Coffee Forests and Wildlife Credits
Dr.Anand Titus Pereira is a Coffee Evaluator and Technical Consultant to Canara Bank (A Govt. of India Enterprise)
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, "Forests for People" is the main theme of the Year, highlighting the dynamic relationship between forests and the people who depend on them. In this article we talk about coffee forests and three interdependent relationships, commonly referred to as the tripartite coffee forest symbiosis.
Shade grown Coffee forests are positioned deep in the heart of the Western Ghats. Coffee forests are blessed with an extraordinary wealth of wildlife and other forms of biodiversity. A vast majority of Shade grown eco friendly Indian coffee forests cultivating more than 90 % of coffee are flanked by National parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The Bandipur National park flanked by Nagarahole National park, Madhumalai wild life sanctuary and Wayanad wildlife sanctuary, together constitute the protected NILGIRI BIOSPHERE reserve, which is India's first biosphere reserve. These Game reserves are a key breeding landscape for tigers, elephants, leopards, sambars, Gaur, wild dogs and other mega fauna distributed across the three states of Karnataka, Kerala and Chennai. Indian coffee is a proud partner of this biosphere reserve. In addition to this reserve, we have the Kudremukh National park in Chikmagalur District, the Brahmagiri and Pushpagiri range in the District of Coorg and a number of reserve forests like Muthodi, Maldare, and Bislae, which act as natural bridges for the migration of wildlife. Incidentally, the Kudremukh National Park is given an additional status of Tiger reserve.
Our research spanning 22 years with respect to coffee plantation ecology and mapping the biodiversity of the Western Ghats has clearly brought out the symbiotic role played between and among various biotic partners in increasing the intrinsic value of shade grown eco friendly Indian coffee. The main objective in writing this article is to take readers to the next level in bringing about a global awareness concerning the types of wildlife wealth inside shade grown eco friendly Indian coffee forests and the delicate thread that binds the coffee forests and wildlife together with the adjoining national parks and game sanctuaries. This symbiosis is commonly referred to as the TRIPARTITE SYMBIOSIS, where all the three partners, Coffee forests, wildlife and National parks utilize the resources in a mutually reinforcing manner.
The Indian coffee landscape is wondrously rich in flora and fauna. Coffee forests are gifted with the most diverse biodiversity in terms of plant, animal, insect and microbial species. Any outsider will be stunned by the sheer perfection of the coffee forest and the majestic beauty of the coffee mountain. From the outside it is difficult to imagine the power of various life forms that inhabit each coffee growing region.
This simple article tries to address two key issues. First, to highlight the importance of coffee forests as migratory corridors for rare, threatened and endangered wildlife and second to work on an entirely new concept where technology development would have to pay attention to ecological sustainability and habitat conservation. This article on wildlife credits evaluates the impact of economic growth on the environment, especially the coffee forests, posed by the loss of wildlife due to relentless pressure from logging, mining and other undesirable activities. It is a matter of paramount importance to find equilibrium between economic development and conservation of wildlife! Ecological dimensions have been brought into the development debate for reasons of equity as well as from the point of view of a desirable pattern of growth. We need to find acceptance values for environmental services rendered by the coffee forest.
In this article we have gone one step further, in asking the scientific and global community to probe our findings and provide the growing community with a wildlife landscape label that will earn precious conservation credits which will enable the coffee farmer to be motivated to safeguard the earth's precious biological resources. It is our view point that the global community committed to social and environmental concerns, join in to promote greater awareness of the fragile coffee landscape together with the endangered and rare species there in for the benefit of future generations.
The point that we are trying to make is that, in spite of the fact that shade coffee is responsible in creation of wealth in India's economic development; supporting livelihood of small and marginal coffee farmers, providing employment opportunities to unskilled workers and more importantly providing a wide assortment of environmental services as well, the coffee forests have not been suitably recognized for the tangible and intangible benefits they provide. Despite the biological riches inside the coffee forests, the coffee farmers derive no legal income in terms of landscape labeling, tourism, wildlife credits, and carbon credits but the income from illegal actions like poaching, selling wildlife as pets, meat, fur etc is on the rise year after year. The impact is both hidden and apparent. Each year, foreigners purchase millions of dollars worth of wildlife from India. The biological resources are depleting at an alarming rate because of smuggling and other activities.
The Western Ghats runs through five states of India and are contiguous in nature. In three States, namely Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which contribute to more than 90% of India's shade coffee, the British opened up coffee plantations in selective pockets. The high altitude ranges with abundant canopy cover was selected for the Arabic's and the lower elevations reserved for the Robust's.
Off late this fragile hot spot a vital part of the Nilgiri Biosphere is grabbing International headlines because it harbors economically important, rare and threatened flora and fauna. Unfortunately, very little research has been carried out to discover the diversity of life forms that we still have not taken measure of. A vast majority of the rare and endemic flora and fauna can be only found here because the Western Ghats provides both the macro and micro habitat that is essential for the survival of the species.
Wildlife Refuge
Every Plantation acts as a wildlife sanctuary. Rare species of birds and a multitude of migratory birds often nest inside the coffee plantations. Apart from big game like tigers, elephants, leopards and wild buffaloes (Gaur) other species such as the slender Loris, leopard cat, green pigeon, Emerald dove, woolly necked crane, Whistling Teals, changeable hawk eagle, all thrive in the forest. All estates have waterholes for the purpose of irrigation. In fact, our Estate known as KIREHALLI, literally translates to "Estate full of lakes or tanks". At present, we have six Tanks; each measuring one and a half acres and 20 feet in depth. These tanks act as watersheds and recharge the groundwater, for future generations. During the night they act as waterholes for wildlife.
Man-made Forests
Marginal lands or grasslands are slowly and steadily converted to bio-rich coffee plantations by first growing a cover crop of legumes like Sesbania and Daincha, followed by growing millions of trees, which acts as shade for wildlife and birds.
Biologists, Zoologists, Microbiologists and Botanists have recently discovered new species of flowering plants, trees of medicinal importance and new species of microorganisms, insects and animals, yet the various methods of estimation place the number yet to be discovered as thousand fold more. The coffee forests provide sanctuary for Unknown numbers of plants and animals, both on the canopy as well as floor of the forest floor, the vast majority of which are specifically adapted to life in the tree tops or canopy. It is our understanding that 90 per cent of life forms in terms of microorganisms, insects and other small mammals reside inside the canopy and today it is the canopy which is at utmost risk because of deforestation and logging.
In our earlier articles on coffee forest symbiosis we brought out the interdependence where by the various partners inside the coffee ecosystem is dependent on one another to fulfill their biological needs. This type of biological interdependency may range from a simple symbiosis to an obligate one, where in one partner may need the other to complete their life cycle. These intimate and obligatory symbiotic relationships have developed over many centuries and any break up may significantly disrupt the functioning of the entire coffee ecosystem.
Significance of coffee forests:
Coffee forests are found in the heart of the Western Ghats at different altitudes ranging from 700 meters main sea level right up to 1550 meters main sea level. Since coffee is grown in very selective elevations with varied layers of tree canopy, each coffee forest is distinct in terms of elevation and rainfall pattern.
Depending on the terrain, the forests are classified as scrub forest, moist deciduous forest, semi evergreen forest, evergreen forests, shola type and dry deciduous forest. Correspondingly, each forest type harbors a specific assemblage of wild life. About 100 mammal species, including about 6000 elephants and 300 tigers, 73 reptiles and 58 amphibians have been recorded in Karnataka.
The PROTECTED AREA NETWORK in Karnataka includes five National Parks, and twenty one wildlife Sanctuaries, covering an area of 6320 square kms. Or 3.3% of the State's geographical area. Of these two protected areas, Bandipur and Bhadra, enjoy an additional status of Tiger Reserves. Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole) has been declared an extension of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Recently, within the confines of the coffee forests scientists have discovered new species of frogs, bats, lizards and a host of other plant species with medicinal properties. Many species, few in number and limited in range, are on the verge of extinction and need urgent protection because of habitat loss. Right now in a few pockets, coffee forests have already undergone a sea change in terms of deforestation. In the lower shoal regions the extinction of the precious biodiversity is having a cascading effect on the coffee forests flora and fauna. To make two ends meet and overcome the high cost of cultivation farmers are resorting to felling of trees and poaching. This fetches quick money to the grower but in the long run, the consequences are there for all to see. The question that the global community should address is. Does this really make a difference to anybody? Will it matter at all to planet earth? Why should anyone care if the wealth of the coffee forests is plundered by a few planters or coffee farmers!
Published: September 2011
