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| Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot | |
|---|---|
| Name | Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot |
| Location | India; Sri Lanka |
| Criteria | Biodiversity hotspot |
| Established | 2004 (conservation designation) |
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot describes a biogeographic region that spans the Western Ghats, the Nilgiri Mountains, the Anamalai Hills and the island of Sri Lanka, and it is recognized for exceptional levels of species richness and endemism. The hotspot intersects political entities such as the Indian Union, the Republic of Sri Lanka, and administrative units including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, and it is a focal area for organisations like Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, IUCN, and UNEP working on conservation priorities.
The region includes the mountain chain of the Western Ghats running parallel to the Arabian Sea coast from Gujarat to Kanyakumari and the island of Sri Lanka separated by the Palk Strait, incorporating landscape units such as the Deccan Plateau, the Konkan coast, the Palakkad Gap, and the Central Highlands (Sri Lanka). Major rivers originating in the area include the Godavari, Narmada, Tapi (Tapti), Cauvery, and Periyar River, while important urban centres bordering or within the zone include Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi, and Chennai. The hotspot’s elevational gradients encompass montane shola-grassland mosaics in the Nilgiris, lowland rainforests in Western Ghats, and montane cloud forests in the Central Highlands (Sri Lanka), forming a mosaic across biogeographic provinces defined by institutions like Botanical Survey of India and Department of Wildlife Conservation (Sri Lanka).
Climatic regimes are influenced by the Indian monsoon, annual southwest monsoon patterns, the northeast monsoon, and orographic rainfall associated with the Western Ghats; this produces wet evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, tropical dry forests, montane grasslands, and freshwater wetlands. Ecosystems include tropical rainforest remnants, montane cloud forest habitats, riverine corridors along the Kali River, seasonal marshes like Chilika Lake-adjacent wetlands in the broader region, and littoral forests along the Malabar Coast. Microclimates across elevation gradients support distinct communities identified by researchers from institutions such as Indian Institute of Science, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and University of Peradeniya.
The hotspot harbours endemic taxa across multiple taxa groups: flagship mammals like Asian elephant populations connected to Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve corridors, endemic primates such as Lion-tailed macaque, small mammals like the Travancore flying squirrel, and carnivores including Indian leopard populations adapted to montane forests. Avifauna includes endemics like Sri Lanka blue magpie, Nilgiri flycatcher, and Malabar trogon, while amphibian diversity is represented by families such as Rhacophoridae and genera including Nasikabatrachus and numerous species described by researchers at Zoological Survey of India and Natural History Museum, London. Plant endemism is high with genera such as Strobilanthes, Syzygium, and Dipterocarpus in remnant forest tracts, and the hotspot supports unique freshwater fishes and invertebrates studied by Bombay Natural History Society and Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka.
Primary threats include habitat loss from conversion to plantations (tea, coffee, rubber), expansion of National Highway 66 and highways through montane passes, fragmentation from hydroelectric projects and reservoirs, invasive species like Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata, and unsustainable extraction pressures associated with industries regulated under statutes like the Indian Forest Act and Sri Lankan forest policies. Climate change projections by IPCC-linked studies suggest alterations to monsoon patterns and upslope shifts of montane species, while socio-economic drivers involve migration, peri-urban expansion around cities such as Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram, and infrastructure development promoted by agencies like National Highways Authority of India.
Protected networks encompass the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur National Park, Periyar National Park, Muthurajawela Wetland, and Sri Lanka’s Horton Plains National Park and Sinharaja Forest Reserve, many designated under Project Tiger and UNESCO programs such as World Heritage Site. Management responsibilities are held by authorities including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (India), the Department of Wildlife Conservation (Sri Lanka), and local bodies, with collaborative projects supported by World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, and academic partners like IISc Bangalore.
Human interactions span ancient trade routes linking Roman Empire and Periplus of the Erythraean Sea ports on the Malabar Coast, historic kingdoms like the Cheras, and colonial plantation-era expansion under British Raj administration, which reshaped landscapes for tea and coffee cultivation. Cultural associations include indigenous Adivasi communities such as the Veddas, traditional agroforestry practiced by groups in the Western Ghats and sacred groves conserved by local temples and institutions like Sabari Nadu-linked shrines, documented by scholars at Jawaharlal Nehru University and National Museum (Colombo).
Ongoing initiatives include biodiversity surveys by the Zoological Survey of India and the Forest Department (Kerala), landscape-scale connectivity projects led by Wildlife Conservation Society and Nature Conservation Foundation (India), citizen science contributions coordinated by BNHS and eBird, and restoration experiments conducted by universities such as University of Colombo and Manipal Academy of Higher Education. International funding and strategic planning involve GEF and regional collaborations across agencies including Asian Development Bank and non-profits like The Energy and Resources Institute, aiming to integrate protected area management, community-based conservation, and climate adaptation for long-term resilience.
Category:Biodiversity hotspots