Ecological Walk Around MCC (academic)

Background:

The Madras Christian College campus was not originally forested, and was actually a degraded and barren landscape when the college first moved to its present location.  The main reason for lack of tree growth on the college grounds was because there was not a fence to keep animals out, such as goats and cows, that graze areas over, and because local people would cut down any trees for fire wood.  The completion of a fence surrounding the campus in 1937 began the process of forest growth on the campus.  With the local people not able to harvest the vegetation for firewood, and the local livestock not able to graze the campus, seeds brought in by birds and bats were able to take root and grow relatively uninhibited.  Helping the birds and bats to reforest the campus was the Barns family, who are now considered to be the “green architects” of the campus.  Professor Barns was a chemist and botanist.  Wanting to bring is love of botany to the rest of campus, be began raising saplings from all over the country, never buying them, and then planting them around campus (including the banyan tree outside the International Guest House).

After 70 years of growth, the campus of Madras Christian College is considered a dry evergreen forest.  Currently, much of the vegetation on campus is not very tall, thorny, and poisonous, resulting from the introduction of deer in the 1980’s.  The deer snuck onto the campus from Gandhi National Park, and have since kept the undergrowth a bay.  Prior to their introduction, it was nearly impossible to see through the forest between buildings, but because of grazing, one can now easily see through the forest.  It is predicted that in the future, only vegetation that is inedible to the deer will be present on MCC campus.  Although the deer pose a serious threat to the diversity of flora on the campus, it is illegal to kill them.  The only legal option is very costly, and involves capturing them and moving them to another location. 

Plant species:

1. The plant Memeceyon in ancient Tamil literature dating over 2000 years old.  During monsoon season the plant flowers and has dark and cloudy petals.  The fruit are small but can help identify the plant because the berries are similar size the bark pieces.
2. The plant Zizi Fufs have small berries and has sweet smelling flowers which are rich in vitamin C.
3. The plant Todalia Asiotica has a strong pungent aroma along with a strong bitter taste.
4. The plant Gliricedia Sepium was introduced by the British because when it is mulched, it adds nitrogen to the soil.  Also, it has been used for rat poison.
5. The plant Scivia Murtinu has edible berries.  When ripe, the berries are a deep blue color, but are extremely bitter!
6. The plant Cycas Carcinalis evolved during the Jurassic period and has since persisted in mild tropic climates.  It produces hundreds of golf ball sized fruit, but they must be processed before eating.
7. The plant Muraya Cauricalata is a distant relative of Jasmine, but smells nearly identical.  It is recognizable by its scent, small white flowers, and waxy leaves.
8. The Pipul tree is sacred to Buddhists because it is the tree where Buddha got his knowledge, and is recognizable by its heart shaped leaves.  The Pipul tree is a part of the fig family, and serves as a keystone species, supporting birds, rodents, and inscets.
9. The Tamarindus tree has brown edible pods and is thought to be derived from dates.  Consequently give the plant the name tamar-indus.  The Tamarindus family originated in Africa, but unlike Indian food that incorporates the tamarind fruit into many dishes, Africans do not use it in food.
10. The plant Scalpania Ferria, also known as Ironwood, is not native to the area, and is identifiable by its unique characteristic of grafting its branches together when they come in contact with one another.
11. The plant known as the Mother-in-law tree has white flowers, and symbolizes victory in Tamil Culture.  The common name originated because the tree is very noisy when strong winds shake its branches.
12. The state flower of Tamil Nadu is the Glorioga Superba.  The tubers of the plant are used in medicinal purposes for treating arthritis, but if not properly processed, it can be deadly.
13. The Sapoti Fruit, which comes from the family Matuka Lowifolia, has oily seeds that have been used for lamp oil, cooking, and distilling of liquor.
14. The Aloni tree produces a key ingredient in a Hawaiian miracle drug.
15. The wild yam has traditional medicinal purposes that include birth control
16. The plant Ralina Seppertina has been used to treat snake bites, and is effective because it calms the victim which keeps the venom from flowing through the blood stream as fast.
17. The Calabash Tree has produces large fruit that grow from the trunk.  It was introduced from Africa as an ornamental plant, and is pollinated by bats.

In total, there are over 600 know plant species on campus.  However, with the continued grazing of deer, many species could be overgrazed and taken over by other species inedible to deer.