{"id":169,"date":"2017-07-10T11:01:05","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T11:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/threatenedtaxa.org\/?p=169"},"modified":"2018-09-22T08:41:41","modified_gmt":"2018-09-22T08:41:41","slug":"northern-western-ghats-a-research-niche-in-the-biodiversity-hotspot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/threatenedtaxa.org\/jottings\/conservation\/northern-western-ghats-a-research-niche-in-the-biodiversity-hotspot\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Western Ghat: a research niche in the biodiversity hotspot"},"content":{"rendered":"

A biodiversity hotspot is defined as an area with a high level of endemic species occurring only there and nowhere else in the world; with a loss of over 70% of its original habitat; with sustained environmental and anthropogenic threats.\u00a0 The Western Ghats escarpment running parallel to the western coast of India\u2019s peninsula is one among four of India\u2019s biodiversity hotspots.\u00a0 While a considerable amount of research grants and conservation efforts have been expended in this hotspot, there is so much more to do.\u00a0 Researchers and conservationists agree that a thorough knowledge and a systematic data collection in the biodiversity hotspots is the key to highlighting environmental concerns and designing effective interventions.\u00a0 The Journal of Threatened Taxa<\/i><\/b> (<\/span>JoTT<\/i><\/b>) has provided an open-access platform for biodiversity research papers\u00a0and has compiled a special series of articles focused on the Western Ghats.\u00a0 In recent years, <\/span>JoTT<\/i><\/b> has been publishing quite a few papers on the northern Western Ghats \u2014an obviously lesser-studied, yet a biogeographically significant portion of the hotspot\u2014which has often been overlooked in favour of the southern Western Ghats, with more endemic species.\u00a0 Yet, the northern Western Ghats have been throwing up a fair few surprises for the researchers who have dedicated themselves to the region.\u00a0 This article is part 1 in the series that will focus on their discoveries and efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The northern Western Ghats comprises of the western stretch of Maharashtra, ending just south of the Kutch peninsula of Gujarat.\u00a0 It is characterized by mixed escarpment forests and valleys, a dense network of east-flowing rivers, interspersed with laterite plateaux.\u00a0 It is very different from the southern Western Ghats of evergreen forests, with numerous west-flowing and east-flowing rivers and occasional basalt traps.\u00a0 The northern Western Ghats are influenced by the economic capital of Mumbai, and other major cities like Pune, Kolhapur, Nashik, and Surat, creating several anthropogenic pressures.\u00a0 The unique geography of biodiversity and development\u00a0and the economic implications of conservation action make it imperative to study the region in better detail \u2013 and to find well-aligned strategies.<\/p>\n

Studies focused on the ecosystem of the laterite outcrops, once thought to be barren wastelands, have revealed the presence of a rich floristic diversity and high species richness, whereas the forests have yielded a new sooty mold fungus, hinting at more botanical and fungal potential, if studied in depth.\u00a0 There have been numerous papers published on the freshwater fish of the northern Western Ghats, partly due to the unique river networks and partly due to the efforts of a few dedicated researchers.\u00a0 The ichthyological studies have yielded a better understanding of freshwater fish, river-wise checklists, the rediscovery of an endemic sisorid catfish long thought to be extinct, and a new species of stone loach; as also the underlying threats highlighting the diversity and the research potential of the northern Western Ghats riverine systems.\u00a0 Though the amphibians of the region are less studied than those in the south or central portions of the hotspot, there have been several new discoveries in the past 15 years, each bearing a scientific name from their study locations.\u00a0 Studies of amphibians include population variations\u00a0and have also extended to certain forest patches, like in Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary.\u00a0 The arthropod studies have largely focused on Odonata, with new records of damselflies and dragonflies and their habitats.\u00a0 Also of great interest are the papers on a new scorpion species in the heart of Mumbai and a new spider species on the rocky outcrops, an indication that diverse habitats from overpopulated cities to sparsely vegetated plateaux can yield discoveries in the field of biodiversity and can help us wonder at what more surprises are in store. Other studies have focused on freshwater ostracods (crustaceans, in the\u00a0less scientific parlance) from the historic forts of Maharashtra, avian collision assessments at a wind farm, among others.\u00a0 Comparing these research papers indicates a potential for more studies on flora, reptiles, birds, and mammals.<\/p>\n

Some research findings<\/h2>\n