Fernarium set up inside Eravikulam National Park

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About Ferns-

• Ferns are plants that do not have flowers. Ferns generally reproduce by producing spores. 
• Similar to flowering plants, ferns have roots, stems and leaves.
• Ferns are the ecological indicator of healthy forests.

• Ferns are part of the Epiphytic family. 

• They grow naturally in a soilless condition. The plants obtain water and nutrients through leaching from trees. 

• This is the first time such a fern collection has been established in the hill station.
• 52 varieties of ferns have already been planted in the new Fernarium.

Eravikulam National Park-

• Eravikulam National Park is a 97 km² national park located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala in India. 
• It is the first national park in Kerala. It was established in 1978.
• The Eravikulam National Park attracted several hunters, naturalists, and scientists due to the unique feature of its land, climate, and remoteness. 
• Early European explorers like Colonel Douglas Hamilton and J.D. Munro started settling in this area as they established the North Travancore Plantation and Agricultural Society in 1879.
• The name Eravikulam translates to streams and pools, which is the best description of the national park. 
•  The area of the park used to be managed as a Game Preserve till 1978(managed by the Kannan Devan Hill Produce Company) when the Government of Kerala elevated its status to that of a National Park.
• The area of the park was home to the now highly endangered Nilgiri Tahr. It was placed under protection in this habitat in 1975.
• It is also the famous habitat of Neelakurunji which blooms only once every 12 year
• The main natural structure of the National Park is a central rolling plateau which is at an elevation of 2000 meters from the sea level. 
• This park is full of undulating terrain and the highest peak in the region is Anamudi at 2695 meters.
• The three major kinds of vegetation in the area include grasslands, shrublands and Shola forests. 
• High plateaus and hills surrounding the park are primarily covered by the grasslands while the shrubland is more visible along the base of the cliffs. 
• The Shola forests are located in the valleys between the hills and plateaus. Turner’s Valley is the deepest valley of this region and it roughly divides the park into two parts: the northwest and southwest regions.
• The park is regionally important for fish and freshwater since it has the tributaries of River Pambar in the east and tributaries of the River Periyar and Chalakuddy in the west. 
• The park is also famous for medicinal plants in the region such as the Drosera peltata and wild species of cultivated plants such Piper schmidtii and Elettaria cardamomum.
• The park along with Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pampadum Shola National Park, Kurinjimala Sanctuary, Anamudi Shola National Park and Anamalai Tiger Reserve forms the largest conservation landscapes in the Western Ghats region.

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