The Biligiri Rangaswamy (BR) Hills are in the Yelanur Taluka of Chamrajanagar District of Karnataka. In the midst of these hills lies the 540 square kilometre Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT WLS). This area is also the traditional home of the indigenous Soliga people who have lived here for generations. Once declared a sanctuary, the resources of the area legally belong to the State. In the past, however the Forest Department has allowed the Soligas to collect NTFP. This scenario changed in 2006.

Heterotrophic bacteria are accounted for the most important proportion of decomposers in the aquatic ecosystems, which are responsible for key process regulating the function and productivity of ecosystem through the microbial loop. Heterotrophic bacteria in the fresh water ecosystem form a major part of the food web and mediate important processes in the carbon budget. As in both fresh water and marine waters, the biomass and size distribution of bacteria are important parameters of ecosystem function.