192
6.3.2 Plant–Plant
The Solega are aware of the differing nature of epiphytic and parasitic plants, and of
the effect they have on the host plant. Orchids are a diverse, common and conspicu-
ous group of epiphytes in the BRT, but as they have no noticeable impact on the
health of the host trees, and as they are not utilised for any purpose by the Solega,
they are largely ignored, and the individual species are not even named (see Chap.
2 for a more detailed discussion). Their epiphytic habit is referenced in the name of
the group as a whole: mara banja ‘tree banja ’. In contrast, the effect of uppilu
‘ mistletoe ’ ( Taxillus tomentosus ) on its hosts is seen as a negative one, especially if
that host is the culturally and economically important nelli mara ‘Indian gooseberry
or a:mla ’ ( Phyllanthus emblica and P. indofi scheri ). The current bans on burning
have, in the eyes of the Solega, increased the parasite load of uppilu on individual
nelli trees, with the result that yields of fruit are now far lower than they were in
times when agricultural burning was carried out. The results of recent scientifi c
studies have suggested that this may well be the case [ 209 ].
Lantana leaves its mark not only on the hides of elephants , but also on the popu-
lation structure of the forest. Solega people have noticed that once common medici-
nal and food plants, along with mushrooms and numerous fragrant, ornamental
fl owers are now hard to fi nd, because the Lantana bushes simply leave no space for
potential competitors to grow. There are also far more menacing, longer-term con-
sequences of the invader’s presence—the worst affected patches of the forest have
now lost their regenerative capacity, and face imminent destruction:
I:ge:n a:gide? Marada taragu be:ya ida ottiga me:le ishṭu ga:tura bitta biddaruve taragina
me:leve, ondu bitta uṭṭa:geuve da:ri ille. A:ga maḷe biḍta biḍta ni:ru biddu koḍte ottu, i:ga
giḍa bardille. Saṇṇa giḍa ille, matte saṇṇa pairu illa matte e:n andare—ro:ja ma:tra.
Jo:ra:goitu; arda mara gaṭṭa uve! ... Marada geḍḍeka ni:re ille i:ga, be:re hotteve tindurtu
adava. Mara ella oṇa:gitta biddiade. I: ka:lakka na he:ḷa:du, mara ella pu:ra oṇa:gi ottu,
saṇṇa mara illa doḍḍa doḍḍa mara:de. I:vottu benki biddottu enda:ga, mara ella ta:ma:eya
ho:tu i:ga.
What’s it like now? When the leaf litter isn’t burnt, all the seeds fall on the litter, and not a
single one is able to sprout. And then the rain keeps falling on the seeds, and they all just
rot. No small plants get to grow—just the Lantana. There’s lots of Lantana ; the bushes
grow as tall as half a tree’s height! ... So now the trees’ roots don’t get any water, because
the Lantana bushes drink it all. All the trees dry up, and fall over. I’m telling you, at the
present moment, all the trees are drying up, and no new trees can grow, so the forest’s full
of big, old trees. And so when there’s a forest fi re , all the trees are destroyed.6.3.3 Animal–Animal
Relationships between animals include trophic interactions, as well as agonistic and
antagonistic exchanges. Obvious examples of the former include the carnivores of
the region, including huli ‘ tiger ’, kirubã ‘leopard’ and kenna:yi ‘dhole’. The two
6 Signs and Relationships