Agumbe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Agumbe ಆಗುಂಬೆ "Eat later" | |
|---|---|
| village | |
 | |
 
Agumbe
| |
| Coordinates: 13.5087°N 75.0959°ECoordinates: 13.5087°N 75.0959°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Shimoga district |
| Elevation | 826 m (2,710 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,000 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 577,411 |
| Telephone code | 08181 |
| Vehicle registration | KA-14 |
Agumbe (Kannada: ಆಗುಂಬೆ) is a small village located in Shimoga district, Thirthahallitaluk in the Malnad region of Karnataka, India. Agumbe receives the second highestrainfall in India. Thus, it is sometimes called "The Cherrapunji of the South" afterCherrapunji, in Northeast India.[1] Agumbe is associated with rainforest conservation efforts, documentation of medicinal plants, tourism (trekking and photography), power generation through hydroelectrics and promotion of cottage industry. Naxalcommunists are active in Agumbe and surrounds.[2]
Contents
[hide]Location[edit]
Agumbe lies in the West coastal region of South India, approximately 300 km west-northwest of Bangalore, the state capital ofKarnataka in South India. It is approximately 55 km from the Arabian Sea and the coast of India at Udupi which hosts the nearest railway station. The elevation of Agumbe is 826m. The Mani reservoir lies to the North. As part of the Western Ghats mountain range, Agumbe lies in an UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] Agumbe is near the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kudremukh National Park.
Size[edit]
Agumbe is a small hill village with very limited visitor accommodation. The population is approximately 500 people. The village an area of 3 square kilometres.[4]
Economy[edit]
The villagers of Agumbe are subsistence farmers. The Raksha Kavacha Weavers’ Cooperative Society represents the beginnings of cottage industry in the village.[5]
Geography[edit]
Agumbe lies in a hilly, wet region of the Western Ghat mountains. This geography contributes to its scenery, suitability for trekking, leech infestation and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, there are a number of waterfalls in the locality.
Waterfalls[edit]
Barkana Falls[edit]
Barkana Falls (Latitude 13.449315, Longitude 75.136015), Northeast of Agumbe, is 850 ft/259 mts in height.[6] It is the tenth highest falls in India.[7] It is a fall in the Seeta River which powers a hydroelectric system. The viewing point for the Barkana Falls is about 4 km from the end of the approaching vehicle track.[8]
Onake Abbi Falls[edit]
Onake Abbi Falls (latitude 13°30'44"N, longitude 75°4'25"E) at 400 feet, is smaller than Barkana Falls.[9] In the Kannada language, "onake" means 'pounding stick', an instrument used by villagers to pound grains to flour. Trekking for 5 km through rainforest is needed in order to reach a view of the falls.
Jogigundi Falls[edit]
Jogigundi is a small water fall near Agumbe.
Koodlu Theertha Falls[edit]
Koodlu Theerthra waterfall is located 20 km from Agumbe.
Kunchikal Falls[edit]
Kunchikal Falls, on the Varahi River has a height of 455 meters (1,493 feet).[10] The falls can be seen only during the rainy season. In other months, it is dry because the water is dammed at Mani dam and for the Varahi Hydroelectric Project.[10]
Scenery[edit]
Sunset Point[edit]
Sunset View Point rests on one of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats on the Udupi-Agumbe Road. It is ten minutes walk from Agumbe.[11] On a fine evening, the sunset can be seen over the Arabian Sea.[12]
Climate[edit]
Agumbe hosts India's first automatic weather station, founded by Romulus Whitaker b. 1943, New York, NY.[13] Agumbe lies in a rainforest region with atropical climate, warm and humid. Under the Köppen system of climate classification Agumbe is an 'Am' climate, that is, a tropical monsoon climate.[14] A dense silvery fog forms over the Western Ghats contributing to the natural beauty of Agumbe.[15]
Rainfall[edit]
The driest month in Agumbe is February. Most rain falls in July with an average of 1972 mm. The average annual rainfall is 5169 mm.[14] The mean annual rainfall is 7,640 millimetres (301 in). The highest recorded rainfall in a single month was 4,508 millimetres (177.5 in) in August 1946.[16]
Temperature[edit]
Maximum temperatures in Agumbe vary between 24.4 and 31.5 degrees Celsius. Minimum temperatures vary between 16.2 and 21.4 degrees Celsius. Average temperatures vary between 22.2 degrees Celsius and 23.6 degrees Celsius with an annual average temperature of 23.5 degrees Celsius. April is the hottest month of the year and December the coolest. The average annual variation in temperature is 4.1 degrees Celsius.[14] The lowest recorded temperature was 3.2 degrees Celsius in 1975 and the highest, 37 degrees Celsius in 2008-9.[15]
Ecology and biodiversity[edit]
Rainforest is a dense, wet, tropical evergreen ecosystem, high in its level of biodiversity. According to the 'Champion and Seth'classification, Agumbe is an area of "Southern tropical wet evergreen forests" (1A/C4). R.S. Troup, an eminent forester of his day, said,
- "The tropical evergreen rain forests are characterised by the great luxuriance of their vegetation which consists of several tiers, the highest containing lofty trees...covered by numerous epiphytes" [17]
Agumbe rainforest research station[edit]
The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) was founded in 2005 by Romulus Whitaker, a herpetologist. (Whitaker had been familiar with Agumbe since the 1970s when he began studying the King Cobra.[18] Its purpose is to create a local biodiversity database, encourage individual scientific research, collaborate with India's Department of Forestry and conserve the rainforest of the Western Ghats as well as to educate the residents of the region in the importance of forestry conservation. The King Cobra, an endangered species is the station's "flagship species".[4] The station occupies an area of 8 acres (32,000 m2). Funding for the station came from Whitaker's mother, Doris Norden and from the Whitley Award received by Whitaker in 2005.
Medicinal Plants Conservation Area[edit]
The Agumbe Medicinal Plants Conservation Area (MPCA) was established in 1999 to protect the important medicinal plants of the region. The "Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions" (FRLHT) recorded 371 plant species in the MPCA at Agumbe, of which 182 were medicinal.[17][19]
Flora[edit]
Endangered plant species[edit]
Endangered plant species in the area include [20]
- Dipterocarpus indicus
- Dysoxylum malabaricum
- Calophyllum apetalum
- Garcinia indica
- Garcinia gummi-gutta
- Myristica dactyloides
- Vateria indica
- Aristolochia tagala
- Tarenna agumbensis
- Adenia hondala
- Celastrus paniculatus
- Persea macrantha
Plant species named for Agumbe[edit]
- Meliola agumbensis - fungus [21]
- Tarenna agumbensis - shrub [22]
- Hygroaster agumbensis - mushroom [23]
- Dactylaria agumbensis- fungus [24]
Other plant species discovered at Agumbe[edit]
- Caudalejeunea pluriplicata - liverwort [25]
- Notothylas dissecta - Hornwort [26]
Fauna[edit]
Mammals[edit]
Agumbe provides an environment for large and small mammals such as the endangered lion-tailed macaque,[27][28] tiger,[29] leopard,sambar, giant squirrel, Dhole, a wild dog of India, Gaur, the Indian bison and barking deer.
Reptiles and amphibians[edit]
In creating funds for conservation of the Agumbe rainforest, the Ophiophagus hannah, King Cobra is a 'flagship' species.[30] An Agumbe based scientific project to radio-locate rescued King Cobras aims to determine whether relocation is helpful to their survival.[31] other reptiles and amphibians of the area include the Cane Turtle and a flying lizard.
Birds[edit]
Agumbe is a popular destination for bird watchers and photographers. Among the endemic birds are the Malabar Trogon, the Yellow-browed Bulbul and Sri Lankan Frogmouths.[32]
Insects and Marine species[edit]
Agumbe's many insect species include the Atlas moth, Cyclotoma alleni (a beetle discovered in Agumbe),[33] Selenops agumbensis, a spider andDrosophila agumbensis a small fly species. Cremnoconchus agumbensis is a local small fresh water snail.[34]
Malgudi Days[edit]
Malgudi Days (1985) is a television serial directed by Shankar Nag. It was based on novels written by R. K. Narayan. Many episodes were filmed in Agumbe.[35] In 2004, a new set of episodes of Malgudi Days was filmed at Agumbe by Kavitha Lankesh (director).[35][36]
No comments:
Post a Comment