DIVERSITY OF ANGIOSPERM CLIMBER SPECIES IN POINT CALIMERE WILDLIFE AND BIRD SANCTUARY, TAMIL NADU

Climbers are currently understood to have a range of important ecological functions in forest dynamics. Climbers are already recognized as an important group for tropical biodiversity, playing a key role in ecosystem level processes and providing resources for pollinators and dispersers. The present study is an attempt to document different climber species and their uses in Point Calimere Wildlife and Birds Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India. The present study recorded 53 herbaceous climbers and 21 lianas from all the forests types of Point Calimere Sanctuary, covering 25 families. Considering all climbers and lianas, 40 species are stem twiners, 2 species are branch twiners, 4 are spiny Climbers, 19 species are tendril climbers and 8 species are hook climbers. Most of the lianas are distributed in scrub forests and


Methodology:-
Field trips were carried out in whole areas of the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in various seasons. The climbers are collected and identified with the help of floras (Gamble andFischer (1915 -1936), Mathew (1981 -1988) and Daniel and Umamaheswari (2001). The details like name (family, plant name, and local name), locality, date of collection, habit and habitat, uses, distribution and salient features like association were recorded in an elaborate field book. The voucher specimens are housed in Medicinal Plants Garden, CCRS, Mettur, Salem, Tamil Nadu. Information on nomenclature and family was taken from an online botanical database Tropicos (2017). For the uses and common names, Useful plants of India (1986) and Yognarasiman (2000) were referred.

Observation And Discussion:-
The present study recorded 53 herbaceous climbers and 21 lianas from all the forests types of Point Calimere Sanctuary, covering 25 families. In dicotyledons, there are 23 families containing 60 genera and 71 species. In monocotyledons, there are 2 families containing 3 genera and 3 species; considering all climbers (C) and lianas (L), 40 species are stem twiners, 2 species are branch twiners, 4 are spiny climbers, 19 species are tendril climbers and 8 species are hook climbers (Table 1). In Cardiospermum petiole modified into tendrils, whereas in Cissus and Cyphostemma axillary tips are modified into tendrils. In Passiflora, branch and peduncle are modified into tendrils. In Strychnos minor modified branchlet ends into tendrils. Thorns act as hook to climb over the support in Ziziphus oenoplia and Scutia myrtina. Inflorescence axis modified into hook in Aristolochia indica. Hugonia mystax is straggling climber with spiral hooks. Some geophytic plants such as, Dolichos trilobus consists of root with a fascicle of 3-6 tuberous rootlets. Fleshy tubers present in Trichosanthes tricuspidata, Cyphostemma setosum, Asparagus racemosus and Gloriosa superba.
Two villages are located inside the area of study, Kodikkadu in the north and Kodikkarai near angular extreme of Point Calimere are connected by road. Jasminum sambac, Jasminum officinale are planted in the household gardens. Trichosanthes tricuspidata is common in well drained soil. Citrullus colocynthis, Mucuna pruriens and Caesalpinia bonduc are common in the coastal vegetation. Ctenolepis garcinii, Rhynchosia minima, Lablab purpureus, Cardiospermum canescens and Ipomoea obscura forms mats over other vegetation during the monsoon period. 1148

Exotics
Biodiversity loss caused by invasive species may soon surpass the damage done by habitat destruction and fragmentation. Biological invasions are an important component of human-caused global environmental change. Invasive alien species are now a major focus of global conservation concern. The decisions need to be made on whether benefits derived from the invasive spread of an alien species outweigh the reduced value of ecosystem services (Sudhakar Reddy et al., 2008). The present study reported invasive species such as Ipomoea obscura, Ipomoea pes-tigridis, Clitoria ternatea and Passiflora foetida.

Economical importance
The people who dwell in Point Calimere jungles are presently called "Seenthil Valayars". It is said the name Seenthil Valayars came because these people are known to consume the climber Seenthil (Tinospora cordifolia) stems. Mucuna pruriens seeds are edible after processing by the native forest dwellers. Lablab purpureus, Momordica charantia, Momordica dioica and Canavalia virosa fruits are used as vegetable. Dioscorea pentaphylla tubers are edible. Basella alba, Ipomoea obscura and Ipomaea marginata young leaves used as spinach. Ziziphus oenoplia fruits are edible. India has about 265 climber species, of which 125 are woody and the rest are herbaceous. About 100 species are medicinal in nature (Chaudhuri, 2007). Climbers are widely used in traditional systems of medicine (Eilu and Bukenya-Ziraba, 2004). 53 medicinal climbers are recorded in the study area (   Aganosma cymosa Useful in diseases of parapelegia, sciatica and neuralgia 3.
Aristolochia indica Root, stem used as antidote and anti-inflammatory 4.
Azima tetracantha Juice of the leaves used to relieve cough and phthisis 6.
Cardiospermum  The bird's congregation of the Point Calimere Sanctuary depends on the forest canopy. The canopy of the scrub jungle is significantly mated by the lianas. The lianas provide habitat for the migratory birds. In these nests, the birds had skirted Point Calimere in their route towards Sri Lanka. The loss of green cover certainly drastically damages the bird's life. Though it is a protected area, chemical companies and small-scale shrimp farms around the wetland have started to pose a threat to the biodiversity and ecosystem of the sanctuary. Strict environmental regulations should be imposed and salt pan and other aquaculture practices, unregulated economical activities around the sanctuary should be prohibited. This effective action will help in maintaining species diversity and composition to provide suitable breeding sites in the sanctuary.