Publications of Prof. Madhav Gadgil
	Amphibian diversity in Western Ghats
	A Revised List Of Amphibians Of The Western Ghats
	Fish Diversity in Western Ghats
	Mammals in India
	Reptiles in India
	Definitions for the Ecological Status categories of species

Amphibian diversity in Western Ghats

The Western Ghats of India, part of tropical region, is one of the hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world (Myers et al. 2000). It is a chain of hills and valleys on the Western Coast of the Indian peninsula of about 1,600 km. From River Tapti (21°N) in Gujarat to Kanyakumari (8°N) in Tamil Nadu, it has a spread of about 1,60,000 sq. km. It harbours rich flora and fauna due to the prevailing tropical climate, phenology, and topography. Amphibians are one among the most diversified faunal component of the Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats harbours 127 species (57.73% of Indian amphibians), of which 107 (84.25%) species are endemic(Western Ghats and India). Table 1 details the species diversity of Western Ghats amphibians.

Two order, viz., Salientia and Apoda with eight families and 24 genera represent the 127 species of Western Ghat amphibians. Tables 2 and 3 provide the endemic and non-endemic amphibians of the Western Ghats with IUCN criteria. There are 2 critically endangered species; 16 endangered; 36 vulnerable; 30 lower risk near threatened; and 5 with lower risk least concerned. Thirty-eight species lack sufficient data to categorize under IUCN criteria. Figures 1 and 2 depict the IUCN status of amphibians of the Western Ghats with family wise break-up.

Family: Bufonidae

Sources: Report of BCPP CAMP on Amphibians of India (1997) and Gururaja (2003)

Source: Sahyadri E-news, Issue-6

FISH DIVERSITY IN WESTERN GHATS

Several attempts have been made to compile a checklist of freshwater fishes of the Western Ghats. These attempts mainly focused on evolving with a comprehensive checklist of freshwater fishes, which is an out come of the patchy (may be of a river basin, a region in the Western Ghats, an administrative boundary within the Western Ghats, etc) taxonomic information available on the diversity of freshwater fishes. Daniels (2001) has listed 218 species from the Western Ghats of which 114 (52%) are endemic to Western Ghats. However, this report lacks a detailed checklist of fishes found in the Western Ghats. The subsequent checklist (Shaji et al 2001) listed 287 fishes with names of individual species. This compilation considered certain estuarine fishes that are found to ascend freshwater for longer distances. The list highlighted the presence of 67% endemic species and 18 exotic or transplanted to the region. The most recent information available is by Dahanukar et al 2004 that lists 288 freshwater fishes, of which 118 (41%) are endemic to Western Ghats. The threat status of fishes found in Western Ghats suggests that at least 41% of fish fauna is threatened by either being vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. This study also necessitates the implication of potent conservation measures to conserve the fish fauna of Western Ghats.

Present scenario

Present compilation of the checklist ( Tab1) of the freshwater fishes in Western Ghats region lists 318 species of which 42.8% (136 species) are endemic to the region. Of this about 27 species are critically endangered and 55 endangered while 128 are data deficient.

*Checklist of freshwater fishes of Western Ghats (Compiled from various published sources)
Note : CR - Critically Endangered, EN - Endangered, VU - Vulnerable, LR - Lower Risk, DD - Data Deficient.

Source: Sahyadri E-news, Issue-17

Mammals in India:

Mammals in India, which are about 430 (taxa) in number, have a fair representation of endemics. Western Ghats is the richest region in India for its number of endemic mammals. Fourteen taxa are endemic to this biogeographic region with a few more taxa sharing their distribution with adjacent areas. Northern India is home to 7 endemic mammals, while northeastern India, which has a very high diversity, does not have many endemics within the Indian context because of the jagged political boundary of the country. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to 9 rare mammal species, mostly bats, rats and shrews (CAMP Report, 1998).

Reptiles in India:

Reptiles in India, which are about 500 (taxa) in number, has a good representation of endemics. Western Ghats is the richest region in India for its number of endemic reptiles. Ninety-five taxa are endemic to this biogeographic region with 10 more taxa sharing their distribution with adjacent areas. Northeastern India, which has a very high diversity among reptiles does not have many endemics within the Indian context because of the jagged political boundary of the country. Though restricted in their distribution in this region, locations of many reptiles are found outside India thereby making them endemics only in India. The case is similar in northern and northwestern India with many species ranging across neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Tibet (CAMP Report, 1998).

Definitions for the Ecological Status categories of species:

The final version of the IUCN Red List categories (December 1994) has evolved through inputs from specialists for various groups of taxa all over the world. Red List categories were first introduced in the early 70s and only in 1991 a revaluation of the categories was done by Georgina Mace and Russell Lande which was called Version 1. For the first time a quantitative approach was introduced in assessing mammalian taxa. Version 2 and later versions attempted the approach of quantification for assessment for all groups of taxa except microorganisms. Non-threatened categories were also introduced during that iteration of the IUCN categories. The present version has been distinctly classified into threatened categories and non-threatened categories. The categories are as follows:

EXTINCT (EX): A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that its last individual has died.

EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW): A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity, or as a naturalized population (or population) well outside the past range.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR): A taxon is Critically Endangered when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future as defined by the criteria.

ENDANGERED (EN): A taxon is Endangered when it is not critical but is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future, as defined by the criteria.

VULNERABLE (VU): A taxon is Vulnerable when it is not Critical or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, as defined by the criteria.

LOWER RISK (LR): A taxon is facing Lower Risk when it has been evaluated and does not qualify for any of the above categories -- Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable – and is also not Data Deficient. Sub-categories for Lower Risk are explained below.

LOWER RISK –conservation dependent (LRcd): Taxa which do not currently qualify under any of the categories above may be classified as conservation dependent. To be considered conservation dependent, a taxon must be the focus of a continuing taxon-specific or habitat-specific conservation program which directly affects the taxon in question. The cessation of this program would result in the taxon qualifying for one of the threatened categories above.

LOWER RISK – near threatened (LRnt): A taxon is near threatened when it is not Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable but is, none-the-less, felt to be facing a risk of being threatened.

LOWER RISK –least concern (LRlc): A taxon is considered of least concern when it is not threatened, conservation dependent or near threatened.

DATA DEFICIENT (DD): A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information for making a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status.

NOT EVALUATED (NE): A taxon is Not Evaluated when it has not yet been assessed against the given criteria (CAMP Report, 1998).