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Indian Geography15 Concepts & Facts

Western Ghats: Endemism & Ecological Reports Questions

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The Western Ghats, or Sahyadri Range, constitute an unbroken geological escarpment stretching approximately 1,600 kilometers along India’s western seaboard from the Tapti River valley south to Kanyakumari. Traversing six states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu—this mountain belt was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. The Western Ghats represent one of the world's primary biodiversity hotspots under the criteria established by Norman Myers: containing over 1,500 endemic vascular plant species while having lost at least seventy percent of primary native vegetation. Geomorphologically, the range operates as an orographic barrier intercepting the Southwest Monsoon, feeding major peninsular rivers including the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.

Ecology across the range exhibits marked bioclimatic zonation, transitioning from windward tropical evergreen rain forests to moist deciduous belts. Above 1,500 meters in the Nilgiris, Anamalais, and Palani Hills, the terrain supports the Shola-grassland complex—comprising stunted montane evergreen thickets sheltered within depressions, bordered by fire-resistant rolling grasslands. Endemism is exceptionally pronounced: over thirty percent of 5,000 vascular plant species, sixty-five percent of amphibians, and fifty percent of reptiles are strictly endemic. Characteristic threatened fauna include the endangered Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus), the Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) inhabiting precipitous crags, and the fossorial Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), an ancient Cretaceous relic lineage discovered in Kerala's Western Ghats.

Anthropogenic pressures from mining, monoculture plantations, and infrastructure triggered major policy reviews. In 2011, the Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel recommended classifying the entire mountain belt as an Ecologically Sensitive Area divided into three distinct zones with broad development curbs. In 2013, the K. Kasturirangan High Level Working Group revised this approach, recommending that approximately thirty-seven percent of the geographical area be demarcated as an Ecologically Sensitive Area, strictly banning commercial mining, thermal plants, and polluting industries. For UPSC CSE and State PSC examinations, analyzing the divergent methodologies between the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees, Shola habitat mechanics, and species endemism remains essential for environment and geography papers.

Key Concepts & Self-Assessment15 Key Facts

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#1
British environmentalist Norman Myers defined biodiversity hotspots using two strict criteria: containing at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species and losing at least 70% of primary native vegetation.
#2
The Western Ghats harbor over 5,000 vascular plant species, of which approximately 1,700 species (over 30%) are strictly endemic to the mountain ecosystem.
#3
Amphibian endemism in the Western Ghats exceeds 65%, including specialized torrent frogs, bush frogs of the genus Raorchestes, and tree frogs of the genus Rhacophorus.
#4
The Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), discovered in the Idukki district of Kerala in 2003, represents a Jurassic relic lineage that diverged over 100 million years ago.
#5
The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is the sole wild mountain ungulate endemic to the southern Western Ghats, listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
#6
Eravikulam National Park in Kerala shelters the largest surviving wild population of the Nilgiri Tahr, sustaining more than 700 individuals on its rolling high-altitude grasslands.
#7
The Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) is an arboreal rainforest frugivore endemic to the Western Ghats, with primary strongholds in Silent Valley National Park and the Kalakad Mundanthurai reserve.
#8
Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is an endemic shrub of the high-altitude Shola-grassland ecosystem that exhibits synchronized mass blooming (masting) once every 12 years.
#9
The Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina), historically distributed in the lowland coastal forests of Kerala and Karnataka, is classified as Critically Endangered and possibly extinct.
#10
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), chaired by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, submitted its landmark report to the Ministry of Environment in August 2011.
#11
The Gadgil Report proposed designating all 142 taluks of the Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA), categorizing them into ESZ-1, ESZ-2, and ESZ-3 based on environmental vulnerability.
#12
Gadgil's committee recommended a complete moratorium on new environmental clearances for mining, quarrying, thermal power plants, and large hydel dams like Athirappilly in Kerala.
#13
The High-Level Working Group (HLWG), chaired by Dr. K. Kasturirangan, submitted its report in April 2013, dividing the Western Ghats into a 37% Natural Landscape and a 63% Cultural Landscape.
#14
The Kasturirangan Report recommended statutory ESA notification exclusively for the 37% Natural Landscape (approximately 56,825 sq km), banning mining, quarrying, and red-category industries.
#15
Statutory demarcation of Ecologically Sensitive Areas in the Western Ghats is enforced under Section 3 and Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight
Stretching across six western states, the Western Ghats form an ancient mountain chain renowned as a global biodiversity hotspot. Under Norman Myers' criteria, an area qualifies by hosting over 1,500 endemic plant species while losing most of its original vegetation. The Ghats harbor extraordinary living treasures, including the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, the secretive purple frog—a living relic from the dinosaur age—and the famous Neelakurinji shrub that transforms high-altitude Shola grasslands into purple carpets once every twelve years.
In UPSC Prelims and State PSC exams, ecological governance reports are high-yield question topics. Remember the distinction between the Madhav Gadgil report, which recommended designating all 142 taluks into three sensitive zones, and the Kasturirangan report, which protected only 37 percent of the natural landscape. Do not confuse flagship fauna: while Eravikulam protects the Nilgiri Tahr, Silent Valley is the primary refuge for the Lion-tailed Macaque.

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