Department of Radiodiagnosis, Jawaharlal NehruDepartment of botany, bio-informatic & climate change impacts management, school of science, Gujarat University Navarangpura. Ahmedabad 382480 Medical College, Belgaum
Rainforests, which thrive in regions with abundant rainfall, are characterized by their lush vegetation and biodiversity, with tropical rainforests being the most prominent type, found near the equator. These forests support a variety of species that have evolved to flourish in environments with consistent moisture. Rain gardens, inspired by these natural ecosystems, are designed to manage excess rainwater in urban areas, improving water infiltration and reducing runoff. This study focuses on the rain garden at the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India, examining the plants used, their management, and their role in water conservation. The findings highlight the importance of rain gardens in mitigating urban flooding and enhancing local biodiversity by using native plants suited for both wet and dry conditions.
A closed plant community dominated by trees ("forest'') occurring under conditions of abundant moisture ("rain"). Four types of rainforests, considered that "the most essential characteristic of a rainforest" was its being composed of evergreen hygrophilous trees. Most rainforests are structured in four layers: emergent, canopy, understory and forest floor. Each layer has unique characteristics based on differing levels of water, sunlight and air circulation.
On the forest floor, you can find many plants like herbs, shrubs, ferns, and flowers called orchids. Some plants, known as epiphytes, even grow on the branches of other trees! The bark of trees and the surfaces of leaves are home to tiny plants, fungi, and mosses. All these different plants create a rich environment that supports many animals, from tiny bugs in the soil to big animals like elephants and birds called hornbills. All these living things work together to make the rainforest a special place. Rainforest can be defined as a closed community of essentially, but not exclusively, broadleaved, evergreen, hygrophilous trees, usually with two or more layers of trees and shrubs, and with dependent synusiae of other life-forms, such as climbers and epiphytes. Tropical rainforests are located between 10°N and 10°S of the Equator, where temperatures stay near 28°C throughout the year. Rainforests typically receive over 2000mm of rain each year. The largest rainforests are in the Amazon in Brazil (South America), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Africa) and Indonesia (South East Asia). Tropical rainforests are also found in Hawaii and the islands of the Pacific & Caribbean the tropical rainforest is the place on Earth where the most different kinds of plants and animals live. It is also known as a tropical wet evergreen forest. This special forest is found near the equator, where it rains a lot—more than 2,000 millimeters every year! It only has a few short dry weeks when it doesn’t rain much. Because of all the rain, the plants grow really well, and most of the trees stay green all year long. "Rain forests represent the world's richest repository of terrestrial biodiversity, and play a major role in regulating the global climate. They support the livelihoods of a substantial proportion of the world's population and are the source of many internationally traded commodities.
Rainforests are situated at low latitude where forests enjoy steady and strong radiation. Biodiversity in rainforests has been very high, for historical and climatic reasons. The number of species is very high and tends to increase with precipitation and decrease with seasonality. In parts of the world that avoid extremely harsh winters and receive high, widely distributed rainfall, rainforests make up the majority the vegetation have almost equal distributions of tropical rainforests along the equator. Tropical rainforest has been a center of evolutionary from which the rest of the world's flora has been recruited.
Tropical rainforests are the most complex ecosystems on Earth. For literally millions of years, rainforests—which many people refer to as jungles—have dominated tropical flora. There may be a diversity of organisms beneath their soaring canopy that is unmatched anywhere else on the planet. High temperatures with little variation throughout the year are found in rainforest regions. Throughout the year, temperatures hover around 20°C to 28°C, with the warmest months in a particular location maybe being a degree or so warmer than the coldest. Because the sun lies primarily above, there are not many fluctuations in the length of daylight throughout the year, which leads to this homogeneity. The vast majority of current rainforest species seem to have floristic affinities with groups that have evolved and arisen in environments very similar to those currently found in rainforests around the world, while also making significant contributions to the vegetation of the more unfavorable climatic conditions found at the edges of rainforest zones. America, Africa, and Southeast Asia all have almost equal distributions of tropical rainforests along the equator. Larger areas were covered by rainforests in earlier geological times. This is supported by the fossil record as well as the discontinuity of rainforest presence with in distinct geographical masses. Under the general definition of "rainforest," they can be considered distinct formations of equal status bound together by their shared characteristics. In the subtropics, both floristic elements come into direct contact, but despite some element mixing, there is a tendency for one or the other to clearly predominate and for the structure of the subtropical rainforests to show a strong similarity to either tropical or temperate rainforest, depending on which element is dominant. The temperate rainforest is far less common. It is fairly limited north of the equator except from montane rainforests, with sections of Formosa and southern Japan being the only significant area. This is likely due to the harsh winters in the land-dominant northern hemisphere. No other vegetation zone on Earth can match this level of arboreal diversity.
MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
Examine the background data
Obtain background data on Ahmedabad’s rainforest garden including design, management techniques, and maintenance of rain garden in Gandhi Ashram.
Visit
I visit the rainforest garden in Sabarmati Gandhi ashram Ahmedabad at the date of 15thfeb for survey, and I collected listed data. Here are the few of the most typical items.
LOCATION:
Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Ashram Rd, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380027 23°03′36″N 72°34′51″E / 23.06000°N 72.58083°E At the site of rain garden in Gandhi ashram Ahmedabad Jayant Solanki sir (DFO Gujrat) guide me and provide more information about the rain forest and rain garden.
Site plan
This is the plan drawing plan of Gandhi Ashram rain garden.
Tree List of Rain Garden In Gandhi Ashram
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
Native |
Habitat |
Habit |
|
Malabar ironwood |
Xylia xylocarpa Roxb.
|
South Asia |
Tropical forest, Lowland areas along with riverbank |
Deciduous tree |
|
Screw pine |
Pandanus dubius Spreng. |
South Asia |
Coastal area |
Small to medium size tree |
|
Narrow leaved orchid tree |
Bauhinia acuminata L. |
Topical Asia |
Topical forest |
Small tree or shrub with showy flower |
|
Agati |
Sesbania grandiflora (L.) |
South Asia |
Topical subtropical region |
Small to medium size tree |
|
Elephant ear |
Alocasia |
South Asia Eastern Australia |
Tropical and subtropical forest |
Herbaceous perennial with large heart shaped leaves |
|
Spherical fruited discospermum |
Discospermum sphaerocarpum Dalzell |
Philippine, Malaysia |
Tropical forest along with river banks moist area |
Small shrubs or herbs |
|
Serrate leaved premna |
Premna serratifolia L.
|
India Malaysia Philippine |
Topical forest, costal area |
Small to medium sizes shrub or tree |
|
Spanish cherry |
Mimusops elengi L.
|
South Asia, India |
Costal and low land topical forest |
Evergreen tree with fragrant flower |
|
Spurred ginger |
Alpinia calcarata |
South Asia |
Topical forest, humid area |
Herbaceous perennial with large ornamental leaves |
|
Duck's eye, Coralberry |
Ardisia solanacea Roxb. |
Tropical Asia |
Forests and tropical environments |
Shrub or small tree |
|
Blue chest tree |
Vitex trifolia L.
|
Coastal region of south Asia |
Costal and tropical areas |
Shrub or small tree with blue flower |
|
champak |
Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre [2]
|
South Asia including India Malaysia |
Tropical forest |
Evergreen tree |
|
Pithraj Tree
|
Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) R.N. Parker |
South Asia |
Tropical forest |
Medium size tree |
|
Blue Sage
|
Eranthemum pulchellum Andrews |
South Asia |
Tropical forest |
Shrub with attractive blue flower |
|
Trincomalee wood |
Berrya cordifolia (Willd.) Burret |
South Asia |
Tropical and sub-tropical area |
Small tree or shrub with heart shaped leaves |
|
mango-pine |
Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn. |
India and south Asia |
Costal and tropical forest |
Small tree or shrub |
|
White pisonia |
Pisonia aculeata L. [2] |
South Asia, pacific island |
Costal and tropical area |
Small tree with large, leathery leaves |
|
Karinjara |
Syzygium caryophyllatum (L.) Alston [2] |
South Asia |
Tropical forest |
Small to medium size tree |
|
Chandakala |
Macaranga peltata Roxb. Mueller |
South Asia |
Tropical forest |
Medium size tree or shrub |
|
Heart-Leaf Coneflower |
Strobilanthes cordifolia |
India and South Asia |
Tropical and subtropical forests |
Herbaceous shrub |
|
Wild Coconut
|
Arenga wightii Griff. |
India and south Asia |
Costal and lowland tropical region |
Tall evergreen palm tree |
|
mulberry |
Morus alba L. |
China and India |
Temperate and subtropical region |
Deciduous tree |
|
Beach naupaka |
Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb.
|
South Asia pacific islnd |
Costal and sandy areas |
Shrubs with fan shaped flower |
|
Japanese Fern Tree |
Filicium decipiens (Wight & Arn.) Thwaites |
South Asia |
tropical and subtropical forests |
Small to medium size tree with glossy ornamental leaves |
|
Sinduri |
Bixa orellana L.
|
Central and south America |
Tropical forest |
Small tree or shrub with edible seeds for colouring food |
|
Sandal wood |
Santalum album L.
|
India and South Asia |
Tropical and subtropical region |
Small evergreen tree known for aromatic wood |
|
Indian rose wood |
Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. |
India and south Asia |
Tropical dry forest |
Large tree |
|
Jet berry |
Ardisia elliptica Thunb. |
South Asia |
Tropical forest |
Shrub or small tree |
|
Kurma |
Persea macrantha (Nees) Kosterm |
South Asia |
Tropical forest |
Medium sized tree
|
|
Nagod |
Vitex negundo L. [1 |
South Asia |
Tropical and subtropical region |
Shrub or small tree |
QUESTIONNARAIRE
1)What is rain garden?
2)What is the primary purpose of rain garden?
3)what is the difference between rain garden and normal garden?
4)What materials are used to construct the bottom of rain garden?
5)what types of plants are best suited for rain garden?
6)How does rain garden help reduce urban flooding?
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Question answer
1)What is rain garden?
A rain garden is a special type of garden designed to catch and soak up rainwater. The garden is planted with water loving plants that can handle both wet and dry conditions
2)What is the primary purpose of rain garden?
The primary purpose of rain garden is to help manage rain water.
3)what is the difference between rain garden and normal garden?
Rain gardens are made especially to control stormwater runoff by collecting and filtering precipitation before it reaches streams or storm drains.It aids in preventing water pollution and flooding. Ordinary Garden: Mostly intended for the cultivation of plants for aesthetic, culinary, or decorative purposes, with little attention paid to runoff control.
Management of Water:
Rain Garden: Designed to manage a lot of water. Its unique layout and plant choices minimize runoff and enable water to swiftly seep into theearth.
Ordinary Garden: Usually does not concentrate on controlling runoff or rainfall. Watering is typically done by hand using an irrigation system or hose.
Design: Rain gardens are designed to collect rainfall from nearby surfaces, such as driveways or rooftops, and then let it runoff into the earth.
Plants are picked to withstand both dry and wet circumstances, and the soil is carefully designed to aid with water infiltration. Ordinary Garden: Water runoff is not particularly addressed in the design, which instead concentrates on aesthetics and plant requirements.
Plants and Soil:
Rain Gardens: Make use of specialized soil and native plants, like grasses, shrubs, and perennials, that are adept at absorbing water and managing surplus moisture.
Ordinary Garden: The sorts of plants and soil used depend on the demands of the gardener (e.g., flowers, veggies, or herbs). When choosing plants, water management is not a major consideration.
4)What materials are used to construct the bottom of rain garden?
A rain garden's bottom is constructed from a variety of materials that facilitate water absorption into the earth and enable the garden to function as intended. This is what is commonly used:
1. Soil Blend
In order to provide rapid water drainage while maintaining sufficient moisture retention for plant growth, the soil at the bottom is specifically blended. Typically, this mixture includes:
Sand: Aids in drainage to prevent standing water.
Compost: Supplements the soil with nutrients to support the growth of healthy plants.
The soil layer that gives plants support is called topsoil.
2. Crushed stone or gravel
To make it easier for water to pass through the soil, a layer of crushed stone or gravel is frequently positioned at the very bottom. This layer facilitates drainage and keeps the soil from compacting too much, which could reduce the rate at which water is absorbed.
3. Optional Filter Fabric
To prevent the soil from blending with the gravel, a filter cloth is occasionally placed in between the soil layers. This keeps the water flowing correctly and the rain garden clean.
4. The mulch
Typically placed on top of the soil, mulch aids in water retention and deters weed growth. Additionally, it shields plant roots.
5. Modified Soil
The soil may be altered (combined with sand, compost, or other materials) to increase drainage if the natural soil (such as clay) does not drain properly.
5)what types of plants are best suited for rain garden?
Plants that can withstand both dry and wet conditions are ideal for a rain garden. These plants ought to be able to withstand periodic flooding, absorb rainfall, and flourish in drier soil. The following plant varieties are suitable for a rain garden:
1. Indigenous Plants: The best option is to use native plants since they are suited to the soil, rainfall, and climate of the area. They help local animals, are hardy, and once established, need less water.
2. Grasses, such as switchgrass or little bluestem. Grasses thrive in both rainy and dry situations because their roots allow water to seep into the soil.
3. Wildflowers, such as Coneflower or Black-eyed Susan. In addition to adding beauty to a rain garden, wildflowers draw pollinators like butterflies and bees. They can also tolerate different amounts of wetness.
4. Perennials, such as purple coneflower or bee balm. These plants can withstand both dry and wet circumstances and return each year. They offer enduring beauty as well.
5. Shrubs: Spirea or buttonbush, for instance. Shrubs are excellent for giving a rain garden structure. Their roots stop soil erosion, and they aid in water absorption.
6.Wetland Plants: Blue Flag Iris or Swamp Milkweed, for instance. These plants can withstand occasional flooding and do well in places where water collects.
7. Ferns, such as Sensitive Fern or Ostrich Fern. Ferns thrive in the shaded areas of a rain garden and can withstand damp circumstances.
6)How does rain garden help reduce urban flooding?
There are various easy ways that rain gardens can help lessen urban flooding:
1. Absorb Rainwater: Rather than allowing rainwater to flow into storm drains and streets, rain gardens absorb a large portion of it. By doing this, less water would normally flood buildings, parking lots, and roadways.
2. Slow Down Water: In a rain garden, the mulch, plants, and soil all work together to slow down the water flow. Instead of rushing into storm drains and causing floods, this allows the water more time to seep into the ground.
3. Avoid Overflow: When too much water tries to pass through storm drains at once, they may become overloaded. In order to keep storm drains from overflowing and creating localized floods, rain gardens collect and filter a portion of the rainfall.
4. Promote Groundwater Recharge: Rain gardens assist replenish subterranean water supplies, or groundwater, by absorbing water that seeps into the ground. This helps to balance the water system by lowering the amount of water that flows over the surface.
5. Reduce Runoff: Rain gardens help cut down on runoff, which is the water that travels over streets carrying contaminants like oil and filth. Flooding and lake and river pollutants are reduced when runoff is reduced.
CONCLUSION
Rain gardens play a crucial role in managing stormwater, reducing urban flooding, and promoting groundwater recharge. The rain garden at Gandhi Ashram exemplifies how these spaces can be integrated into urban settings, using native plants to absorb and filter rainwater effectively. By mimicking natural processes found in rainforests, these gardens not only contribute to environmental conservation but also enhance the aesthetic and ecological value of urban spaces. The diverse selection of plants used in the garden provides vital support for local wildlife and ensures the garden thrives in both wet and dry conditions, highlighting the potential of rain gardens as a sustainable solution to water management challenges in cities
REFERENCE
Maulinkumar Parmar*, Isha Pandya, Nainesh Modi, A Study of Man-Made Rain Forest- A Case Study Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Int. J. Sci. R. Tech., 2025, 2 (4), 442-448. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15249531
10.5281/zenodo.15249531
