Conclusion

ESRs are the eco-clusters or the ‘ecological units’ that may be easily affected or harmed. The ESR prioritization (ESR 1–4) via varied themes (biological, geo-climatic, social, etc.) at panchayat level is a major step towards an ecological audit that eventually results in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Spa-tially, 52.38% of the district represents ESR 1, while 14.29% of area represents ESR 2, 13.1% of area represents ESR 3 and about 20.23% of the district is in ESR 4. Regions under ESR 1 and ESR 2 are “no-go area” for any developmental activities involving large-scale land-cover changes. ESR 2 has eco-sensitiveness similar to ESR 1 and has scope to attain the status of ESR 1 with eco-restoration measures. The persistence of the endemic (rare, threatened, etc.) species in ESR 1 and ESR 2 calls for serious attention from conservationists and decision-makers to initiate programs immediately for conservation. The fact that watercourse forests have not only rare species but also high biomass and greater carbon sequestration potential also calls for revision of forest management policies, as the innumerable stream courses of Western Ghats offer tremendous potential for carbon stocking per unit area while also bettering the hydrology of these mountains, which form the main watershed for the entire Indian peninsula. Rendering such service for mitigating global climatic change can also, same time, serve well the cause of eco-sensitive