Shivamogga Malnad Rice Areca Nut Bamboo Forest Ecology

Shivamogga (Shimoga) district in the Western Ghats Malnad zone is the transition between the coast and the Deccan plateau, where the high rainfall (2,000-3,000mm) supports areca nut (betel nut) cultivation, silver oak-coffee agroforestry, bamboo stands of Dendrocalamus strictus, and the paddy cultivation of the Bhadra river valley. The district's Bhadra Tiger Reserve in the evergreen Malnad forest protects tiger, elephant, sloth bear, and the endemic Malabar giant squirrel in one of the Western Ghats' key biodiversity hotspot areas. Shivamogga's Jog Falls — where the Sharavathi river plunges 253 metres in four distinct cascades (Raja, Roarer, Rocket, Rani) — is India's second-tallest waterfall and one of Karnataka's premier nature tourism destinations.