scholarly journals Floristic diversity of Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 10493
Author(s):  
Savita Sanjaykumar Rahangdale ◽  
Sanjaykumar Ramlal Rahangdale
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Floristic Diversity ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Threat Categories ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Rich Flora ◽  
The Western Ghats

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) is located on the crestline of the northern Western Ghats in Pune and Thane districts in Maharashtra State.  It was notified in October 1985 towards conservation of the state animal of Maharashtra, the Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica ssp. elphinstonii.  Although an important protected area in the Western Ghats, due to the lack of a comprehensive report, an assessment of floristic diversity of BWS was done from 2009 to 2016.  The results revealed that forest types and microhabitats are diverse in the sanctuary.  Major forest types are western subtropical broad leaved hill forest to moist deciduous types with a few included small patches of evergreen forests.  The rich flora of the sanctuary is represented by a total of 1,142 angiospermic taxa at species and infraspecific level spread over 619 genera and 124 families.  Of these 1,094 taxa are wild, which belong to 118 families and 586 genera.  Rest of the taxa are planted (34), and 14 introduced.  The taxa are classified as per the APG IV.  The  wild taxa include 20 magnolids, 285 monocots, one Ceratophyllales and 788 eudicots.  Out of these, 217 taxa are Indian endemics; which comprise about 19.84% of the total number of wild taxa (1,094) in the sanctuary and 5.04% of total Indian endemics (4,303).  Total 53 taxa are under different threat categories according to IUCN.  BWS harbours a significant extent of angiosperms in a very small geographic area.

scholarly journals The woody flora of Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary, central Western Ghats of Karnataka, India - A checklist

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 20033-20055
Author(s):  
Naveen Babu Kanda ◽  
Kurian Ayushi ◽  
Vincy K. Wilson ◽  
Narayanan Ayyappan ◽  
Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Central Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

Documenting the biodiversity of protected areas and reserve forests is important to researchers, academicians and forest departments in their efforts to establish policies to protect regional biodiversity. Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) is an important protected area located in the central Western Ghats of Karnataka state known for its diverse flora and fauna with distinct ecological features. For the last four decades the sanctuary has witnessed the loss of forest cover, yet the vegetation in few locations is relatively undisturbed. The current inventory was undertaken during 2019–2020 to provide a checklist of woody species from SWS under-researched earlier. The list comprises 269 species of trees, lianas and shrubs distributed in 207 genera and 68 families. The most diverse families are Fabaceae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Lauraceae, Apocynaceae, Meliaceae, Malvaceae, Phyllanthaceae, and Anacardiaceae, representing 48% of total woody flora. The sanctuary shelters 263 native and six exotic plant species. Thirty-nine species were endemic to the Western Ghats, five species to peninsular India and one species to the Western Ghats and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Four forest types, i.e., dry deciduous, moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen forests, are represented in the sanctuary. Of the total species, only seven occurred in all forest types, while 111 species are exclusive to a single forest type. One-hundred-and-four taxa were assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. Ten species that fall under Near Threatened, Vulnerable, and Endangered categories were encountered occasionally. The baseline data generated on plant diversity will be useful in highlighting the importance of these forests for species conservation and forest management. Such data form a cornerstone for further research. For instance, to understand the effect of invasive species and human impacts on the diversity of the region. 

Three new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Western Ghats, India, with taxonomic notes on P. mortoni Fraser, 1922 and rediscovery of P. rufostigma Kimmins, 1958

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4858 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-185
Author(s):  
SHANTANU JOSHI ◽  
K.A. SUBRAMANIAN ◽  
R. BABU ◽  
DATTAPRASAD SAWANT ◽  
KRUSHNAMEGH KUNTE
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Tiger Reserve ◽  
New Material ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
The Western Ghats

Three new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India: P. cyanofemora sp. nov. (wet evergreen forests in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollam, Kerala and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu), P. myristicaensis sp. nov. (Myristica swamp at Kathalekan, Shivamogga, Karnataka) and P. sholai sp. nov. (montane sholas of Upper Manalar, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Theni, Tamil Nadu) are described and illustrated. We compare these three new species with other Protosticta spp. from the Western Ghats based on new material and provide comprehensive differential diagnoses with determination key for males of all species occurring in the Western Ghats. The taxonomic validity of P. mortoni Fraser, 1922 is established with fresh specimens from Hassan, Karnataka, and rediscovery of P. rufostigma Kimmins, 1958 is reported from Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. 

scholarly journals Diversity and distribution of orchids of Goa, Western Ghats, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 15015-15042
Author(s):  
Jeewan Singh Jalal
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
The State ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Orchid Species ◽  
Suitable Area ◽  
The Western Ghats

The Botanical Survey of India launched a pilot project during 2015–2017 on exploration of orchids of Goa State covering all the protected areas.  A total of 68 orchid species belonging to 28 genera were documented of which 42 are epiphytic and 26 are terrestrial.  Twenty-eight species are endemic, of which 23 species are strictly endemic to the Western Ghats, two are endemic to peninsular India, and three are endemic to the country.  Distribution of orchids in Goa is concentrated mainly in the Western Ghats region, which accounts for 86% of the total orchid species richness of the state.  The most favourable habitat was found to be semi-evergreen forests followed by moist-deciduous forests.  Among all the protected areas, the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary was found to be rich in orchid diversity (39 species) followed by Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, and Cotigaon Wildlife Sanctuary.  The MaxEnt data shows the highly suitable area for orchids in Goa is approximately 1,005km2, which is 27% of the total geographic area of the state.

A new species of rock-dwelling Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Tamil Nadu, southern India

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4571 (3) ◽  
pp. 383
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Endemic Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
A New Species

A new species of the gekkonid genus Cnemaspis is described based on a series of nine specimens from near Sankari in Salem district, Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The new species is diagnosable by the following suite of characters: a small-sized Cnemaspis (adult snout to vent length less than 33 mm); heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis consisting of weakly keeled granular scales intermixed with large strongly keeled, conical tubercles, 9–11 rows of dorsal tubercles, 12–17 tubercles in paravertebral rows; spine-like scales absent on flank, 17–20 lamellae under digit IV of pes. Males with 4–6 femoral pores on each thigh, separated on either side by eight poreless scales from four precloacal pores; precloacal pores separated medially by a single poreless scale; two single dorsal ocelli on occiput and between forelimb insertions, two pairs of ocelli on either side just anterior and posterior to forelimb insertions. Cnemaspis agarwali sp. nov. is the fifth endemic species of Cnemaspis from peninsular India outside the Western Ghats and highlights the rich and unique diversity of this understudied region. 

scholarly journals VEGETATION COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND PATTERNS OF DIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY FROM THE TROPICAL WET EVERGREEN FORESTS OF THE WESTERN GHATS, INDIA

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Giriraj ◽  
M. S. R. Murthy ◽  
B. R. Ramesh
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
The Western Ghats

The composition, abundance, population structure and distribution patterns of the woody species having a girth at breast height of ≥ 10 cm were investigated in the tropical wet evergreen forests of the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the southern Western Ghats, India. A 3 ha plot was established with an altitudinal range of 1170 to 1306 m. In the study plot 5624 individuals (mean density 1875 ha−1) covering 68 woody species belonging to 52 genera and 27 families were enumerated. The mean basal area was 47.01 m2 ha–1 and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were 4.89 and 0.95, respectively. Of these woody species nearly 51% are endemic to the Western Ghats. The four dominant species, Cullenia exarillata, Palaquium ellipticum, Aglaia bourdillonii and Myristica dactyloides, account for 34% of the trees and 67% of the basal area, and therefore constitute the main structure of the forest. Within this forest type, five species assemblages corresponding to altitudinal gradient were identified using correspondence analysis. Management of such mid elevation evergreen forests necessarily depends on knowledge of recognisable community types and their environmental variables. The present study provides essential background for formulating strategies for sustainable conservation of forest communities at the local level.

scholarly journals Meliola elaeocarpicola sp. nov. (Ascomycetes, Meliolales) from Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala State, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 15671-15674
Author(s):  
Lini K. Mathew ◽  
Jacob Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Kerala State ◽  
Foliicolous Fungi ◽  
The Western Ghats

During a survey of the foliicolous fungi in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats region of Kerala State, India, a new black mildew fungus was collected from the leaves of Elaeocarpus sp. (Elaeocarpaceae).  Microscopic examinations of the infected plants revealed that it is an undescribed species of the genus Meliola Fries, and hence, this note. 

scholarly journals Floristic enumeration of Torna Fort (Western Ghats, India): a storehouse of endemic plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 11895
Author(s):  
Mayur D. Nandikar ◽  
Priyanka T. Giranje ◽  
Durga C. Jadhav
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Floristic Diversity ◽  
Endemic Plants ◽  
Architectural Style ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Historical Past ◽  
The Western Ghats

The forts on hilltops of the Sahyadri (northern Western Ghats) have seen a turbulent historical past and are famous for their architectural style and cultural heritage.  Besides this, these hilltops are home to an incredible plant diversity.  One of the highest hilltop forts (ca. 1,403m) the Torna, has been explored since 2012 for floral assessment.  The study documented ca. 399 plant species of which about 28% are endemic to the Western Ghats and 16 monotypic species were recorded.  A brief account of the immense floristic diversity and new findings from Torna fort are summarized in the present article.  

scholarly journals Freshwater fishes of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats of Karnataka, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17470-17476
Author(s):  
Naren Sreenivasan ◽  
Neethi Mahesh ◽  
Rajeev Raghavan
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
River System ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Cauvery River ◽  
Wallago Attu ◽  
The Western Ghats

The ichthyofauna of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is comprised of 58 species belonging to 18 families and 44 genera of which close to 25% are endemic to the Western Ghats region, and eight are endemic to the Cauvery River system namely, Dawkinsia arulius, Dawkinsia rubrotinctus, Hypselobarbus dubius, H. micropogon, Kantaka brevidorsalis, Labeo kontius, Tor remadevii and Hemibagrus punctatus.  Eight species found in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary are threatened, including two (Tor remadevii and Hemibagrus punctatus) listed as ‘Critically Endangered’, four species (Dawkinsia arulius, Hypselobarbus dubius, H. micropogon, and Silonia childreni) as ‘Endangered’ and two (Hyporhamphus xanthopterus and Wallago attu) as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List. 

scholarly journals Factors influencing the occurrence and vulnerability of the Travancore tortoise Indotestudo travancorica in protected areas in south India

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 669-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Deepak ◽  
Karthikeyan Vasudevan
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Site Occupancy ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Western Ghats

AbstractProtected areas in developing tropical countries are under pressure from local demand for resources, and therefore it is essential to monitor rare species and prevent overexploitation of resources. The Travancore tortoise Indotestudo travancorica is endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India, where it inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests. We used multiple-season models to estimate site occupancy and detection probability for the tortoise in two protected areas, and investigated factors influencing this. During 2006–2009 we surveyed 25 trails in four forest types and estimated that the tortoise occupied 41–97% of the habitat. Tortoise presence on the trails was confirmed by sightings of 39 tortoises and 61 instances of indirect evidence of tortoises. There was considerable interannual variation in both direct and indirect evidence of tortoise presence. Although grass marshes represented only a small fraction of the protected areas, they constituted an important foraging ground for the tortoise and should be a focal point for monitoring and protection measures. Human-inhabited enclaves within the protected areas, and consequent furtive hunting, had a negative effect on occupancy by the tortoise, and therefore protected area management should include educating local communities and involving them in monitoring and protecting the species.

Knema flavostamina (Myristicaceae), a new species from southern Western Ghats, India

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 461 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-46
Author(s):  
MURUGAN GOVINDAKURUP GOVIND ◽  
MATHEW DAN
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
The Family ◽  
Southern Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
A New Species

Myristicaceae Brown (1810: 399), the pantropical ‘nutmeg family’, comprise 21 genera and 520 species (Christenhusz & Byng 2016). The family thrives in the dense evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and is represented by three genera, viz. Gymnacranthera (Candolle 1855: 31) Warburg (1896: 94), Knema Loureiro (1790: 604) and Myristica Gronovius (1755: 141) (Nayar et al. 2014). Knema, one of the major genera of Myristicaceae with 93 species, is distributed in Indomalaya (Mabberley 2018). In India, the genus is represented by eight species, of which the endemic Knema attenuata (Wallich in Hooker & Thomson, 1855: 157) Warburg (1896: 590) is the only species in the Western Ghats (Sinclair 1961, Nayar et al. 2014, Banik & Bora 2016).

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