Editing Kaveri (section)

== Geology and ecology ==
[[File:Kaveri Crater visualization.png|thumb|The location of the supposed impact structure (red circle) surrounded by hills within the Deccan peninsula]]

The Kaveri basin was formed in the [[Late Jurassic]] to [[Early Cretaceous]] period during [[Gondwana]] breakup and opening of the [[Indian Ocean]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nagendra |first1=R. |last2=Nallapa Reddy |first2=A. |date=2017 |title=Major geologic events of the Cauvery Basin, India and their correlation with global signatures – A review |journal=Journal of Palaeogeography |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=69–83 |doi=10.1016/j.jop.2016.09.002 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Most of the basin is made up of [[Precambrian]] rocks and the two major rock types that are found are [[Metamorphic rock|metamorphic]] and [[Igneous rock|igneous]] rocks.<ref name="Singh"/> Closepet granite is found in the upper parts of the Kaveri basin and [[Charnockite]] rocks are only found in the central part.<ref name="Springer"/> A 2017 paper proposed that an [[impact structure]] was present in the vicinity of the Kaveri river.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Subrahmanya |first1=K. R. |last2=Prakash Narasimha |first2=K. N. |date=October 2017 |title=Kaveri crater – An impact structure in the Precambrian terrain of southern India |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12594-017-0733-5 |journal=Journal of the Geological Society of India|volume=90 |issue=4 |pages=387–395 |doi=10.1007/s12594-017-0733-5 |s2cid=134717819 |issn=0016-7622}}</ref> The run-off from the river does not drain off quickly because of the shape of the river basin, which limits the occurrence of floods. It is a [[perennial river]] fed mostly by [[monsoon]]s. Four distinct seasons occur in the basin with hot and cold seasons sandwiching the monsoon seasons. The river basin is fed by South-West monsoon in Karnataka, and North-East monsoon in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="Data"/>

The Kaveri basin is made up of two sub-zones, forest and agro-ecosystem.<ref name="Environ"/> The forest vegetation consists of a mix of [[dry deciduous forest|dry deciduous]], [[evergreen forests]], and [[grasslands]].<ref name="Compendium"/> As per a study, about {{cvt|12,850|km2}} of natural vegetation was lost in the river basin between 1965 and 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/natural-vegetation-on-nearly-12850-sq-km-in-the-cauvery-basin-has-been-lost-says-a-research-paper/article67624533.ece|title=Natural vegetation on nearly 12,850 sq. km in the Cauvery basin has been lost, says a research paper|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=11 December 2023|access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref> The basin has a variety of flora with major species including ''[[Terminalia arjuna]]'', ''[[Tamarindus indica]]'', ''[[Pongamia pinnata]]'', ''[[Salix tetrasperma]]'', ''[[Ficus benghalensis]]'', ''[[Ficus religiosa]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus|Eucalyptus torticornis]]'', and ''[[Diospyros montana]]''.<ref name="Environ">{{cite journal |last1=Sunil |first1=C. |last2=Somashekar |first2=R. K. |last3=Nagaraja |first3=B. C. |date=2010-11-01 |title=Riparian vegetation assessment of Cauvery River Basin of South India |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1256-3 |journal=Environmental Monitoring and Assessment |volume=170 |issue=1 |pages=548 |doi=10.1007/s10661-009-1256-3|pmid=20024615 |s2cid=19865294 }}</ref>

There are many [[List of protected areas of India|protected areas]] spread across the river basin including significant [[Project Tiger|tiger]] and [[Project Elephant|elephant]] habitats. The basin provides habitat to a range of animal species such as [[Indian bison|gaur]], [[leopard]], [[sloth bear]], [[Bengal tiger]], [[Indian elephant]], [[Nilgiri tahr]], [[grizzled giant squirrel]], and various species of deer, wild boar and reptiles.<ref name="Compendium">{{cite report|url=https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-04/9%20Compendium%20Book_2021_Low%20%281%29%20%282%29.pdf|title=National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India|work=[[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change]], [[Government of India]]|date=November 2021|access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref> The river also hosts a variety of avifauna including the [[painted stork]] (''Mycteria leucocephala''), [[spot-billed pelican]] (''Pelecanus philippensis''), and [[black-headed ibis]] (''Threskiornis melanocephalus''). It is also home to the [[mugger crocodile]] (''Crocodylus palustris''), [[smooth-coated otter]] ''(Lutrogale perspicillata),'' and [[Tor remadevii|hump-backed mahseer]] ''(Tor remadevii).''<ref>{{cite web |title=Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary|work=Ramsar Sites Information Service |url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2473 |access-date=18 February 2023}}</ref>