MONGABAY

Why the ancient Myristica swamps need

Myristica swamps are relict tropical ecosystems thought to be millions of years old and are
spread across the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karanataka, Goa and were recently discovered in
Maharashtra. Photo Pradeep Hegde.

In the monsoons, the swamps, typically located near a central stream, are inundated with
freshwater gushing in, creating a unique habitat for a host of species. The hallmarks of the
swamps are two tree species, exclusively found in the swamps (a.k.a. endemic), that thrive in the
waterlogged conditions: Gymnacranthera canarica (also known as Gymnacranthera
farquhariana) and Myristica fatua Houtt. var. magnifica (Bedd.) Sinclair. The former is listed as
Vulnerable while the latter is Endangered, according to the last IUCN Red List assessments in
1998—which desperately need updating.

Unlike regular subterranean tree roots, the evergreen trees have evolved to live in the
waterlogged conditions of the swamps and feature two types of bizarre-looking roots: knee roots
and stilt roots. The former pop out from the ground and are used for exchanging gases while the
latter sprout from the main trunk and help support the trees mechanically in the soft and unstable
soil. Such aerial roots are common among trees found in tropical mangrove swamps.

Scientists have estimated that barely 250 trees of M. fatua magnifica remained in the Karnataka’s
Uttara Kannada district from 1998 to 2000. Myristica swamps in southern Kerala’s
Kulathupuzha region have a higher population of M. fatua magnifica compared with the swamps
in Karnataka, according to a recent study published in 2018. But G. canarica, showed the ability
to tolerate drier swamps that were not perennially inundated and was dominant in both regions.
Still, those swamps in Kulathupuzha which were perennially inundated have M. fatua magnifica.

Stilt roots provide mechanical support to trees growing in the soft, moist soil of the Myristica swamps.
Photo by Pradeep Hegde.

Knee roots protruding from the ground, which help trees to exchange gases in waterlogged conditions.
Photo by Malhar Indulkar.

Watershed value and potential to fight climate change

Owing to their ability to hold water all-year-around, Myristica swamps play a crucial role in
sustaining water in the streams and groundwater sources. The “swamps act as ‘sponge’ in a
landscape,” said T.V. Ramachandra of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bengaluru, explaining that they help in “retaining the water (during monsoon)
and then slowly release to the stream during lean seasons.” Considering the linkages of water
sustenance with the swamps, these fragile ecosystems were conserved as sacred by local people
during pre-colonial times

In addition, during heavy rains, they help in moderating floodwaters. On the recent flooding of
Kerala in 2018, Ramachandra noted that “despite highest rainfall and similar terrain, the regions
with Myristica swamps handled the floods, while, locations such as Vynaad and Kodagu (land of
greedy politicians and business folks who disrupt the stream network by the construction of
resorts and buildings along the natural water path) experienced a high level of damages.”

What’s more, these swamps have the potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Ramachandra and his colleagues conducted a study on the ecology of the Myristica swamps of
Kathalekan hamlet of Siddapur taluk in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. They found that
the swampy forests have higher aboveground biomass and carbon storage than neighbouring
non-swampy forests. With a higher ability to sequester carbon than non-swampy forests, these
relict ecosystems have been “silently helping the globe in the removal of carbon” amid the
backdrop of global warming, highlighted Ramachandra.

Myristica swamps not only help in sustaining groundwater and flood control, but they also store more
aboveground carbon than neighbouring non-swampy forests. Photo by Vinay Sivamurthy.
Climate change and other threats from humans

A study published in 2016 examined the impact of climate change on the distribution of five
species of Myristicaceae in 2050 to 2080 under two scenarios. The models showed that both
swamp specialists—Gymnocranthera canarica and Myristica fatua—will suffer from a reduced
overall suitable habitat area. While G. canaria is estimated to drop by 1.04 percent in current
area, M. fatua will shrink by 1.68 percent under a scenario of rapid economic and population
growth till mid-century with a balance in fossil and non-fossil energy sources.

Ravikanth, associate professor at the Asoka Trust for Research in Ecology & the environment
and the senior author of the study, expresses concern over the effect of erratic and high rainfall
patterns on the regeneration of swampy species. “While floods could result in seedlings (and
seeds) being uprooted and being washed away, dry spells, on the other hand, could result in
higher mortality of the seedlings,” he noted.
The fruit of Gymnocranthera canarica bearing the seed covered with a bright red aril, which is used
locally as wild nutmeg. Photo by Jagadish M.R.
“Both the species require flowing water for survival and for the germination of their seeds,”
explained Ravikanth. “Our studies [unpublished] have shown that even a few meters away from
the swamp, the seeds have poor germination (less than 20%) and those that do germinate have
high mortality rates (almost 100%) in summer (within one year of their germination).”

Although the estimated percentage of reduction in the area of the swampy species is not high,
Ravikanth points out a myriad of additional threats: changes in land-use, diversion of water for
agricultural purposes and the encroachment of swamps.

The study also reveals that most of the suitable areas of swamps lie outside the protected area
network and are highly vulnerable to human exploitation. For instance, the brightly-coloured
arils covering the large seeds are locally used as a spice for wild nutmeg. “While the arils of M.
fatua are extensively harvested and have a good market, the arils of G. canarica are used as an
adulterant. Our recent [yet to be published] study indicated that in many areas of the Western
Ghats, the fruits are pre-maturely harvested (due to competition among harvesters). The pre-
maturely harvested seeds are not physiologically ripe and do not germinate at all,” revealed
Ravikanth. “In fact, even if they harvest the mature fruits, the harvesters tend to throw all the
seeds (thousands of them) at one place resulting in poor regeneration.”
The Aghanashini River in Karnataka is a hotspot of Myristica swamps. These ecosystems are
highly vulnerable to human exploitation and climate change. Photo by Ashwin Bhat.

Priority for conservation and the way forward

Scientists concur that the delicate and fragmented Myristica swamp ecosystem is facing multiple
threats and needs urgent conservation efforts. Given the higher biomass and carbon sequestration
potential of the swamps, forest management policies need to be revised. Ramachandra and his
colleagues, who had extensively studied the swamps of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka,
suggest providing incentives to farmers and other forest dwellers of the Western Ghats in the
form of carbon credits for their role in promoting and guarding watershed vegetation. Such
programs will uplift their livelihoods whilst also salvaging these ancient forests.

“The innumerable stream courses of Western Ghats offer tremendous potential for carbon
stocking per unit area while also ensures water security for the entire Indian peninsula by
bettering the hydrology of the Western Ghats mountains, which form the main watershed,” states
Ramachandra.

He said: “The respective biodiversity boards (in the State), as well as National Biodiversity
Authority, should come up with the appropriate conservation measures” such as attaching a
heritage tag to the swamps. “This should be managed by the respective Village Forest
Committees with the active participation of all stakeholders,” he added.

A 2007 report on the Myristica swamps of Kerala suggested demarcating all the swamp areas in
Kerala as an “individual protected area in its own right.” Among other measures, it also proposed
regulating the cutting of entire branches for aril collection.
The Myristica swamps host a wide range of biodiversity, many of which are found only in this
ecosystem. Photo by Pradeep Hegde.
Some signs of hope emerge for the swamp patches in Karnataka. Earlier this year, it was reported
that the swamps of Kathalekan in the Uttara Kannada district are set to receive the status of a
sanctuary under which they would be protected.

Ramachandra stresses the need for awareness programs among youth (school and college
students) about the importance of Myristica swamps, which will empower them to conserve
these fragile ecosystems.

Robin Abraham of the University of Kansas, who studied the breeding behaviour of an endemic
treefrog from Kerala’s swamps, says: “The need of the hour is more manpower and diverse talent
to explore and share information on the natural world in more detail, so as at least to be
empowered to make sensible decisions and interventions.”

Saving the swamps will pave the way for researchers to unravel the secret lives of the flora and
fauna inhabiting these enigmatic, archaic ecosystems—and in the process perhaps yield vital
clues as to how life evolved in the Western Ghats in the face of a changing climate over
thousands of millennia.