On Saving Ground Cover in Lalbagh

On saving ground cover in Lalbagh

Lalbagh needs to have at least a part of its area covered with natural ground cover of herbaceous vegetation. This is especially the area frequented by people, where one could see and observe urban wildlife easily. Everything should not be removed for the sake of a formal mowed lawn.

These natural patches harbour a much higher biodiversity than mowed lawns. Many native local plants, and many small animals like annelids, arthropods, gastropods and many more would make these patches their home. These areas could serve as a local reservoir of local biodiversity, when other areas are being mowed, cleared and managed. Recolonization of cleared out patches would diminish with increasing distance when local reservoirs and corridors are absent. And these patches could bridge that gap. The flowering of these native plants could support bee and butterfly populations, while the plants themselves could be food to butterfly larvae. A variety of insects and plants would also encourage birds which would feed on them, like say the Magpie-Robin, or the Whitebreasted Waterhen, which feed on the ground.

The single largest source of tomorrow's technical manpower is going to be the cities of today. Therefore we require local learning resources which learners could utilise. And there would be a no better place than an accessible botanic garden for it.

Animals and plants growing in such patches would not be able to survive in Lalbagh if all areas are cleared and mowed down at once. There need to be such patches which helps the ground zone biota to tide over unfavourable times. So a continuity in time is also important.

Environmental and ecological education is important today for everybody. So it is not surprising that the Supreme Court itself saw it fit to ask for environmental education in schools to be made compulsory countrywide. We too could do our part to enhance experiential learning for those interested in learning more about the environment by enhancing the accessible ground level biodiversity in our parks and gardens.

--krishna.mb, 4th August 2022 (this note not formally edited)

~ in good faith, krishnamb.
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