SUMMARY

The Western Ghats is one among the 34 global hotspots of biodiversity and it lies in the western part of peninsular India in a series of hills stretching over a distance of 1,600 km from north to south and covering an area of about 1,60,000 sq.km. The flora of Western Ghats comprises about 12,000 species from unicellular cyanobacteria to the flowering plants. In this spectrum of the flowering plants of Western Ghats comprises about 27 % of the Indian flora. Of the 4,000 species of flowering plants about 1,500 species are endemic species. Of the 4,000 species of flowering plants about 3,100 species occur in the wet evergreen forests. The growth forms are result of plant segregation due to light requirements, and availability of space. Main objective of this study is to understand the ecology and conservation aspects of sacred kan forests in central Western Ghats. This study was carried out in Kathalekan a kanprotected by the peasant community in the past and a good part of the sample area to this day retains features of a primeval forest. It is a home land for various Western Ghats endemic species. One of the main and easily identifiable components of biodiversity is endemism. The study shows that kans act as micro-watershed in local areas and are always associated with a fresh water ecosystem used to trap and collect the rain water for the local water supply. Major threats to such fragile ecosystems include  cultivation within kans, encroachment, grazing, lopping apart from unplanned developmental activities. Kathalekan as a relic forest with high degree of plant endemism and myristica swamp liberally sprinkled with southern climax species such as Dipterocarpus indicus, Palaquium ellipticum, Mesua ferrea, Syzygium spp, etc with rich under growth of especially the slender palm Pinanga dicksonii and clumps of Ochlandra is a visual demonstration of congenial microclimatic condition and rich soil with high water conservation values. The swamps being the peak expression of the high water content, the Myristica swamps are also sources of perennial streams and have some of the most ancient land biodiversity of the earth dating back to the Gondwanaland. This short term study therefore has become helpful for formulating a conservation and management plan for Kathalekan, which include declaring as biodiversity heritage site, management of water courses, maintenance of savanna, regulation of cattle grazing and stricter vigil to prevent encroachment.