Context: The Kerala State Biodiversity Board has launched a pilot programme to restore sacred groves (kavus) across selected districts.
About Kavu Nurseries:
What it is?
- Kavu nurseries are specialized plant nurseries developed to propagate native, endemic, and threatened plant species found in sacred groves (kavus).
- They serve as biodiversity regeneration hubs to restore degraded grove ecosystems.
Aim: To regenerate sacred grove ecosystems by cultivating and reintroducing native plant species.
Key Features:
- Propagation of Native Species: Cultivation of over 100 indigenous and threatened plant species specific to sacred groves.
- Support for Restoration: Provides saplings (≈3,000 planned) for replantation in degraded kavus.
- Invasive Species Management: Helps replace invasive flora with ecologically suitable native vegetation.
- Community-Based Implementation: Managed with local Biodiversity Management Committees ensuring participatory conservation.
Significance:
- Biodiversity Conservation: Protects rare, endemic, and medicinal plant species unique to sacred groves.
- Ecosystem Restoration: Enhances soil fertility, water conservation, and micro-climate stability.
- Cultural-Ecological Link: Revives traditional conservation practices rooted in local belief systems.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus
- GS Paper 3 (Environment):
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- Biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration
- Role of community participation in environmental protection
- GS Paper 1 (Culture):
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- Sacred groves as traditional ecological knowledge systems
