Kotagiri Slopes
The Kotagiri slopes – region forms the eastern part of the district bordering the Sathyamanagalam hills to the east, Coimbatore district to the south and with Ooty, Coonoor taluks to the west & Southwest. There is lot of difference in the geography, the Kotagiri taluk is differentiated as the eastern slopes of the upper plateau. These slopes comprises large tract of contiguous forests located in steep slopes at altitude ranging from 1600 to 300m above sea mean level. The upper area land use mostly comprising of tea estates and other vegetable cultivated fields where the altitude varies from 1500 to 2000 meters MSL. The location is as such that the region receives moderate rainfall compared to the other parts of the district. The variation is from 800mm to 1500mm which is less towards to the eastern side of the region. (more…)
Pillur Valley
Pillur valley lies in an isolated corner of Coimbatore district and is densely populated. The forests in Pillur form the southern part of the Nilgirii Biosphere Reserve. It is bounded by the Sathyamangalam and Nilgiris divistions on the north and north-east and by the Palghat division of Kerala in the south & south-west.
Pillur is located at an average elevation of 400 m and received rainfall of 700 mm in 2008. It extends into the Attapadi area of Kerala and as a result, has a lot of social, cultural and economic relations with the state. The valley is dominated by a dam and reservoir, part of many, along the river Bhavani. The main inhabitants are Irulas and the Electricity Board staff. The Irulas depend on their livelihood with contribution of activities on their farms including collection of forest produce and occasional labour with the Electricity Board campus. The lower hills have a scrub to dry deciduous forest with some moist patches. The riparian vegetation is distinct with large number of mango trees.
Nilambur
Nilambur taluk lies within the Malappuram district of Kerala state and comprises two forest divisions, namely Nilambur North and South. The taluk borders the Gudalur and Wynaad South forest divisions in the north, plain regions in the south and the Mukurthi national park in the east. The Nilambur region is considered a biodiversity hotspot and accorded a great degree of protection by the forest department. The New Amarambalam Reserve Forests lying within Nilambur division forms a part of the core zone of the NBR. Nilambur is intimately linked to the great forests as it is said to mean a place of Nilimba which means bamboo in Sanskrit. The lives of the people revolve around the forests for social, cultural and economic purposes. Nilambur is also home to the oldest teak plantations in the country.
Nilambur North Division
Sathyamangalam
Sathyamangalam division is located in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu and lies within the boundary of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is located within 11°29′ 11°48′ N and 76°50′ 77°27′ E. The region has an area of 1455.3 sq km and receives as much as 850 mm of rains per year. The forested areas start from the Moyar Valley up to the Dhimbam hills. The forest division under Sathyamangalam is widely regarded as one of the richest forest regions of the state of Tamil Nadu. The Sathy forests as Sathyamangalam is commonly called are contiguous with the forests of Nilgiri District, the Biligirirangan Sanctuary as well as forests of Kollegal and Chamrajnagar in Karnataka, thus forming a large patch of forests representing the eastern ghat ecotype. The elevation ranges from 280 1698 msl. (more…)
Sigur Plateau
The Sigur Plateau is located in the northern part of the Nilgiris district with the Moyar Gorge separating the plateau from the Mysore region. The average elevation of the Sigur plateau is 900 MSL. The boundaries of the Sigur plateau are the Moyar Gorge in the north, Moyar River on the east, Wynad district and the Nilgiris massif in the south. (more…)
