The Times of Times 17.09.2010
Garden dept lists trees that can be planted in city
PUNE: The garden department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), in consultation with biodiversity expert and botanist S D Mahajan, has come up with a new list of native trees that can be planted in the city.
Ashok Ghorpade, garden superintendent, PMC, told TOI that of the 115 plants named in the list, five were exotic. "This list acts as a guideline for citizens who would like to plant trees. The five exotic trees, too, are suitable to the climate and are ornamental as well,'' he said.
Mahajan said that a few names of native trees were added and some exotic trees were removed from the preliminary list. There are also a few exceptions; trees that have been planted in the city for a long time known as naturalised' trees have been retained in the list.
"Exotic trees are invasive and disturb the ecological balance. They do not associate with the local fauna and the ecosystem. For example, birds do not nest in gulmohar trees. Also, honey bees do not visit eucalyptus trees,'' he said. At present, the city has more exotic species of trees (not native to a particular place) than native species. Mahajan stressed that more native trees should be planted as they provide diverse habitats and food sources, unlike exotic species.
During heavy rainfall in the month of November 2009, around 150 trees were uprooted. Of these 140 were exotic and a majority of these uprooted trees included subabul and gulmohar, he said.
In his book Aapale Vriksha' (Our Trees) Mahajan describes the importance of native trees. The new list has been uploaded on the PMC's website and put up on the notice board in the garden department. One can get the list from the department.
