The land-use patterns sada region are changing and they are increasingly being converted to orchards or residential areas.
Sada– They are lateritic flat tops region on the konkan region of western ghats, locally called sada, meaning a large flat area .
They are formed by centuries of erosion.
Characteristics - The sada are barren most of the year but become transformed during the monsoons.
They are similar to the plateaux, locally called pathar, in the Satara district of Maharashtra, of which the Kaas Plateau is a well-known example.
They are rocky and harbour unique endemic flora that cover it in the monsoon season.
Biodiversity sada - 459 plant species, of which 105 are endemic to the Konkan region.
31 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibians, 169 species of birds, and 41 species of mammals in the region.
Farming - During the monsoons, the locals use small patches of sada to grow rice and millets (like nanchani, Eleusine coracana) with traditional practices that don’t require the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
Water catchment - The highly weathered lateritic soil layer on the top acts as a catchment for the rainwater and recharges the groundwater , enabling the villages in the sada have access to fresh water all year round.
Geoglyphs - The area is also host to works of art called geoglyphs, dated to roughly 10,000 years ago.
Wasteland - The fact that the sada is also classified as a ‘wasteland’ in the Wasteland Atlas makes matters worse.
