Flora of Western Ghats
http://www-int.stsci.edu/~yogesh/wildlife/
Flora of Western Ghats
Flora of Western Ghats, India
western ghats,flora,india

<CENTER> <IMG SRC="bhimacliff.jpg" ALT="Cliff at Bhimashankar"> </CENTER>
<H1> Flora of Western Ghats  </H1>   
<h2>Introduction</h2>
The Western Ghats are a chain of highlands running along the western edge of the Indian subcontinent, from Bombay south to the southern tip of the peninsula, through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Covering an estimated area of 159,000 sq. km, the Western Ghats are an area of exceptional biological diversity and conservation interest, and are "one of the major Tropical Evergreen Forest regions in India" (Rodgers and Panwar, 1988). As the zone has already lost a large part of its original forest cover (although timber extraction from the evergreen reserve forests in Kerala and Karnataka has now been halted) it must rank as a region of great conservation concern. The small remaining extent of natural forest, coupled with exceptional biological richness and ever increasing levels of threat (agriculture, reservoir flooding plantations, logging and over exploitation), are factors which necessitate major conservation inputs."<p>

There are currently seven national parks in the Western Ghats with a total area of 2,073 sq. km (equivalent to 1.3% of the region) and 39 wildlife sanctuaries covering an area of about 13,862 sq. km (8.1%).
<p>
The management status of the wildlife sanctuaries in this part of
India varies enormously. Tamil Nadu's Nilgiri wildlife sanctuary, for
example, has no human inhabitants, small abandoned plantation areas
and no produce exploitation, while the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary in Kerala includes considerable areas of commercial plantations and privately owned estates with heavy resource exploitation.
<p>
<HR>

<P> The aim of this Gallery is to provide a Sampling of the
magnificent floral wealth of the Western Ghats. Since this is a first
attempt there are going to be lot of omissions and errors. I would be
happy to have your comments and
suggestions about this page. </A>
<p> 
<IMG align=absmiddle src="gloriosa.jpg"

ALT="Gloriosa Superba"><P> <B> Gloriosa suberba </B>  <P>
This magnificent shrub which was common in the Northern parts of the
Western Ghats is now becoming increasingly rare because of its value
in commercial medicine. The root of this plant grows a bulb which is a
source for a potent steroid. <P>
This plant figures in ancient Indian Sanskrit literature. The poet Kalidas
refers to it as <STRONG> Agnishikha </STRONG> meaning <STRONG> Fire
peaked </STRONG>. Its botanical name is no exageration either, as you will
agree. <P>
I took this photograph in August 1995 in the precints of the Torna
Fort in Pune district of Maharashtra State. <HR>
<IMG align=absmiddle src="terda.jpg" ALT="Raan Terda"><P> <B> Raan Terda </B> 
 <P>
The Raan Terda (<I> Balsam impatience </I>) is a commonly encountered monsoon plant 
all over the Western Ghats of Maharastra.
<P>

Most of the biodiversity of the Western Ghats is threathened
today. Myriad human pressures exist, demand for agricultural land and
forest produce far outstripping the capability of the forest. Large
tracts of land have now been diverted to cultivation like this
sunflower field near Lonavla in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. <P>
<IMG align=absmiddle src="sunflo.jpg" ALT="Sunflower"><P> <B>
Sunflower </B> <P>
<B> References : </B> <P>
Rodgers, W.A. and Panwar, H.S. (1988). <i>Planning a wildlife protected area</i> <i>network in India</i>. 2 vols. Project FO: IND/82/003. FAO, Dehra Dun. 339, 267 pp.<p>