Conservation and Management of Sacred groves in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India

Sacred groves are one of the most valuable, but primitive practices of nature conservation. These are the relict climax communities preserved by the local people for certain beliefs. Such forests are rich in biological diversity and harbor many endangered plant species including rare herbs and medicinal plants. Case studies on sacred groves show that these small forest patches play an important role in biodiversity conservation. Maintenance of these groves through traditional methods of community based conservation that does not require government involvement. In this study, we discuss current threats to sacred groves that need to be addressed through management approaches in particular it deals with the status and floristic richness of these groves in Theni district, Tamil Nadu. Many of the groves are managed by individual family, and conserved by the local community through community control mechanisms by evolving several taboos and restrictions. A number of wild edible and medicinal plants are found in these groves and its surroundings. Some rare species are commonly sighted not only in the groves but also in other landscape elements. These sacred groves comprising of nearly 98 species belong to 38 plant families with 76 genera. In a total, 112 types of plants are recorded. Out of these, 50 are medicinal plants, 14 are having timber value and others are economically important and are used as minor forest products. Out of thirty two sacred groves, eleven has sthalavirksha, all the sthalavirkshas are very rare species. The groves are found in the midst of varying agro ecosystems, forest boundaries on hilltops and slopes, distributed across the geographical area of Theni district. Eighty percent of the groves had lush forest cover earlier now they remain as sacred places. Due to the social conditions, size and structure of the groves are being altered. At present, sacred groves in India are threatened due increase in population, pollution and removal of biomass. To maintain the functional values and attributes of sacred groves, an effective conservation and management practices are needed because these are of great research value in in situ conservation of threatened species.