The ‘living fossil’ shola plant community is under threat in upper Nilgiris
The closed evergreen forest, called the shola, occurs above 1700 m in patches in the higher hills of South India in the Nilgiris, Annamalai and Palani hills. Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical montane forests which attain a low height of about 16–20 m. These forests have high ecological significance in protecting the head waters of rivers by holding up of water received by precipitation like a sponge, thus preventing rapid run-off. (Correspondence)