Researchers near the Goa-Maharashtra border have recently discovered a sacred Myristica swamp forest in kumbral , Maharashtra. This finding highlights the importance of local communities in preserving rare ecosystem. Sacred grooves like this are often protected due to cultural believes , in this case , tied ti reverence of lord shiva , locally known as Bhalandeshwar.
Myristica swamp recently discovered by researchers in Maharashtra.
what is Myristica magnifica ?
Myristica is an endangered plant species mainly found in Karnataka and Kerala . It plays a ke role in the ecosystem, providing food for wildlife, including the threatened hornbill bird . This tree is a part of nutmeg family , they are not as commmercially valuable. Its wood is used locally, and tree’s Essential oil has potential in aromatherapy.
significance of discovery
This discovery makes kumbral the second village in Maharashtra after Hewale-Bambarde in sindhudurg , to have myristica swamp forest. The village community has long protected this area , consider it sacred and related to lord shiva.
The groove in kumbral covers 8,200 suare meters and is home to 39 different plant species. Within the groove , there is a 770 square meta area specifically dedicated to the swamp forest which contains 70 Myristica magnifica trees. This provides essential ecosystem services such as :
- Ground water recharge
- carbon sequencing
- flood mitigation
Research and documentation
The research was led by pravin desai , along with vishal sadekar and sheetal desai , and their findings were published in the journal of threatened Taxa .
Conservative importance
preserving the Myristica swamp forest is vital for maintaining the ecological balance in western ghats, a biodiversity hotspot . Conservation are advocating for stronger protection measures because of the forest’s irreplaceable benefits to environment and its role in supporting local wildlife.
