Western Ghats, a Biodiversity Hotspot

1. INTRODUCTION
• The Western Ghats (Sahyadri Hills) is
formed by the Malabar Plains and the chain
of mountains running parallel to India's
western coast.
 Traverses the states of Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil Nadu.
 Interrupted only by a 30-km break, Palghat
Gap in northern Kerala.
 Cover an area of about 138,600 km²

2. • The freshwater ecosystem and all its denizens together constitute
the rich biodiversity of one the world’s 34 hotspots.
 The freshwater ecosystem biodiversity within the Western Ghats
region is highly diverse, unique and of immense importance to
livelihoods and economies.
• The freshwater rivers and streams in the Western Ghats fall
under 5 main ecoregions: Narmada-Tapi, the Northern Deccan
Plateau (Godavari River system), the Southern Deccan Plateau
(Krishna River system),the Southern Eastern Ghats (Cauvery
River system) and TheWestern Ghats (West flowing rivers).

3. • The Western Ghats is part of the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka
Biodiversity Hotspot.
 To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two criteria:
1. the area needs to contain at least 1,500 species of endemic
vascular plants,
2. to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat (Myers et al.
2000).
• Freshwater biodiversity constitutes a vitally important
component of the planet, with a species richness relatively
higher than that in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

4. • The Western Ghats hotspot, originally designated for its plant
species, is confirmed as a globally significant centre of diversity
and endemism for freshwater species.
• Within the Western Ghats, catchments in the southern part of
the region in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and southern Karnataka have
the highest freshwater species richness and levels of endemism.
• But also contain the highest number of threatened species.
• The southern Western Ghats region experiences the highest
level of threat to freshwater species.
• The northern WG region within Maharashtra has a lower
recorded freshwater diversity than the southern region.

5. • Aquatic plants and fishes are the most heavily utilized
freshwater groups in theWestern Ghats.
• 28% of aquatic plants are harvested for medicinal purposes
whereas 14% and 13% are used as food for people and animals.
• 18 % of mollusc species are used as food for humans.
• More than half of all fish species are harvested for human
consumption and a growing percentage (37%) of species are
captured for the aquarium trade.
• The IUCN Red List reveals that 12 freshwater fishes, 6
molluscs and 4 dragonflies are critically endangered and 53
species of freshwater fishes and 4 molluscs are endangered.

6. FISH FAUNA OF WESTERN GHATS
• The Western Ghats gifted with perennial streams outlines the
unique habitats for the fishes.
• The greater diversity of west and east flowing rivers and
associated wetland ecosystems in Western Ghats coupled with
high degree of precipitation, moderate climate and rich
diversity of forests supports abundance of aquatic life
including fish fauna.
• 290 species of freshwater fishes belonging to 11 orders, 33
families and 106 genera are recognized from the WG
assessment region.

7. • Of the 290 species, atleast 35 species live in marine or
brackishwater habitats.
• A number of secondary freshwater fishes are found here due to
the close proximity to Arabian Sea.
• Cypriniformes (178 species) is the most species order followed
by Siluriformes (50 species), while the most speciose families
are Cyprinidae, which are the carps and true minnows (72
species); Balitoridae, river loaches (34 species); Bagridae,
bagrid catfish (19 species); and Sisoridae, sisorid catfish (12
species).
• Fish fauna of 189 species belonging to 7 orders, 23 families and
69 genera are found endemic toWestern Ghats.

8. • 12 genera (Betadevario, Dayella, Horabagrus, Horalabiosa,
Hypselobarbus, Indoreonectes, Lepidopygopsis,
Longischistura, Mesonoemacheilus, Parapsilorhynchus,
Rohtee and Travancoria) are endemic to theWestern Ghats.
• The highest species richness (133-160 species per sub-basin) is
found in the river drainages of southern Western Ghats
including the Periyar, Chalakkudy, Bharatapuzha, Pamba and
Chaliyar.
• The species distribution pattern suggests that the west flowing
rivers are richer in fish fauna, especially in the Kerala and
(southern part of) Karnataka states.

9. •The endemic species comprises more of threatened species and
non-endemic comprise more of generalist species inWestern Ghats.
12 species of freshwater fishes were assessed critically
endangered, 53 endangered and 31 vulnerable.
More than half of all fish species are harvested for human
consumption and a growing percentage (37%) of species are
captured for the aquarium trade.

10. FRESHWATER MOLLUSCS OF WESTERN
GHATS
• A total of 77 species of freshwater molluscs identified in the
Western Ghats Hotspot assessment region includes 52 species
of gastropods and 25 species of bivalves.
• 7 species are assessed as Threatened.
• Cremnochonchus syhadrensis, C. carinatus, Arcidopsis fotei
and Pseudomulleria dalyi are assessed as Endangered.
• Cremnochonchus conicus, Parreysia khadakuaslaensis and
Scaphula nagarjunai are assessed as Vulnerable.

11. • Cremnochonchus syhadrensis, C. conicus and C. carinatus
belong to the family Littorinidae (periwinkles) and are the only
freshwater genus in an otherwise entirely marine family.
• They are adapted to the spray zone of perennial waterfalls in
Karnataka and Maharashtra region of the Western Ghats.
• Pseudomulleria dalyi of Etheridae, an endemic cemented
bivalve confined to couple of rivers in the central Western
Ghats (a rare Gondwanaland relict).

12. • The family Etheridae shows unique discontinuous distribution,
with recognized genera such as Acostea (South America),
Pseudomulleria (India) and Etheria (Africa).
• The hill stream genus Turbinicola (Pilidae), an inhabitant of
streams around Khandala, Maharashtra resembles the South
American hill stream genus Asolene, suggesting convergent
evolution.
• Recently, two new species of freshwater molluscs belonging to
the genus Paracostoma have been described from the Western
Ghats.

13. • The Western Ghats assessment region has 28 species of
endemic freshwater molluscs, this constitutes 36% of the
fauna.
• The number of endemic species is highest (between 8 and 9
species per sub-basin) in the west flowing rivers of Manimala,
Pambayar and Achankovil in southern Kerala.
• 3 species are assessed as endangered and 4 species fall under
vulnerable category.

14. ODONATA OF WESTERN GHATS
• The freshwater systems of theWestern Ghats
(forest streams, rivers, Myristica swamps, coastal marshes,
ponds and lakes) provide a wide range of habitats for odonates.
• The diversity of Odonata in the Western Ghats is not evenly
distributed.
• The odonate fauna of the region is comprised of 174 species
with 69 endemics.
• The suborders Zygoptera (damselflies) and Anisoptera
(dragonflies) are represented by 8 and 6 families respectively.

15. • Zygoptera has 29 genera and 67 species, of which 25 are
endemic.
• The Anisoptera has 53 genera, 107 species with 31 endemics.
• The families Libellulidae (49 species, Anisoptera), Gomphidae
(26 species, Anisoptera) and Coenagrionidae (25 species,
Zygoptera) are the most species-rich in theWestern Ghats.
• Families such as Calopterygidae and Platycnemidae have no
endemic species in theWestern Ghats.

16. • Endemic odonata of the Western Ghats are found in riverine
habitats (montane streams and rivers) whereas non-endemics
are found in both natural and man made lotic to lentic habitats.
• The diversity of Odonata in the Western Ghats is not evenly
distributed.
• The highest levels of species richness (112-128 species per sub-basin)
is found in the hotspot in southern Karnataka and
northern Kerala.

17. AQUATIC PLANTS OF WESTERN GHATS
• Aquatic plants (building blocks of wetland
ecosystems) provide services such as water
filtration and nutrient recycling.
• Western Ghats, one of the best
representatives of non-equatorial tropical
evergreen forests in the world.
• A total of 608 species of aquatic plants are
identified (IUCN 2001).
Aponogeton satarensis
in ephemeral pool.
Image courtesy: Sanjay Thakur

18. • The most speciose were the Cyperaceae (146 species),
Gramineae (82 species), Eriocaulaceae (61 species) and
Scrophulariaceae (42 species).
• 54 species of aquatic plants are threatened whereas 517 species
are assessed as least concern. 29 species of aquatic plants have
been assessed as Data Deficient.
• All threatened species are endemic to the Western Ghats region
except Farmeria metzgerioides.
Wiesneria triandra in a lateritic pool.
Image courtesy: Ashok Captain

19. THREATS TO FRESHWATER
BIODIVERSITY OF WESTERN GHATS
• Habitat fragmentation;
• Land use change in the catchment areas;
• Flow regulation, Interlinking of river basins;
• Overharvesting;
• Introduction of invasive alien species;
• Pollution &
• Disease outbreak.

20. CONSERVATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
• Taxonomic studies, survey and monitoring.
• Habitat restoration.
• Riparian reforestation.
• Control over sand mining and water pollution.
• Management of invasive species.
• Flagships and Conservation marketing.
• Live gene banking, Captive breeding and Ranching.
• Identification of KBAs, Community and Conservation
reserves.
• Implementation of Domestic and International legislation.

21. CONCLUSION
• The Western Ghats is a unique ecoregion, which covers only
6% of the total land area of India
• contains more than 30% of the species of all major plant and
animal groups of India.
• It not only harbours a high level of species richness, but also
contains many endemic and threatened species, at the verge of
extinction.
• one of the world’s most heavily populated Biodiversity
Hotspots, supporting 400 million people and thus not so easy
to conserve.

22. REFERENCES
• Molur, S., K. G. Smith, B. A. Daniel and W. R. T. Darwall
2011. The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity
in the Western Ghats, India. IUCN, Cambridge, 116pp.
• www.internationalrivers.org
• www.ces.iisc.ernet.in