and microbiology. The tropical coral reef inhabitants are generally maintained in glass boxes known to us as marine aquariums. These animals turn 'fragile' under captive atmosphere because the natural system to which they belong is so heterogeneous, complex and dynamic with every tide bringing in a different condition that is so difficult to create artificially. However, since May l853 when the first tropical marine aquarium was made public in London, much has been understood and we are now able to practice a system where these animals are acclimatized and taught to be happy in their new environs.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:55, 28 June 2023
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−	~~=FAUNA=~~
−	~~This tropical rain forest despite its isolation from adjacent land masses is surprisingly enriched with many animals.~~
−	~~==MAMMALS ==~~
−	About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in A&N Islands, most of them are understood to be brought in from outside and are now considered endemic due to their prolonged insular adaptation.

−	~~Rat is the largest group having 26 species followed by 14 species of bat.~~
−
−	~~Among the larger mammals there are two endemic varieties of wild pig namely Sus Scrofa andamanensis from Andaman and S.S.nicobaricus from Nicobar.~~
−
−	~~The spotted deer Axis axis, Barking deer and Sambar are found in Andaman District.~~
−
−	~~Interview island in Middle Andaman holds a fairly good stock of feral elephants. These elephants were brought in for forest work by a private contractor who subsequently left them loose.~~
−	~~==Butterflies and Moths ==~~
−	With about 225 species, the A&N Islands house some of the larger and most spectacular butterflies of the world. Ten species are endemic to these Islands. Mount Harriet National Park is one of the richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on these Islands.
−	~~==Shells ==~~
−	Shells are perhaps the most colourful and fascinating objects known to man other than Gems since time immemorial. They served as money, ornaments, musical instruments, drinking cups, in magic and in the making of fine porcelains. They were also the symbols in rituals and religious observances, and the returning pilgrims wore them as a token of divine pardon. These islands are traditionally known for their shell wealth specially Turbo,Trochus, Murex and Nautilus. Earliest recorded commercial exploitation began during 1929. Shells are important to these islands because some like Turbo, Trochus & Nautilus etc. are being used as novelties supporting many cottage industries producing a wide range of decorative items & ornaments. Shells such as Giant clam, Green mussel and Oyster support edible shellfishery, a few like Scallop, Clam and Cockle are burnt in kiln to produce edible lime. The Univalve or one shell group belongs to the class Gastropoda having more than 80,000 species. Sacred Chank belongs to this group. Their body, in the course of development, go through a complicated process, 'torsion' i.e. the visceral mass is twisted though 90 degree together with the shell that covers it. Under mysterious circumstances many a time this process proceeds in the reverse direction thus creating an abnormal shell which otherwise lives like a normal shell. A classic example is the most wanted left-handed chank. The Bivalve or Pelecypoda has about 20,000 living species. Majority of then burrows in sand or mud such as Pearl Oyster, Wing oyster, Giant clam etc. A third group, which is comparatively smaller, is called Cephalopoda, which includes Octopus, Squid, Nautilus etc. The soft body animal, which lives inside the shell, is covered with a thick layer of specialised epithelium cells known as rnantle, which in turn secretes a two tier shell material making the shell. The outer layer having a different colour pattern is organic in constitution, technically called 'periostracum'. Calcium ions from the environment are absorbed into the blood and deposited evenly under this layer. The next inner layer is called 'nacre' or 'mother of pearl' responsible for the pearly lustre common to many shells.
−	~~==CORALS==~~
−	Corals belong to a large group of animals known as Coelenterata (stinging animals) or Cnidaria (thread animals). Corals grow slow, they have type wise site specific growth rates. The massive forms may grow upto 2 cm. in diameter and upto 1 cm in height a year, whereas, delicate branching forms grow between 5 to 10 cm. per annum. A true reef building stony coral may be unisexual or bisexual. They breed together once in a year at a pre-determined time after dusk. This process, at places is so intense that the water stays pinkish till next morning. A large number of baby corals are released in the open ocean this way. After sometime these baby corals settle over a suitable substratum and start forming new colonies through asexual reproduction. Their morphological features change with the environment in which they settle. Due to this peculiar character they are often called 'Plastic animals'. Stony corals could be broadly divided into reef builders and non-reef builders, the reef builders are called hermatypic whereas others are known as ahermatypic corals. The reef builders possess hard calcareous skeleton and need sunlight like plants to survive. On the other hand, the non-reef builders are devoid of a true stony framework and can live well without sunlight. A few among them are capable of making protein based solidified skeleton

	[[Category:Andaman And Nicobar Islands\|F ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA		[[Category:Andaman And Nicobar Islands\|F ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA

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 ==Pandanus odoratissimus Linn.f.(Kewda) ==
 KewdaThe male flowers are valued for their fragrance and used for the hair decoration & the extraction of kewda attar and kewda water are highly prized in Indian perfumery. It is very frequent in all the groups of Islands.
 ==Vanilla andamanica Rolfe(Orchid) ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:28, 28 June 2023
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	Marine fish and animal keeping still has a certain mystique attached to it. This is one of the most complicated aspects of live stock management. The animal husbandry involved in it is mainly nurtured through water chemistry and microbiology. The tropical coral reef inhabitants are generally maintained in glass boxes known to us as marine aquariums. These animals turn 'fragile' under captive atmosphere because the natural system to which they belong is so heterogeneous, complex and dynamic with every tide bringing in a different condition that is so difficult to create artificially. However, since May l853 when the first tropical marine aquarium was made public in London, much has been understood and we are now able to practice a system where these animals are acclimatized and taught to be happy in their new environs.		Marine fish and animal keeping still has a certain mystique attached to it. This is one of the most complicated aspects of live stock management. The animal husbandry involved in it is mainly nurtured through water chemistry and microbiology. The tropical coral reef inhabitants are generally maintained in glass boxes known to us as marine aquariums. These animals turn 'fragile' under captive atmosphere because the natural system to which they belong is so heterogeneous, complex and dynamic with every tide bringing in a different condition that is so difficult to create artificially. However, since May l853 when the first tropical marine aquarium was made public in London, much has been understood and we are now able to practice a system where these animals are acclimatized and taught to be happy in their new environs.

−	~~=Parasitic plants=~~
−	~~==Septemeranthus==~~
−	~~[https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/new-genus-of-parasitic-flowering-plant-discovered-from-nicobar-islands/article38345955.ece Shiv Sahay Singh, Jan 30, 2022: ''The Hindu'']~~

−	[[File: Septemeranthus.jpg\|Septemeranthus <br/> From: [https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/new-genus-of-parasitic-flowering-plant-discovered-from-nicobar-islands/article38345955.ece Shiv Sahay Singh, Jan 30, 2022: ''The Hindu'']\|frame\|500px]]
−
−
−	~~'''New genus of parasitic flowering plant discovered from Nicobar Islands'''~~
−
−	~~''Septemeranthus partially depends on its host but also has leaves capable of photosynthesis''~~
−
−	A new genus of a parasitic flowering plant has recently been discovered from the Nicobar group of islands. The genusSeptemeranthusgrows on the plant species Horsfieldia glabra(Blume) Warb. The parasitic flowering plants have a modified root structure spread on the stem of the tree and are anchored inside the bark of the host tree.
−
−	The plant was found on the periphery of the tropical forest in one of the biodiversity hotspots referred to as the Nicobar group of islands separated from the Andaman group of Islands by a wide gap of 160 km with heavy tidal flows.
−
−
−	~~'''Heart-shaped leaves'''~~
−
−	The genusSeptemeranthushas a distinct vegetative morphology, inflorescence architecture and floral characters.The leaves of the plant are heart-shaped with a very long tip and the ovary,fruit and seeds are ‘urceolate’ (earthen pot-shaped). The flowers have five persistent bracts having conspicuous margins. The name Septemeranthusis derived from the Latin word ‘septem’ meaning ‘seven’, referring to the arrangement of flowers.The details of the discovery were published in theJournal of Botanical Taxonomy and Geobotany Feddes Repertorium.The genus belongs to the family Loranthaceae, a hemi-parasite under the sandalwood order Santalales and is of widespread importance. Plants which are hemi-parasites are partially dependent on their host plants for nutrition.For instance, the newly discovered plant that derives nutrients from its hosts has green leaves capable of photosynthesis.Loranthaceae is currently represented by nine genera and are found all across the country.What makes the new genus unique is that it is endemic only to the Nicobar group of islands. Lal Ji Singh, Joint Director, Botanical Survey of India, who has discovered the genus, said, “During field studies, I found the birds consume viscous seeds of this new genus and seeds have potential of pseudo viviparous germination that deposit on the leaves and branches of their same plant which is already attached to host plants. After germination, the life cycle of the genus starts all over again.”
−
−	Hemi-parasites include are commonly referred to as mistletoes that contain 18 families, 160 genera and over 2,200 species.They need a host tree or shrub in order to thrive and exhibit a worldwide distribution in tropical as well as temperate habitats that evolved approximately five times in the order and are important in forest ecology, pathology and medicine. They play an important role as they provide food for frugivorous birds.In addition to Septemeranthus,four other genera on non-parasitic plants, Nicobariodendron(Hippocrateaceae),Pseudodiplospora (Rubiaceae),Pubistylis(Rubiaceae),Sphyranthera, (Euphorbiaceae) have also been discovered earlier from Nicobar group of islands, highlighting the ecological significance of the region. Recently a new species in the hemiparasitic family Loranthaceae,Dendrophthoe laljiihave also been discovered from the Nicobar group of islands.

	[[Category:Andaman And Nicobar Islands\|F ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA		[[Category:Andaman And Nicobar Islands\|F ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA

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 [[Category:India|A ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORAANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA
 ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA]]
 =FAUNA=
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 ==CORALS==
 Corals belong to a large group of animals known as Coelenterata (stinging animals) or Cnidaria (thread animals). Corals grow slow, they have type wise site specific growth rates. The massive forms may grow upto 2 cm. in diameter and upto 1 cm in height a year, whereas, delicate branching forms grow between 5 to 10 cm. per annum. A true reef building stony coral may be unisexual or bisexual. They breed together once in a year at a pre-determined time after dusk. This process, at places is so intense that the water stays pinkish till next morning. A large number of baby corals are released in the open ocean this way. After sometime these baby corals settle over a suitable substratum and start forming new colonies through asexual reproduction. Their morphological features change with the environment in which they settle. Due to this peculiar character they are often called 'Plastic animals'. Stony corals could be broadly divided into reef builders and non-reef builders, the reef builders are called hermatypic whereas others are known as ahermatypic corals. The reef builders possess hard calcareous skeleton and need sunlight like plants to survive. On the other hand, the non-reef builders are devoid of a true stony framework and can live well without sunlight. A few among them are capable of making protein based solidified skeleton
 =FISHES=
 Each life form in the sea is confined to its own particular zone, where pressure, light, temperature and salinity are more or less constant. In this stable environment some creatures have remained unchanged throughout their entire history. The now famous Coelacanth, one of the groups of fishes thought to have been extinct for 60 million years, has remained essentially like its relatives as they appear in fossils. Fishes are the masters of water world. For more than 360 million years they have inhabited it. Today we have about 40,000 varieties of fishes known to science. They range in size from 10 mm (Philippine Gobie) to 21m. (whale shark). Some are flattened, others inflated, many spindle shaped, a few snakelike, still others are compressed depending on the environment in which they live or particular way of life.

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 =An overview=
-[[http://andssw1.and.nic.in/dsc/Common/FloraFauna.htm#:~:text=%22The%20South%20Andaman%20forests%20have,with%20plenty%20of%20woody%20climbers  District and Sessions Court/ Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
+[http://andssw1.and.nic.in/dsc/Common/FloraFauna.htm#:~:text=%22The%20South%20Andaman%20forests%20have,with%20plenty%20of%20woody%20climbers  District and Sessions Court/ Andaman and Nicobar Islands]
 These Islands are blessed with a unique' luxuriant evergreen tropical rainforest canopy, sheltering a mixed germ plasm bank, comprising of Indian, Myanmarese, Malaysian and endemic floral strain. So far, about 2200,varieties of plants have been recorded out of which 200 are endemic and 1300 do not occur in mainland India."
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 Padauk being steadier than teak is widely used for furniture making. Burr and the Buttress formation in Andaman Padauk are World famous for their exceptionally unique charm and figuring. Largest piece of Buttress known from Andaman was a dining table of 13'x 7'. The largest piece of Burr was again a dining table to seat eight persons at a time. The holy Rudraksha (Elaeocarps sphaericus) and aromatic Dhoop/Resin trees also occur here.
 [[Category:Andaman And Nicobar Islands|F ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: FLORA