Context:
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is experimenting with the removal of a potential new species of invasive plant Senna tora that has begun emerging in parts of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).
Relevance:
GS III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Senna Tora Plant
- About Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Senna Tora Plant
- The Senna tora plant is originally from Central America.
- This plant can be classified as an annual, perennial, or subshrub and primarily thrives in wet tropical environments.
- It begins to sprout following the southwest monsoon, establishes itself in increasingly arid areas, and typically dies off by the year’s end.
- Senna tora serves various purposes including use as animal feed, a toxin, and a medicinal herb. It also has environmental applications and can be used as food.
About Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
- Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu state at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1st Biosphere Reserve in India) along with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the West, Bandipur National Park (Karnataka) in the North, Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley in the South.
- The Reserve has tall grasses, commonly referred to as ‘Elephant Grass’, a variety of Bamboos, several species of endemic flora and valuable timber species.
- The Tiger and Asian Elephant are the Flagship Species of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, along with a wide variety of more than 260 species of birds.
-Source: The Hindu
