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The Green Paradise
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
2,200 varieties of plants have been recorded out of which 150 are endemic
and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India.
The Island Jungles
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
A Forested Coverage
As per report on State of Forest (1997) of the Forest Survey of India,
about 92% of the 8,249-sq-kms. of geographical area of Andaman and Nicobar
Islands is under forest cover. Of this about 86% is under recorded forest.
Out of this recorded forest area (7,171-sq-kms.), about 40% are under
Reserve Forest and 60% under Protected Forest, comprising Wildlife
Sanctuaries, National Parks, Tribal Reserve and Biosphere Reserve
overlapping within each other. Luxuriant mangroves, perhaps the richest in
the world, occupy nearly 11.5%of the territory.
Indifference to the need to promote conservation of bio-diversity and to
pay due attention to other forest related local and national environmental
concerns, the Andaman and Nicobar administration has
created nine National Parks and ninety-six Wild Life Sanctuaries.
The Great Nicobar Island is
being managed as a Biosphere Reserve with the aim to conserve the species
of plants and animals especially those, which are endemic.
TIMBER
Andaman Forest is abound in plethora of timber species numbering 200 or
more, out of which about 30 varieties are considered to be commercial.
Major commercial timber species are Gurjan (Dipterocarpus Spp.) and Padauk
(Pterocarpus Dalbergioides). Ornamental wood such as Marble Wood
(Diospyros Marmorata), Padauk (Pterocarpus Dalbergioides), Silver Grey (a
special formation of wood in white 'Chuglam'), Chooi (Sageraea
Elliptical), and Kokko (Albizzia Lebbeck) are noted for their pronounced
grain formation. Being steadier than teak Padauk 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.
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.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are traditionally
known for their shell wealth specially Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus.
The Peculiar Usage
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.
Shell Groups
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° 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
them 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 Mantle, 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