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Biodiversity in the Western Ghats
An information kit
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The Western Ghats--the range of hills running along
India's west coast--is one of India's richest regions in terms of its biological
diversity. The forested hills, the narrow coastal plain to their west, and the Arabian
Sea, harbour a vast range of life forms, from lowly bacteria and fungi to plants, birds,
reptiles and mammals. Many species are found nowhere else on the planet.
This loose-leaf information kit presents the range of biodiversity in the
Western Ghats. It has information on larger, more visible species such as trees and
mammals. It also contains a wealth of knowledge on smaller, less visible forms of life:
bacteria, fungi and algae, without which life would be impossible.
Containing over 70 topics, the kit includes sheets on ecosystems, individual
species, and threats to biodiversity (such as urbanization, mining and wildlife trade), as
well as ways to overcome these.
The kit was compiled through a two-week intensive writeshop in Goa, India. Aimed
for use in secondary schools and by nature clubs, it provides an extensive, though not
exhaustive, review of the pressing biodiversity issues of the region.
Contents
1 Introduction
- Introduction to biodiversity
- Biodiversity: A synthesis
2 Threats
- Biodiversity of the Western Ghats
- Threats to biodiversity
- Urbanization and biodiversity
- Population and biodiversity in the Western Ghats
- Pollution in Goa's rivers and estuaries
- Atmospheric pollution and biodiversity
- Managing solid waste
- Traffic in wildlife products
- Effect of tobacco growing on biodiversity
- For those vanishing species
3 Marine
- Biodiversity of the Arabian Sea
- Seaweeds
- Overexploitation of marine living resources
- Small-sector coastal fisheries along the Kerala coast
- Coral reefs
- Crabs
- Estuarine shellfish
- Fish
- Coastal ecosystems
- Coastal sand dune vegetation
- Fish breeding and habitat
4 Fresh- and brackishwater
- Estuarine ecosystems
- Mangrove
- Mangrove communities
- Wetlands
- Freshwater wetlands: Carambolim Lake
- Freshwater algae
5 Agriculture
- Rice diversity and conservation in the Konkan
- Conservation of traditional vegetables in the backyard
- Genetic diversity in mango and cashew
- Floriculture and arboriculture
- Enriched biodiversity by plant introductions
- Impact of introduced plants
- Effects of pesticides on biodiversity
- Khazan (saline lands)
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6 Plants, fungi and bacteria
- Plant associations of the central Western Ghats
- Rare and endangered flowering plants
- Medicinal resources from the forest and sea
- Poisonous plants
- Fungi: Biodiversity, ecology and use
- Conserving fungi
- Edible mushrooms
- Microbial biodiversity of salt pans
7 Invertebrates
- Butterflies
- Honeybees to conserve biodiversity
- Mulberry silkworms
- Spiders
- Conserving natural enemies of mosquitoes
- Vermicomposting
8 Reptiles, birds and mammals
- Snakes
- Crocodiles
- Birds
- Mammals
- Animal diversity in prehistoric art
9 Appreciating and conserving biodiversity
- Biodiversity and the media
- Role of nongovemment organizations in conservation
- Watershed management
- Energy conservation and alternatives
- Nature trails
- Sacred groves
- Rehabilitation of iron ore mine lands in Goa
- Reforestation to restore mining areas
- Mining: Social and environmental impacts
- Resource utilization in Uttar Kannada district
- Biodiversity of Dudhsagar valley
10 Reference
- National parks and sanctuaries in the Western Ghats
- Glossary
- NGOs in the Western Ghats states
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Loose-leaf information kit. Published 1994 by the International
Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite 4118, Philippines, tel.
+63-46-414 2417; fax +63-46-414 2420 or +63-2-522-2494; email publications@iirr.org and the World Wide
Fund for Nature--India. ISBN 0-942-717-47-3.
 HTML version
 Available on the
Community
Development Library
Role of Paul Mundy: Writeshop manager, editing, overall
responsibility for production
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