Revision as of 20:29, 23 June 2023

THIS PAGE IS BEING UPDATED, DISTRICT-WISE

Manipur: Flora & Fauna

Blessed with an amazing variety of flora and fauna, 67% of the geographical area of Manipur are hill tracts covered with green forests. Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts in particular have vast areas covered with bamboo forests. In a small area of about 22,000 sq. km, Manipur has alpine forests of pines, grasslands and meadows at Dzuko and Shirui, coveted the world over. Some of the most beautiful and precious blooms and orchids abound in their natural habitat spreading their beauty and colour, stunning eyes that are not used to seeing them in such profusion.

Migrating ducks frolicking in Loktak Lake3

There are about 500 varieties of orchids which grow in Manipur of which 472 have been identified.

The Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, Spotted Linshang, Mrs. Hume’s Barbacked pheasant, Blyths Tragopan, Hornbills, etc. form only a small part of the rich natural heritage of Manipur. Nong-in is the State bird of Manipur.

Melei Leisna

Melei Leisna

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The Forests of Manipur

An overview

FOREST DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF MANIPUR

Resource Richness.....nn

The abundance in the diversity of the forests and its resources are attributed to the ideal location of the state in the junction of two world’s hotspots of biodiversity, the Indo-Myanmar hotspot and the Himalayan hotspot of biological diversity. Out of 34 hotspots across the globe, India has four and out of the four, Manipur has two – Himalayan and the Indo-Burma hotspot. Its biodiversity includes about 4,000 angiosperms, 1200 medicinal plants, 34 species of edible fungi, about 500 orchids, 55 species of bamboo, 695 birds, 160 fish species, 21 migratory aquatic birds and multitude of butterflies, insects etc.

The forests of the State have 6 major Forest Types and 10 Subtypes. The major forest types include Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest, Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests, Sub-Tropical Pine Forest, Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest, Montane Wet Temperate Forest and Sub-alpine Forest.

Legal Status of Forests

The forest and tree cover of Manipur is 77.20 % of the State’s total geographical area. Around 8.42 % of the total forest area is under Reserved Forests including Wildlife Protected Area Network, 23.95 % is Protected Forests and the rest belong to the category of Un-classed Forests.

The Wildlife in Manipur

Manipur is blessed with rich endemic wildlife. Some of them fall under endangered category. It has rich wildlife from big carnivores to micro-fauna.

Among big carnivores, it has

Black Panther

Clouded leopards

Leopards

Malayan Sun Bear and Himalayan Black Bear.

Tigers

Migratory elephants have also been reported in some parts of the State.

It is an important home of endangered and endemic primates i.e.

Assamese macaque

Hoolock gibbon

Pig tailed macaque etc.

Stump-tailed macaque

Manipur is also the home of

6 species of Hornbills and

4 species of Pheasants.

The State falls in the East-Asian migratory flyway of Amur Falcon and many other migratory birds.

The other important wild animals which are endangered or rare and found in Manipur forests, include

Binturong

Himalayan Yellow Throated Marten

Hog Badger

Hog Deer

Monitor Lizards

Pangolin

Slow Loris

Manipur is the home of brow-antlered deer called Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii), one of the endangered deer species in the world, now available only in Keibul Lamjao National Park of the State. It is also called as Manipur Dancing Deer. The National Park is located in the South-Eastern part of the Loktak Lake, which is the largest natural fresh water lake in North-East India. A unique floating biomass of vegetations, which forms meadows, locally called ‘Phumdi’ plays a crucial role as the habitat of Sangai. It has a combination of aquatic wetland and terrestrial eco-system. This National Park has also been declared as Ramsar site. The Sangai was declared extinct in 1951 and then re-discovered at Keibul Lamjao in 1953. First census of Sangai conducted in 1975, counted 14 heads only. Therefore, the Forest Department took initiative in 1975 and notified Keibul Lamjao National Park in 1977. With intensive in-situ conservation efforts by the Forest Department, the population has grown and as per 2016 ground census, the population of Sangai has reached to 260.

Forests of Manipur: A Mainstay of the Economy

Manipur has more than 77% geographical area under forest cover. Further, about 82% of the State’s forest cover is in Manipur hills. This implies that majority of the population of the State, particularly in hills, is either living in forests or forest fringe. Thus, the socio-economic life of most of the people would invariably revolve around the forests or forest produce.

National Parks, Sanctuaries and Community Reserves

Forest Department has established Protected Area Network over about 3.7% of the total geographical area of the State through notifications of following National Parks, Sanctuaries and Community Reserves for protection and in-situ conservation of wildlife:

Keibul Lamjao National Park, Bishnupur District

Shirui National Park, Ukhrul District

Yangoupokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Tengnoupal District

Kailam Wildlife Sanctuary, Churachandpur District

Jiri-Makru Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamenglong District

Bunning Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamenglong District

Zeilad Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamenglong District

Khongjeingamba Sanctuary, Bishnupur District

Pfunamai Community Reserve, Senapati District

Azuram Community Reserve, Tamenglong District

Chiibvi & Veimairii Community Reserve, Senapati District

Moreover, Forest Department is also maintaining ex-situ conservation sites viz. Manipur Zoological Garden, Captive Breeding centre of Sangai and a State Orchidarium at Imphal. Manipur Zoological garden houses about 50 endemic, endangered or rare species. In State Orchidarium, about 343 orchid species including representative species from hills and valley of Manipur are conserved.

In addition, the Forest Department is also implementing an ambitious project for conservation of migratory Amur Falcon in Tamenglong District. The State falls in the East-Asian migratory flyway of Amur Falcon and many other migratory birds. The conservation of Amur Falcon is significant to secure the agricultural production in the State as it eats on the pests of the crops.

DISTRICT-WISE

Bishnupur

Bishnupur

Fauna

Besides the Brow-antlered deer, the fauna in Keibul Lamjao National Park include some very rare animals and it boasts 425 species of animals (249 vertebrates and 176 invertebrates). 35 species were reported to be abundant in the past have declined and are now disappearing gradually.

Chandel District

Chandel District

Like other hill districts of Manipur, Chandel also has varieties of flora and fauna. Various kinds of orchids, ornamental plants and even numerous plants are abundantly grown. Some of the medicinal plants available in Chandel are given below for information.

Flora

Anisomeles indica (Thoiding Amuba: Manipuri) A strongly scented shrubby plant found in Pallel area, is used as an appetizer.

Anotis foetida (Khut-chappi: Manipuri) A small herb found in Sugnu and Pallel areas, its smashed roots are applied to fractured bone which acts as a poultice of plaster of Paris for setting and healing. The same is applied to boils.

Areca catechu (Supari: Manipuri) A slender tall palm, cultivated in Moreh area. Paste of the nut after rubbing on the stone with water is applied to leucodermal patches.

Brucea javanica (Heining: Manipuri) A small deciduous tree found in Pallel, its fruits are used for diarrhoea, dysentery and malignant malaria. Poultice of leaves is applied in skin troubles. Roots are used in bowel complaints.

Crasscephalum crepidiodes (Terapaibi: Manipuri) A herb found in Moreh area, whose lotion of leaves is used as a mild stomachic.

Fauna

The only ape found in India , the Hoolok Gibbon l ocally known as Yongmu, is also found in Chandel district. Similarly, the Slow Loris, the Stumped Tailed Macaque, the Pig Tailed Macaque are the other rare primates that occur in the forests. Sometimes rare nocturnal carnivores, the Clouded leopard and the Golden Cat are also sighted. The gigantic land animal, the elephant, makes seasonal migration into the Indo-Myanmar border areas.

The Himalayan Black Bear is also found in Chandel. The rare and elusive Malayan Sun Bear is restricted to the Unique forests in the Indo-Myanmar border areas. Herds of Bison, as well as of Sambhar, can be seen during night in New Samtal area. Thai Pangolins can also sighted in the Indo-Myanmar border areas which falls under Chandel.

Birds like Pheasant, Burmese peafowl and jungle fowls are also sighted in Chandel.

Wildlife Sanctuary

The Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area network in Manipur, is situated on the Indo-Myanmar border of Chandel. The sanctuary is the home of about 86 species of fishes, 6 species of amphibians, 29 species of mammalians.

Churachandpur

CHURACHANDPUR FOREST DIVISsION, CHURACHYANDPUR

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA AND ITS PEOPLE:

The majority of the villagers were Scheduled Tribes and mostly depends on daily Labour and marginal jhuming for their livlihood.

STATUS OF THE FOREST AREA:

1. Unclassed/ Community forest Land 45.366 Ha.

2. Reserved Forest ( Cheklaphai RF) 8.560 Ha

Total 53.926 Ha.

The vegetation is dominated mostly by herbs, shrubs and young recruits and of plantations by private individuals/villagers. Trees of timber size are not avauilable in the area.

FOREST AND WILDLIFE

Flora

The Flora of the area comprises

Castenopsis Spp,

Emblica officinalis,

Quercus Serrata,

Schima wallichi,

Ground flora incdudes

Clerodendron,

Lantana,

Fauna

The fauna available are

Barking deer,

Jungle cat,

Fox,

Slow loris,

Jungle fowl

No rare and endangered species of flora and fauna found in the area.

PROTECTED AREAS:

No National Park, Biosphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve, wild life Sanctuary and protected archaeological or heritage sites in the area.

Tamenglong

Tamenglong Some thick forest are found in this District. Interior villages like Lemta, Nallong, Kadi, Kuilong, Langpram, Taipram, Inem, Magulong, Phoklong, Zingning, Kakui and Thiulon have thick forests. In the forest different varieties of trees and animals are available.

Rare species like hornbill, hoolock gibbon, slow loris etc are found in the forest.Bamboo, cane etc grow abundantly in the forest. Medicinal herbs are also available in the forests. The region is known for its biodiversity.

Wildlife parks and sanctuaries: India

KEIBUL LAMJAO NATIONAL PARK

Situated 32 kms from Imphal, the capital of Manipur, Keibul Lamjao is the unique habitat for one of the most endangered deer in the world - the "Sangai". Keibul Lamjao is a part of a wide valley with a number of hillocks surrounded by lakes. Loktak lake the largest freshwater lake in India covering 6475 ha. is designated as a Ramsar site. Loktak lake offers a vast diversity of avifauna. Keibul Lamjao is situated in the southeastern part of the Loktak lake.

Sangai live on floating mass of decaying aquatic vegetation and are active at dusk and dawn. Besides the endangered Sangai, one gets an opportunity to watch birds also. International visitors are required to obtain special permission to enter into the national park.

Location

Location: 32 kms from Imphal

Access: 40 sq. kms.

Best time to visit: December to May

Access

By Air - Imphal (32 km)

By Rail - Dimapur (229 km)

Accommodation

Government Rest House and Tourist Lodge

Contact

A.C.F. Keibul Lamjao National Park Manipur

See also

Manipur: Birds

Manipur: Forests