Current view: Text account
Site description (2004 baseline):
Site location and context
Ranni Reserve Forest covers the whole of Goodrical, Rajampara, Karikulam, Shethakkal, Shethakkal Extension and Valiacavu proposed reserve. The major reserves (namely Konni, Rajampara and Goodrical) lie in a compact block adjacent to each other. The whole area is very rugged. There are two main ridges running north-south and forming the eastern and western boundaries of the Goodrical Reserve. Ranni Reserve Forest (RF) is mostly covered by Southern Tropical Evergreen, Southern Moist Deciduous and Semi-evergreen forests. Evergreen forest is generally met with along the river banks and streams and in places below 1,000 m. Some evergreen forest is also found above 1,200 m in the mountain folds, especially in Goodrical and in the far eastern portions of Konni Reserve. Tropical Moist Deciduous forest exist in most parts of Konni below 800 m. Regular annual fires result in the spread of grass in the more open areas. The hilltops are covered with grasslands, especially in Murinjakaru, Nanattupara and Kattadikunnu areas. Extensive patches of natural grasslands are also found in Goodrical on the southern bank of Pamba river. The Working Plan document (Pillai, undated) mentions 165 species of plants, mainly of commercial importance.
AVIFAUNA: Although, no detailed study on the biodiversity has been done in Ranni RF, it is likely to have many Western Ghats endemics, such as Malabar Grey Hornbill Ocyceros griseus, Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon Columba elphinstonii, White-bellied Treepie Dendrocitta leucogastra and White-cheeked Barbet Megalaima viridis. As information on avifauna is not available, we are considering it as Data Deficient. It is selected as an IBA because this almost compact block of 87,738 ha has good natural forests and grasslands of the Western Ghats. It could have many threatened, restricted range and biome species.
OTHER KEY FAUNA: Data not available.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Not known.
Key contributors: State Coordinator and the IBA Team.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ranni Reserve Forest (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ranni-reserve-forest-iba-india on 23/12/2024.
