In the upper reaches of Kerala’s Western Ghats, Pampadum Shola National Park is undergoing an ecological revival that is quietly reshaping conservation practices across India. Once dominated by dense stands of invasive Australian black wattle, the park’s native grasslands are returning, bringing back lost water streams, wildlife and ecological balance.
Located at elevations between 1,900 and 2,300 metres, Pampadum Shola holds the southernmost stretch of the ancient shola–grassland mosaic. The park, spanning just over 1,300 hectares in Idukki district, is home to species found nowhere else on Earth including the Nilgiri marten, Kerala laughing thrush, and black-and-orange flycatcher. The grasslands here play a crucial hydrological role, feeding headstreams of the Pambar and Vaigai rivers, which sustain farming settlements in the rain-shadow valleys below.
Local residents say the change is visible. “When the grasslands go, the water goes,” said farmer Babykutty from Vattavada. “After the wattles were cleared, the stream near our field is flowing again even in summer.”
The transformation marks a reversal of forestry practices dating back to the colonial era. Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) was introduced in the early 1900s for tannin extraction, and later aggressively planted across high-altitude grasslands. By the late 20th century, these plantations had suppressed native vegetation, hardened the soil, disrupted stream flows and displaced wildlife.
A major shift came in 2015 after a forest fire exposed the vulnerability of wattle-dominated slopes. Under the leadership of forest officials, including former Munnar Wildlife Warden G Prasad, a plan was launched to remove wattles and restore grasslands. Between 2020 and 2024, roughly 475 hectares were cleared across Pattiankal, Pazhathottam, Thamburan Shola and Bandar. Workers manually uprooted the trees, used the felled logs as barriers to prevent erosion and replanted native grass species sourced from surviving meadows.
Early monitoring shows improved soil moisture, higher water infiltration and the return of native grassland species and pollinators. Streams that had disappeared for decades have begun to re-emerge.
Scientists say this effort underscores a core ecological principle: in some landscapes, removing trees can restore not destroy the environment. Grasslands in the Western Ghats act as natural water reservoirs, absorbing rainfall and releasing it slowly into streams. Under wattle, the soil compacted and runoff increased, drying springs and weakening the entire ecosystem.
Kerala’s 2021 State Eco-Restoration Policy has since made the removal of invasive species a priority. More than 600 additional hectares in nearby protected areas are slated for restoration using the same model.
The work is labour-intensive, requiring repeated removal of wattle roots and careful monitoring. Local youth and eco-development committee members have been trained in restoration techniques, creating employment alongside ecological recovery.
At a recent Western Ghats ecology conclave, researchers described Pampadum as a “living laboratory” for tropical montane restoration. With black wattle classified as one of the world’s most invasive species, the lessons from Pampadum are attracting global attention from South Africa to Brazil.
For now, the grasslands of Pampadum are slowly returning and with them, the sound of flowing water, the flutter of butterflies and the movement of rare birds. The restoration remains fragile, requiring long-term protection and funding. But for many here, the hills are breathing again.
And the success is reshaping how India defines “forest restoration” not as planting more trees everywhere, but as understanding what landscapes truly need to thrive.