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Mukurthi Peak is one of the highest peaks in theWestern Ghats, situated on the border ofUdagamandalam taluk,Nilgiris,Tamil Nadu,Nilambur taluk,Malappuram, andKerala in India. It reaches an altitude of 2,554 m (8,379ft), and is the fifth-highest peak in South India.[1]
The western slope of the hill sits astride the Kerala/Tamil Nadu border. It has many cliffs ranging from 500 m to 2,500 m. Part of Mukurthi is situated within Malappuram district, which is the third-highest point in Kerala, afterAnaimudi (2,696 m) andMeeshapulimala (2,651 m). The peak can only be accessed throughNilgiri district. The Mukurthi peak is said to resemble a "pointed nose."
Mukurthi peak is part ofMukurthi National Park (Nilgiri Tahr National Park), in theNilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Mukurthi is covered withshola (patches of stunted tropical montane forest (found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India),[2] including pine, grasslands and shrublands. Its habitat is favorable forAsian elephants, tigers, andNilgiri Tahr. Mukurthi National Park is situated between theMudumalai National Park and theSilent Valley National Park.Ooty is the nearest town (30 km away).[3]
Pichalbetta (2,544 m) and Nilgiri hill are the most prominent peaks adjacent to this area, and Mukurthi Dam is also nearby.
Many streams drain intoBhavani River. Among the peaks inside the National Park, the highest are Kolaribetta (2,630m), together with Mukurthi Peak (2,556m) and Nilgiri Peak (2,477m. Southwest of Mukurthi liesSilent Valley National Park, and to its west the land falls steeply to 2,000 m in theAmarabalam Forest.
The area under monoculture forestry in Mukurthi is comparatively less than Nilgiris district, and consists mainly ofAcacia mearnsii,Eucalyptusglobulus andPinus patula. The vegetation is either Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forest (shola), grassland and plantation. Pristine shola patches can be seen throughout the park, generally at the heads of streams in the folds of converging slopes. These forests support a variety of flora and fauna. This IBA site is among the richest regions of plant biodiversity, with many endemic orchids and other plant groups. Grasslands in Mukurthi are common and form a mosaic with shola. They are a mixture ofChrysopogon,Ischaemum,Dicanthium,Andropogon, Eragrostis andPanicum species. The ecological status of these grasslands is debated.[4]
Mukurthi hosts many species of wildlife:[5]
11°22′17″N76°31′04″E / 11.3715°N 76.5177°E /11.3715; 76.5177
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