The Salient Features of Floristic Wealth and Diversity of Sacred Groves of Kerala, India

Sacred Groves are the tracts of virgin forests; the vestiges of an ancient practice in which people has been protecting forest patches associated with home, temple, agricultural fields or in public places to avoid the perceived wrath of its resident God. In such groves all life forms including microbes are belong to deity and it is believed that, any harm to them invites the displeasure of deity in the form of disease or decease. These terrestrial forest ecosystems are usually in association with fresh water conservatory and this together extent a number of ecological, edaphological and conservational services in the landscape of Kerala. In Kerala the natural forests are extended in the high ranges and highland area (Altitude above 100 m MSL), the sacred groves are distributed in midland or lowland regions (Altitude below 100 m MSL) where the natural forests are not seen. The sacred groves have a comprehensive environmental role in the track of urbanized landscape ecology of the state by protecting flora and fauna. The investigation divulges the unparallel and unique floristic accounts, distinct ecological and conservational values of vegetation, which are extended to the traditional landscape of the state which are succumbed to various anthropogenic pressures.