Grasses and their Hydro-Edaphic Characteristics in the Grassland Habitat of Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, tamil Nadu

The present investigation is aimed at to study the incidence of grass species at varied elevations alongwith their hydro-edaphic characteristics in Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu. The results show that grasses exhibit high species diversity and some confine to lower elevation (range 500 m to 1500 m); while others to higher elevation (range 1800 m to 2750m). Some others show no elevation impact (range 850 m to 2750 m). The edaphic characteristics and soil systems associated with the grasses are ecologically balanced at present, barring soil of Mashinaguri grass field, which is highly fragile. The soils irrespective of their location and elevation possess a high pool of energy materials (1.86% to 4.96%), clays (36.8% to 57.8 %) and exhibit good water holding capacity (72.2% to 94.8%). They are feebly to moderately acidic (ph 4.4 to 5.8), moderate to high silica content (65.6% to 85.1%) and with sesqui-oxides producing a low silica/sesqui-oxides ratio. Soil saps are dominated by calcium within cations and bicarbonate within anions. Waters are neutral to feebly alkaline, bereft of charge carrying particles but dominated by calcium ions. The hydro-edaphic chemistry appears quite conductive to the flora and fauna of the area.