ABSTRACT

Road making is associated with destruction of natural areas. Roads criss-crossing through forests create fragmentation and disturbance to the wildlife. However road-making may be considered a necessary evil for humans. Roadsides are often neglected places used for dumping of wastes and not much care given for beautification or planting except in some places. Wherever plantings are done in the usual manner there is not much regard for ecological conditions or consideration of local demands. This study is about how best roadsides can be made more eco-friendly through welldesigned tree planting using appropriate native tree species than exotic ones.

Uttara Kannada district has very varied topography and climate. The district has a coast of sand and alluvium and rocky areas, a lateritic stretch of low hills and plateaus, the range of Western Ghats and the eastern portions merging with the Deccan plains. The coastal areas and west-facing portions of Western Ghats receive rains often more than 3000 mm/yr; the rainfall is down to 1500 mm or less in the rain-shadow eastern parts.

Considering all these factors we propose in this poster a more useful design for tree planting in the district, the salient features of which are as follows:

• Roadsides of sandy or low lying coast will have species like Calophyllum inophyllum, Pongamia pinnata, Artocarpus heterophyllus and Lagerstroemia flos-reginae.

• Lateritic terrain roads are good for Sapindus emarginatus, Mangifera indica, Artocarpus heterophyllus, A. lakoocha, Garcinia indica, Cassia fistula, L. flos-reginae, Michelia champaca, Mammea suriga, Zanthoxylum rhetsa, Ficus spp., Terminalia bellirica, Caryota urens etc.

• Narrow roads passing through forests need not have any additional planting. Wider roads can be considered for planting according to the rainfall and soils. In heavy rainfall areas, with non-lateritic soils wild mangoes (Appe-midi varieties), Artocarpus heterophyllus, A. lakoocha, Corypha umbraculifera (talipot palm), Caryota urens, Mimusops elengi, Strychnos nux-vomica etc. are good.

• Roads through eastern low rainfall areas are ideal for Mangifera indica, Tamarindus indicus, Madhuca indica, Pongamia pinnata, Corypha umbraculifera, Ficus spp., Terminalia bellirica, Aegle marmelos etc.

INTRODUCTION

• With the road network continuously increasing at fast rate, roadsides occupy     a very broad area in most of the countries.

• Indian roadsides are often neglected places used for dumping of wastes and not much care given for beautification or planting except in some places.

• Wherever plantings are done in the usual manner there is not much regard for ecological conditions or consideration of local demands.

• This study is about how best roadsides can be made more eco-friendly through well-designed tree planting using appropriate native tree species than exotic ones.

IMPORTANCE OF ROADSIDE VEGETATION

• Creation of adequate sight distances and hazard-free zones

• Extended life of pavement and improved cost-effectiveness of construction activities

• Improved soil, water and overall air quality

• Increased biodiversity and native plant communities

• Reduced number of invasive plants and weeds

• Beautifying appearance of roadways due to native grasses and wild flowers

• Provides pleasant experience for travelers

MAINTENANCE OF ROADSIDE VEGETATION

• Selection and plantation of species based on location, type and environment of the roadways.

• Involvement of local population in plantation and creating awareness about its benefits.

• Development of management system for maintaining necessary records and information.

• Hire, train and dedicate crews for maintenance of roadside vegetation.

• Regulate the over-exploitation of natural resources along the roadsides by the local people.

FLOWERING TREES FOR ROADSIDE PLANTATIONS

FRUITING TREES FOR ROADSIDE PLANTATIONS

Table 1: List of proposed Tree species based on different locations in Uttara Kannada distric

CONCLUSION

In the case of district like Uttara Kannada, the roads are mostly constructed through the forests there by, disturbing the natural vegetation. This paves in way for the entry of exotic species which through their gregarious growth hamper the overall ecology of the region. Hence, it is highly essential to focus on studies dealing with the overall ecology and management of roadside vegetation in order to maintain the cological integrity of the prevailing natural ecosystems.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We wish to thank Mr. G R Rao for his scientific and technical inputs.