BIO-DIVERSITY OF WESTERN GHATS WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON KUDREMUKH NATIONAL PARK

FLORA

The Western Ghats are home to many endemic, rare & endangered species of flora, and as well scores of economically important species & wild relatives of cultivated plants:

· The region has about 4,500 species of flowering plants. Of these about 1700 are endemic to the Western Ghats. Nearly a third are rare or threatened, & several are believed to be extinct, for instance Dalbergia travancorica & Vanda wightii.

· 58 genera of flowering plants are endemic to the region. Of these 42 genera are monotypic i.e. they have only one species. E.g. Blepharistemma membranifolia.

· About 80 species belonging to 28 families of dicots are endemic to the Western Ghats.

· 5 species belonging to 2 families of monocots are endemic to the region. E.g. Arenga wightii (Family: Arecaceae)

· Other important endemics include the Strobilanthus group, such as Carvia callosa, Supushipa scrobiculata & Phlebophyllum kunthianum. These plants flower once in their lifespan of 4 to 16 years and play an important role in the local ecology as their reproduction & proliferation depend on local insects, such as honey bees that pollinate them while collecting nectar.

· 80 endemic species of trees & shrubs are confined only to evergreen forests. Several woody genera found here have a large number of endemic species. E.g. Syzygium (18 endemic species), Litsea (14 endemic species).

· 84 species & 2 varieties of orchids are endemic to the Western Ghats.

· Each hectare of forest in the Western Ghats has about 8-10 termite hills which harvest termite hill mushrooms. The Western Ghats have the World’s largest gene pool of Termitomyces & have a wealth of mushroom flora (700-750 Species).

· Kudremukh National Park presents a very good representation of several of these species and characteristics. In addition, Kudremukh is probably one of the largest reserves of high altitude grasslands in the Western Ghats.

Some plant groups with a large number of endemic species in the Western Ghats.

Plant group	Genera	Species
Grasses	10	150
Orchids	02	100
Palms		11
Impatiens		71
Peppers		09

Some endemic species believed extinct or on the verge of extinction in the Western Ghats:

Trees

Scientific name	Family
Hopea jacobii	Dipterocarpaceae
Nothopegia aureo-fulva	Anacardiaceae
Cynometra beddomei	Leguminosae
Syzygium palghatense	Myrtaceae
Actinodaphne bourneae	Lauraceae

Herbaceous Species

Scientific name	Family
Haplothismia examulata	Burmanriaceae
Hubbardia heptaneuron	Graminaceae
Arisaema articulata	Araceae
Impatiens anaimudica	Balsaminaceae
Anoectochilus rotundifoluis	Orchidaceae

FAUNA

The Western Ghats are known for their rich & endemic fauna. Several species are now vulnerable or endangered:

Þ Studies have revealed that 21 species of amphibians are strictly endemic to the Western Ghats. According to IUCN Red List categories the Kudremukh National Park region has 3 endemic & 7 vulnerable species of amphibians. E.g. Rana beddomei & Rana semipalmata. The endemic Cane turtle & the Terrapin are also found here. Also endemic are several species of Geckos such as Cnemaspis indica, Cnemaspis mysorensis and Hemidactylus m.maculatus. The number of reptiles+amphibians is ~320 species in the W. Ghats. The break up is roughly ~120 reptiles, and ~200 amphibians. About 60% of these [320] species are endemic, with slightly higher endemism among amphibians than reptiles.

Þ The fishes endemic to the Western Ghats river systems are Mahseers (Tor species e.g. Tor khudree), Barilins bendelsis, B. gatensis. Mahseer has been listed as an endangered species by the Zoological Survey Of India.

Þ The Western Ghats are rich in their invertebrate diversity, 16 species of ants are found to be endemic & many are endangered. E.g. Pachycondyla luteipes Mayr. Not much research data is available on this Class.

Þ Maximum butterfly diversity occurs in the Western Ghats. 320 species of butterflies are found in the Western Ghats & about 37 are endemic. Colias hyale is an endemic species listed under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.

Þ About 508 species of birds occur in the Western Ghats (590 if sub-species are included). Among these about 16 species are endemic (27-30 if sub-species are included) & many have a patchy distribution. E.g., Nilgiri Wood Pigeon (Columbia elphinstonii), Bluewinged parakeet (Psittacula columboides), etc. Many endemic birds are exclusive to evergreen and shola forests.

Þ Several genera of mammals are endemic & representatives include the Slender Loris, the Lion-tailed macaque, 2 species of Mongoose, 2 species of Civet, Nilgiri Langur, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, & the Rusty Spotted Cat. These are well represented in the Kudremukh National Park area. The region has the single largest population of the Lion tailed macaque (about 200-300). The Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, a Project Tiger Reserve, is adjacent to Kudremukh National Park.

It is thus apparent that the Kudremukh National Park forms a major reserve of the biodiversity of Western Ghats. Though anthropogenic pressures have destroyed large areas of such forests, the diversity still stands out in small patches. Such areas need to be conserved for prosperity, and thereby mining should never gain priority over protecting these regions.

Research support:

K. R. Mallesh and Ranjini Thomas of Environment Support Group and Poornima Hatti of National Law School of India University.

References:

1. Annual Reports of Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited. 1976-78, 1979-1989 & 1990-1999.

2. All Government Documents quoted are from inspection of original copies.

3. Hussain S. A., & Achar K. P. Eds. 199. Biodiversity of the Western Ghats Complex of Karnataka : Resource Potential and Sustainable Utilisation. Biodiversity Initiative Trust, Mangalore, p. 253

4. Biodiversity in the Western Ghats - An Information Kit; WWF-India et. al., 1994.

5. Radhakrishna, B. P., 1996. Mineral Resources of Karnataka, Geological Society of India, Bangalore.

6. Press Reports