ESTABLISHMENT OF FUNGAL HERBARIUM WITH SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE FROM TBGRI, THIRUVANANDHAPURAM, KERALA.

Microbes, especially fungi play important role in the Shola forests of Western Ghats . But they are not given adequate attention in wildlife research. So, a research project on foliicolous fungi of the shola forests of Kodaikanal Hills is supported by the trust and  so far 3 M.Phil., dissertations were produced and one Ph.D., research scholar is supported under this scheme. As a long  term perspective, a fungal herbarium to help future research scholars is being built up by the trust and deposited in the nearby STET women’s college. Dr.V.B.Hosagoudar D.Sc., of TBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is closely associated with this project as subject expert. So far two fungal species were rediscovered and reported by this scheme.