The origin of Shola Forest in the Nilgiris, South India

Abstract

The formation of Shola forest, the closed evergreen woods in the vicinity of Ootacamund in the Nilgiris in south India, commenced about 35,000 years ago through gradual invasion of the grasslands under a regime of low precipitation, absence of frost and high speed winds. The present disjunct distribution of the Shola forest is due to destruction of the forest probably by Man and much of the grasslands today seem due to anthropogenous activity.