Intermediate to Moist Deciduous Teak Forest
(Tectona- Dillenia- Lagerstroemia Lanceolata- Terminalia Paniculata Series )
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Located in the Nilgiri Biosphere in Western Ghats, the forests surrounding Wayanad, Kerala are immensely complex systems. They take on multiple identities- host to innumerable flora and fauna species, home to indigenous communities, and an impenetrable jungle, among others. This project aims to study this system through the lens of a wetland ecosystem that is seemingly unique to the region. Due to encroachment by colonial-era plantation forestry, the formation of these seasonal marshlands (‘vayal’) has been hindered. This project aims to interpret these complex ecosystems and identify a possible reconciliation or collaborative survival between forests, farms, and ‘unseen’ waters.
Recording Landscapes: Pen and charcoal sketches of various landscapes- Agara Lake (Bangalore), Yercaud, WayanadA Narrative of the Forest:
The journey through Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) was recorded through sections and sketches, drawn based on photographs, and arranged to convey the experience. Correlating Systems:
A study of the forest through an analysis of its contributing systemsCorrelating Habitats: A look beyond the administrative boundaries of the forest, through the study of habitats of various flora and fauna species. Forest, Farm and Unseen Waters: An analysis of conditions that allow the formation of vayals, through a study of maps, sections and texts. Tracing Unseen Waters: A journey through the forest reveals the changing character- plantations, farms, vayals and dense forests. Ideal Vayal System:
Photomontage depicting an ideal healthy vayal system, a cradle of biodiversity and indicator of forest health. An Invaded System:
Photomontage depicting a system disturbed by humans, invasive plants and woody species. Points of Pause: The threshold between the dense forest and the vayal system forms an ideal place to pause and understand this complex ecosystem. This threshold may take many forms. Points of Pause:
The ideal threshold to view this transient forest ecosystem would be at the edge of a dense moist deciduous forest.
