Tag: Western Ghats

Western Ghats of India

The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biodiversity hotspot located along the western coast of India. It spans over 1,600 km and covers six Indian states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Gujarat. The Western Ghats are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and have significant ecological, cultural, and economic importance. In this article, we will discuss the significance of the Western Ghats and the conservation efforts undertaken to protect this important ecosystem.

Source – Shutterstock

Significance of the Western Ghats

Ecological Significance:

The Western Ghats are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, with over 5,000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species, and 290 freshwater fish species. The region is also home to numerous endemic species, which are found nowhere else in the world. The Western Ghats also serve as a catchment area for several major rivers in India, including the Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery.

Cultural Significance:

The Western Ghats have been inhabited by numerous indigenous communities for thousands of years. These communities have a rich culture and tradition that is closely linked to the natural environment. The Western Ghats are also home to several important pilgrimage sites, including the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

Economic Significance:

The Western Ghats are an important source of timber, fuelwood, and non-timber forest products. The region is also home to several important industries, including agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. The Western Ghats also provide numerous ecosystem services, such as regulating the water cycle, carbon sequestration, and soil conservation.

Conservation Efforts

The Western Ghats face numerous threats, including deforestation, mining, hydroelectric projects, and climate change. To protect this important ecosystem, several conservation efforts have been undertaken by the Indian government, non-governmental organizations, and local communities. Some of the key conservation efforts are:

  1. Protected Areas:
    Several protected areas have been established in the Western Ghats to conserve the region’s biodiversity. These include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves. Some of the notable protected areas in the Western Ghats include the Silent Valley National Park, Periyar National Park, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, and Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

  2. Forest Conservation:
    Several initiatives have been undertaken to conserve the forests of the Western Ghats. These include community-based forest management programs, afforestation, and reforestation efforts. The Indian government has also launched several programs, such as the Green India Mission and the National Afforestation Program, to increase forest cover in the region.

  3. Biodiversity Conservation:
    Several initiatives have been undertaken to conserve the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. These include species conservation programs, habitat restoration, and research and monitoring programs. The Indian government has also launched several initiatives, such as the National Biodiversity Act and the National Wildlife Action Plan, to conserve the biodiversity of the Western Ghats.

  4. Community-based Conservation:
    Several community-based conservation programs have been launched in the Western Ghats. These programs involve local communities in the conservation of natural resources and provide them with livelihood opportunities. Some of the notable community-based conservation programs in the Western Ghats include the Malnad Mela, the Bhadra Nethravathi River Valley Community Conserved Area, and the Kerala Conservation Alliance.

Flowering Plant Endemism of Northern Western Ghats

Scientists at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology have come up with plant data of the Northern Western Ghats which indicates that plateaus, in addition to the forests, should be prioritized for conservation of the Northern Western Ghats.

It is the plateaus and the cliffs that harbour most of the endemic species, thus increasing their importance in conservation plans.

ARI team led by Dr. Mandar Datar and Dr. Ritesh Kumar Choudhary has published a paper in the international journal Phytotaxa after thoroughly investigating the Northern Western Ghats to produce an updated checklist of 181 local endemic plant species, including four monospecific genera.

They have found that a majority of the endemic species are therophytes, which complete their life cycle in a short period during monsoon.

The Western Ghats of India

The Western Ghats of India is one of the global biodiversity hotspots owing to the endemism that is sheltered by a chain of mountains. The northern part of this biodiversity hotspot, along with the Konkan region, is considerably different from its southern and central counterparts on account of lesser precipitation and extended dry season.

A notable geographical feature of the Northern Western Ghats is the presence of plateaus and cliffs that display maximum endemic species, unlike forests. Forests of the Northern Western Ghats harbour many species which are not endemic.

Figure 1: Abutilon ranadei, a Critically Endangered endemic species from the northern Western Ghats

Although the Northern Western Ghats region has been floristically surveyed well, the local endemism of the flowering plants in the area is not much explored. Scientists have various estimates about the species that are endemic to the region, and the understanding of habitats, seasons, and plant distribution is limited.

The study conducted by the ARI team suggested that the Northern Western Ghats is the region of rapid diversification of specific herbaceous endemic genera like Ceropegia, Glyphochloa, Dipcadi, and Eriocaulon.

Dr. Mandar Datar stated, “To project the Northern Western Ghats prominently on the world vegetation map, it is absolutely necessary to complete the IUCN threat status assessment on priority, which is underrepresented for the region.”

The team firmly believes that the published data can be used as a proxy for conservation planning and effective protection measures of the Northern Western Ghats.

[For further details, Dr. Mandar Datar (mndatar@aripune.org, 020-25325057), Scientist, Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, and Dr. PK Dhakephalkar, Director (Officiating), ARI, Pune, (director@aripune.org, pkdhakephalkar@aripune.org, 020-25325002) can be contacted.

Publication:

Bhushan K. Shigwan, Aboli Kulkarni, Smrithy Vijayan, Ritesh Kumar Choudhary & Mandar N. Datar. 2020. An assessment of the local endemism of flowering plants in the Northern Western Ghats and Konkan regions of India: checklist, habitat characteristics, distribution, and conservation. Phytotaxa, 440 (1): 025–054

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.440.1.2]