18.ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF SACRED GROVES IN WESTERN MAHARASHTRA THROUGH MULTIPLE FACETS By RAJESHREE JOHI_ SHRUTI KULKARNI_ SAMPADA BHUSARE_ NEHA PHANSALKAR_ DINESH NIPUNAGE AND DILIP KULKARNI

Abstract

Forest preserved on religious grounds is known as Deorai or Deo rahati or Sacred grove. It is a traditional heritage of nature conservation in Indian culture and civilization. Generally, sacred groves are classified into different forest types and they preserve climax vegetation. These sacred groves are conserved with varied degree of ecological and socio-cultural dimensions. It may be noted that even as the social changes occur, the rejuvenation of cultural heritage –one of the important ecosystem services of sacred groves, can act to support the conservation and restoration of groves. It may also be pointed out that cultural heritage and forest vegetation are complementary to each other in determining ecosystem health of community –based bio-diversity conservation institutions like sacred groves. Imbalance of these components can severely affect all other ecosystem services.
Present ecosystem service are directly or indirectly responsible for regulating floods, purifying water, maintaining the temperature, botanical garden for students and plant lovers, bank of wild relatives of cultivated plants, treasure trove of wild medicinal and edible plants, shelter for birds and insects, areas of regional environmental studies, house of microbes and fungi, etc. Biological processes occurred in sacred groves are responsible for recycling nutrients, soil formation and providing the supporting services to the human societies.
Experience of Floristic studies on sacred groves in Western Ghats of Maharashtra and efforts of eco-restoration in selected sacred groves from Maharashtra are presented in the paper

KEY WORDS : Sacred groves, Ecosystem services, Maharashtra State.