The entire western ghats harbours different vegetation types like the moist deciduous forests, montane grasslands, sholas, and more importantly the precious tropical evergreen and semievergreen forests. Conservation assessment and management plan workshop report for endemic orchids of the western ghats 2001 4 the 1994 and 2000 iucn red list criteria were adopted as a tool to assess the endemic orchids of the western ghats. The epiphytic flora of tropical forests of western ghats is inadequately known. What is the location of the western ghats in india. The flora of western ghats, particularly southern w. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. For example, what are the original african elements in the western ghats fauna. For every species colour illustrations showing the upperside, underside, male and female, wherever dimorphic, are given. This unique ecosystem has been threatened by continuously. We need to know what all we have lost and how uch we have lost in this tsunami of human encroachment. There are about major 50 dams along the length of the western ghats with the earliest project up in 1900 near khopoli in maharashtra.
The western ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of karnataka. Found in forest, sometimes nearby gardens having suitable flowering plants. The western ghats of kerala region is thickly populated and famous for exotic food crops, spices, herbs and medicinal plants. Digital herbarium of angiospermic plants of western ghats. Among the 25 hot spots of the world, two are found in india extending into neighboring countries the western ghats sri lanka and the indoburma region covering the eastern himalayas. A two volume work dealing with the entire flowering plants of the western ghats has been published by the jawaharlal nehru tropical botanic garden and research institute at palode in. A photographic guide to endemic woody plants of the.
The western ghats contains numerous medicinal plants and important genetic resources such. Pdf additions to the flora of eastern ghats, tamil nadu, india. The mountain range that runs along the west coast of peninsular india from tamil nadu through kerala, karnataka and goa to maharashtra is known as the western ghats. Western ghats biodiversity is a significant source of. These changes have continued today, as evidenced by the cutting of the konkan railway alignment. Media in category western ghats the following 59 files are in this category, out of 59 total. Kerala state lying between o 18 and 12o 4 n latitude and between 748 o.
I searched for this reference especially because i could see severe impact humans have made on this fragile konkan ecosystem. The beautiful green valley is home to thousands of wild animal species including at least 325 globally threatened speci. Tree flora in eastern ghats of southern peninsular india. With the help of over 7,000 of the worlds best wildlife filmmakers and photographers, conservationists and scientists, featured multimedia fact files for more than 16,000 endangered species. Vimala ashoka trust for research in ecology and the environment atree. Chec list endemic flowering plants of northern western ghats. Like other biodiversity hotspots, the western ghats has a high proportion of endemic species. Pdf on apr 1, 2012, sahyadri envis environmental information system and. Therefore, it is required to bring the information in various sources into one roof. Male flower spikes are slender, 1525 cm long, quite hairless, receptacles obliquely kidneyshaped, recurved, longer than the stipes, mouth very small. Digital herbarium of angiospermic plants of western ghats of maharashtra is a university grant commission, new delhi, funded project ugc reference no. Even, information about the subspecies found in western ghats or south india is added.
Eastern and western ghats of india read eastern and western ghats facts. From this point radiate three rangesthe anaimalai to the north, the palni to the northeast, and the cardamom hills to the south. The western ghats, also called a biodiversity hotspot, has a sizeable number of woody plant species as of now, that are found nowhere else in the world endemic. A species is endangered when it is threatened with extinction. Includes the entire indian himalayan region and that falling in pakistan, tibet, nepal, bhutan, china and myanmar 2. Ghat, a term used in the indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of steppedhills with valleys ghati in hindi, such as the eastern ghats and western ghats. As in other parts of india, the western ghats too are threatened by development projects. Also read difference between western ghats and eastern ghats for upsc exam. Why india must protect the western ghats from getting lost it could become a model for the entire country. A study on the macrolichens flora of kerala was carried out during 1997 to 2000.
Contains forest maps of south india, western and eastern ghats. This book is equally useful wherever tropical evergreen, deciduous and scrub forests exist in peninsular india. Forest trees of the western ghats authored by neginhal s. Pdf endemic flowering plants of northern western ghats. Spread over ten days, this tour takes you through rural india into the hills that make up the high biodiversity zone called the western ghats. Pdf floristic diversity in western ghats researchgate. A field guide, written by environment enthusiast pippa mukherjee, is one of the first books of its kind, helping the readers to identify the wildflowers of the western ghats, from southern western ghats covering karnataka, kerala and tamil nadu to palni hills in tamil nadu. Extensive field and literature survey of trees in eastern ghats yielded 560 tree taxa under 262 genera belonging to 80 families out of the estimated 2500 species of flowering plants in eastern ghats. Rare, endangered and threatened ret climbers of southern.
It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 14,950 sq mi which constitutes 20. Download difference between western ghats and eastern ghats notes pdf for upsc 2020. Endemic and threatened flowering plants of western ghats with. Assessment of liverwort and hornwort flora of nilgiri hills, western ghats india. Endemic flowering plants of northern western ghats sahyadri. The western ghats is the hotspot of natural evolution. Endemic and threatened flowering plants of western ghats with special reference to konkan.
The range is known as sahyadri in maharashtra and karnataka. Heavy migration took place to western ghats region from the plains of kerala since 1960s and the forest flora and fauna are under severe threat and extinction. Mammals are well represented in this chain of mountains with 7 species of which 16 are found no other place on earth. Western ghats with its species diversity is a treasure house of different kinds medicinal plants.
It grows in permanent water bodies,small ponds and shallow areas of lakes and rivers, upto altitudes of 400m. It also provides solid substrate and shade for its cohabitants. Habit, references to the best descriptions and illustrations, distribution in the world, state wise distribution in the. India birding tour western ghats endemics this india birding tour is for birders who would like to target the elusive endemics of the western ghats in south india.
The current paper is an attempt to study the conservation assessment of rare, endangered and threatened species ret of the southern western ghats. It contains a large proportion of the countrys flora and fauna, many of which are only. They lie at a distance of about 50 to 80 om the coast. Rain forest, disturbed forest, open grassland, fields, creek sides, in open areas often a sprawling shrub. The western ghats is the home for about 50 million people belonging to the six states of the country. The book titled flora of the southern western ghats and palnis.
The western ghats is one amongst the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. This project covers prominent tree species and shrubs from 10 districts, located in western ghat regions of maharashtra, viz. Tourism in forest areas of western ghatsjanuary 2011. Gadgil committee report on western ghats pdf madhav gadgil, submitted to the ministry of environment and forests, report of the western ghats ecology expert panel, part i.
Endemic and threatened flowering plants of western ghats. At least 325 globally threatened species occur here. Western ghats flora and fauna public group facebook. The limited knowledge on the varied use of the medicinal plants, their availability and extent of distribution weakens the ways to utilize these resources efficiently. The western ghats, also known as sahyadri benevolent mountains, are a mountain range. They are more or less parallel to the western coast of india. Biodiversity of the western ghats with special reference. The life supporting and biodiversity rich ecosystems of western ghats are threatened today due to habitat pressures. Western ghats is a magnificent mountain range next only to himalayas and is a biological treasure trove with a high degree of endemism 11% to 78% and scenic beauty. The western ghats, also known as sahyadri benevolent mountains, are a mountain range that covers an area of 140,000 square kilometres 54,000 sq mi in a stretch of 1,600 kilometres 990 mi parallel to the western coast of the indian peninsula, traversing the states of kerala, tamil nadu, karnataka, goa, maharashtra and gujarat. Larval host plants of the buterfies of the western ghats, india. The plant adds to the dissolved oxygen in water and thus is important for the health of the flora and fauna in the water bodies. Media in category flora of the western ghats the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total.
Workshop endemic orchids of the western ghats report 2001 authors participants editors c. Eastern ghats are highly significant in terms of its biodiversity. The ghats are also home to special kind of fresh water swamps known as myristica swamps. Though the western ghats have shrunk by 25% over the past two decades, the environment. Another unique feature of the endemic flora of western ghats is the prevalence of monotypic genera such as a denon, c alacanthus, polyzygus, erinocarpus, frerea. This book is a valuable field guide for identifying forest trees in the western and eastern ghats, deccan plateau and mangroves in southern india. Along with common names and complete scientific names, wing span, larval host plants, and distribution of each species is given.
Flora of western ghats, india welcome to worlds first website on flora of western ghats. Indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants among the iruliga. Another significant collection is, several hundred specimens from the forests of western ghats, an area not well represented in most south indian herbaria. Includes entire northeastern india, except assam and andaman group of. The present work is the first attempt to rompile the epiphytic flora of western ghats. There are about major 50 dams along the length of the western ghats with the earliest. It is the source of water for the entire peninsular india, and also influences the monsoons.
Western ghats receives an average of 3000 mm rainfall per annum and is a treasure house of exotic varieties of plants, a god given blessing to humanity. Flowering plants of the western ghats efloraofindia. The western ghats lies with the sahyadri mountains ranges along the western side of india and separates the deccan plateau from a narrow coastal plain of the arabian sea. The western ghats 43 heavy precipitation, coupled with the steep westward slopes of the ghats has rendered this as an ideal location for the generation of hydroelectric power. Wildscreen s arkive project was launched in 2003 and grew to become the worlds biggest encyclopaedia of life on earth. It is high time we acquaint ourselves with these vanishing. Some endemic species of western ghats leptocoma minima crimson backed sunbird habitat western ghats. The nilgiris connect the biligiriranga hills in southeastern karnataka with the shevaroys and tirumala hills. About sixty percent of the western ghats are located in the state of karnataka. The isolation of the western ghats changed during the british period when large areas of virgin tropical forest were cleared for tea, coffee and spice gardens. Flora of the western ghats a major mountain range in western south india subcategories.
Another unique feature of the endemic flora of western ghats is the. State of biodiversity in maharashtra erach bharucha director bharati vidyapeeth institute of environment education and research, pune email. The western ghats meet the eastern ghats at the nilgiri mountains in northwestern tamil nadu. The collection is richest in plants from the state of karnataka with holdings from the adjoining states of tamilnadu and kerala as well. Additions to the flora of eastern ghats, tamil nadu, india r. Wild relatives of many economically valuable plants, like pepper, cardamom ginger, mango, jackfruit, millets, rice, etc. Some important species common to both regions are listed. Exotic products of western ghats is carried to outside india through the silk route and arabian sea from ancient time onwards.
The western ghats are located in the western part of peninsular india. G o o g l e automatically generates html versions of documents as we. State of biodiversity in maharashtra western ghatsapn project. Which groups have invaded india from the malayan region and, in particular, which ones have speciated in the western ghats. An extremely useful field guide for general readers and nature lovers this book provides a list of more than 200 species of trees, herbs, and shrubs that can be found in the region, accompanied by over 400 color images this field guide is the result of the authors intense study of the flora of the southern western ghats as well as those of palni hills for several years. The mountains of the western ghats are the second most important shelter in the world for threatened species. Flora of the western ghats a major mountain range in western south india. Tourism in forest areas of western ghatsjanuary 2011equations.
A report on conservation of endangered medicinal plants by ankur patwardhan. Western ghats are concerned, no detailed inventory. Since time began, countless species have gone extinct from natural. S retd this book contains description of all forest trees in peninsular india and most of srilanka too. Nesting season december to march general features endemic to the western ghats. Out of the 15,000 flowering plant species found in the country, 4,500 species are located on the western ghats shetty, 1994. Biodiversity of karnataka india environment portal. The iucn criteria include categories that determine whether a taxon is threatened, nonthreatened, extinct, poorly known. Located in the western ghats range, it rises to 8,842 feet 2,695 metres and is peninsular indias highest peak. General introduction biodiversity of western ghats india is recognized as one of the worlds 12 megabiodiversity nations. A checklist of endemic flowering plant species of the northern western ghats. The infojmation presented here is based on intensive botanical explomtions in the nilgiri biosphere reserve areas of the kerala part of western ghats.
It has rich and unique assemblage of flora and fauna mi ttermeier et al. Endemic flowering plants of northern western ghats sahyadri ranges of india. In neginhals own words forest trees are fast disappearing. Some plants have been discovered very recently in the last decade. An initiative by the rufford small grants, uk 1 conservation and promotion of endangered medicinal plant species from western ghats of india submitted to the rufford small grants foundation, uk submitted to the rufford small grants foundation, uk by ankur patwardhan pi. The western ghats are home to more than 5000 species of plants and about 35% of these are endemic to this area.
Page says that around 65% 375400 species of the wet evergreen species of woody plants found in the western ghats. The western ghats are a chain of highlands running along the western edge of the indian subcontinent, from bombay south. This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total. The western ghats, host numerous areas with unique biodiversity and play a key role in the peninsulas hydrology but for stunning landscapes one of my favorite places is the confluence of ranges and their cliffs and valleys that surround the small hamlet of kurangani. Why india must protect the western ghats from getting lost. Invertebrate diversity and conservation in the western ghats. Amplexed pair of raorchestes jayarami from the western ghats mountain range, india. Ghats shows close affinity with the flora of sri lanka, supporting the view that sri lanka was connected to south india during the geologic past. Vegetation of eastern ghats according to the classification of champion and seth 1968, vegetation in eastern ghats can be. Reserves declared e prepared project documents for all biosphere. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Of the,000 species of flowering plants found in india, some 4,500 are found in. The lichen flora of kerala part of the western ghats is inadequately known as only fragmentary work has been done in the past. Being one of the 25 hotspots of the world, western ghats is a storehouse of endemic flora and fauna, whose endemicity increases with decreasing body size.
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