Agumbe is associated with rainforest conservation efforts, documentation of medicinal plants, tourism (trekking and photography), and the promotion of cottage industry.[5][2] The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station was established as a sanctuary for the King Cobra, Agumbe's flagship species.[6][7]
Location
Agumbe in Shivamogga district lies on the south-western coast of India, approximately 98 km (61 mi) north-east of Mangaluru and 357 km (222 mi) north-west of Bengaluru, the state capital of Karnataka in Southern India. It is approximately 24 km (15 mi) from Shringeri and 55 km (34 mi) from the Arabian Sea. The coastal town of Udupi hosts the nearest major railway station approximately 50 km (31 mi). The nearest airport is at Bajpe near Mangaluru which lies at a distance of approximately 94 km (58 mi).[8] The elevation of Agumbe is 660 m (2,165 ft) above mean sea level.[1] As part of the Western Ghats mountain range, Agumbe lies in a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[9] Agumbe is near the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kudremukh National Park.
Size
Agumbe is a small hill village with very limited visitor accommodation. The population is approximately 500 people. The village covers an area of 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi).[10]
Economy
The villagers of Agumbe are subsistence farmers. Rice and areca are grown. The Raksha Kavacha Weavers' Cooperative Society represents the beginnings of cottage industry in the village.[11]
Sunset View Point rests on one of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats on the Udupi-Agumbe Road. It is ten minutes walk from Agumbe.[12] On a fine evening, the sunset can be seen over the Arabian Sea.[13]
Geography
Agumbe lies in a hilly, wet region of the Western Ghat mountains. This geography contributes to its scenery, and suitability for trekking. In addition, there are a number of waterfalls in the locality.
Barkana Falls (Latitude 13.449315, Longitude 75.136015), Northeast of Agumbe, is 850 ft (259 m) in height.[14] It is the tenth highest falls in India.[15]
Onake Abbi Falls
Onake Abbi Falls (latitude 13°30'44"N, longitude 75°4'25"E) at 400 feet, is smaller than Barkana Falls.[16] In the Kannada language, "onake" means 'pounding stick', an instrument used by villagers to pound grains to flour. Trekking for 5 km through rainforest is needed in order to reach a view of the falls.[citation needed]
Jogigundi Falls
Jogigundi is a small water fall near Agumbe. This is about 800m deep. It is usually filled with water.
Koodlu Threetha Falls
Koodlu Theerthra waterfall is located 25 km from Agumbe.
Sirimane Falls
Srimane falls is located at about 40 km from Agumbe.
The driest month in Agumbe is February with an average rainfall of 1 mm. The wettest month is July with an average rainfall of 2,647 mm. The mean annual rainfall is 7,620 millimetres (300 in).[20] The highest recorded rainfall in a single month was 4,508 millimetres (177.5 in) in August 1946.[21]
The table below is comparison of rainfalls for between Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluk in Shimoga district, Hulikal in Hosanagara taluk in Shimoga district, Amagaon in Khanapur Taluk in Belgaum district and Talacauvery in Madikeri taluk in Kodagu district, Kokalli of Sirsi Taluk, Nilkund of Siddapur Taluk, CastleRock of Supa (Joida) Taluk in Uttara Kannada District to show which one can be called the "Cherrapunji of South India".[22]
Maximum temperatures in Agumbe vary between 24.4 and 31.5 °C. Minimum temperatures vary between 16.2 °C and 21.4 °C. Average temperatures vary between 22.2 °C and 23.6 °C with an annual average temperature of 23.5 °C. April is the hottest month of the year and December the coolest. The average annual variation in temperature is 4.1 °C.[18] The lowest recorded temperature was 3.2 °C in 1975 and the highest, 37 °C in 2008-2009.[19]
Climate data for Agumbe (1981–2010, extremes 1951–2012)
Someshwara (Udupi dist.) below AgumbeFog filled valley, Sunset point
Rainforest is a dense, wet, tropical evergreen ecosystem, high in its level of biodiversity. According to the 'Champion and Seth' classification, Agumbe is an area of "Southern tropical wet evergreen forests" (1A/C4). R.S. Troup, an eminent forester of his day, said,
"The tropical evergreen rain forests are characterised by the great luxuriance of their vegetation which consists of several tiers, the highest containing lofty trees...covered by numerous epiphytes"[28]
Agumbe rainforest research station
The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station was founded in 2005 by Romulus Whitaker, a herpetologist. Whitaker had been familiar with Agumbe since the 1970s when he began studying the King Cobra.[29] Its purpose is to create a local biodiversity database, encourage individual scientific research, collaborate with India's Department of Forestry and conserve the rainforest of the Western Ghats as well as to educate the residents of the region in the importance of forestry conservation. The King Cobra, an endangered species is the station's "flagship species".[10] The station occupies an area of 8 acres (32,000 m2). Funding for the station came from Whitaker's mother, Doris Norden and from the Whitley Award received by Whitaker in 2005.
Medicinal plants conservation area
The Agumbe Medicinal Plants Conservation Area was established in 1999 to protect the important medicinal plants of the region. The "Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions" recorded 371 plant species at Agumbe, of which 182 were medicinal.[28][30]
In creating funds for conservation of the Agumbe rainforest, the Ophiophagus hannah, king cobra is a 'flagship' species.[41] An Agumbe-based scientific project to radio-locate rescued king cobras aims to determine whether relocation is helpful to their survival.[42] other reptiles and amphibians of the area include the cane turtle and a flying lizard.
Birds
Agumbe is a popular destination for bird watchers and photographers. Among the endemic birds are the Malabar trogon, the yellow-browed bulbul and Sri Lankan frogmouths.[43]
Great Hornbill
Insects and marine species
Agumbe's many insect species include the Atlas moth, Cyclotoma alleni (a beetle discovered in Agumbe),[44]Selenops agumbensis, a spider and Drosophila agumbensis a small fly species. Cremnoconchus agumbensis is a local small fresh water snail.[45]
Temples
The Agumbe Venugopalakrishna Hindu temple is an old structure known for beautiful architecture and peacefulness. The temple deity is Sri Venugopala Krishna. An annual fair is conducted each year in February during Ratha Saptami in honour of the deity.
Another local temple is the Sringeri Sharadamba temple.
^"Climate". Western Ghats Biodiversity Information System. Environment Information System (ENVIS). Bangalore: Centre for Ecological Sciences [CES] Indian Institute of Sciences [IISc]. Archived from the original on 2 July 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
^"Amagaon is now Cherrapunji of South". DeccanHerald.com. Retrieved 23 March 2013. Amagaon has got over 10,000 mm annual rainfall twice in the five years (2006-2010). The exact amount of rainfall is not available.
^ abPrabhakaran V. "Agumbe Medicinal Plants Conservation Area – A tribute to Kuvempu" "Medplant Network News". Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
Medplant Network News, Volume 3, September–October 2003. International Development Research Centre (pub), Canada. In English. Accessed 24 October 2013
^Udar, Ram; Singh, Devendra Kumar (1979). "Notothylas dissecta, A Hornwort new to India". The Bryologist. 82 (4): 625–628. doi:10.2307/3242010. JSTOR3242010.
^"Lion-tailed macaque". Friends of the Smithsonian National Zoo. 2005. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
^Karanth, KU (1992). "Conservation prospects for lion-tailed macaques in Karnataka, India". Zoo Biology. 11. Wiley: 33–41. doi:10.1002/zoo.1430110105.
^"Malgudi Days are back". Online Edition of The Deccan Herald, dated 11 April 2004. 2004, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
