Hotspots of Biodiversity in India

Introduction

Nature has gifted India with many biodiversity hotspots that are enriched with notable flora and fauna. Out of a total of 36 hotspots of biodiversity in the world, four are officially located in India which are the Himalayas, the Indo-Burma region, the Sundaland, and the Western Ghats. To this list, we may add Sundarbans and the Terrai- Duar Savannah grasslands to make the count six. Here are the descriptions of these six biodiversity hotspots of India.

The Himalayas

When one goes northwards in India, up the Himalayas, he/she will see a notable climate change along with a continuously diverse panorama. Here, the broad-leaved trees transcend to evergreen oak forests, conifers and alpine meadows. In the higher regions, trees can’t grow due to the harsh climate. One can find only ground-hugging plants there. There are numerous animal species available here including the charismatic western tragopan. In the snowy peaks, one may find the snow leopard along with its prey: the bharal and ibex.

There are around 163 endangered species that are found in this region. These include wild Asian water buffalo, one-horned rhinoceros, and as many as 50 birds, 12 amphibians, 45 mammals, 17 reptiles, 3 invertebrates, and 36 plant species. In terms of the fauna, there are nearly 10,000 species of plants found in the Himalayas. Nearly one third of these are endemic and are not available anywhere else.

Indo-Burma region

The Indo-Burma region is counted as one of the largest biodiversity hotspots of India. This region covers Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos PDR. The Indo- Burma region also includes areas near the Brahmaputra river, the Gangetic plains, and some parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This hotspot contains plains that are made rich alluvial soil by the notably large and dominating Asian rivers apart from the Brahmaputra and the Ganga. The region is counted among the best biologically rich areas, but it is also one of the most threatened. Animal species found here include the

grey-crowned crocias and Annamite muntjac which are both rare and hard to spot generally. In this region, threats such as habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade loom large. This region must be protected stringently with legal support to maintain the wildlife biodiversity.

Nearly 1300 species of birds are found in this region including the White-eared night heron, Gray-crowned crocias, and orange-necked Patridge which are most endangered. Almost 13,500 plant species are spotted in the Indo-Burma region half of which are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Six species of mammals have been found in this region recently including Annamite Muntjac, grey-shanked douc, large-antlered muntjac, saola, Annamite striped rabbit, and leaf deer.

Terrai-duar Savannah

The Terrai-duar Savannah region is a narrow stretch at the Himalayan base. It is a continuation of the Indo-Gangetic plain in Nepal, Bhutan, and India. This zone is home to the world’s tallest and rarest grasslands. Rich silt deposits feed these grasslands through the monsoon floods each year. The one-horned rhinoceros that is only found in this region, with Asian elephants, and sloth bears, are characteristic animals of this region. Undoubtedly, the region is one of the richest in terms of flora and fauna that can be found in the Indian geography.

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats stretch from Inida’s north to the south beyond the western coast. It is declared a world heritage site by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The region contains montane tropical rain forests on the slopes that shelter many animals like tigers, and leopards, and black panthers. In the southern forests, arboreal and shy lion-tailed macaques are going extinct due to human activities that are shrinking the forests.

The forests of western ghats are also home to the weird pig-nosed purple frog. Naturalists are still discovering new species of caecilians, frogs, and spiders here; but, sadly, many species of flora and fauna are also disappearing from the region.

Around 62% of the reptiles and 77% of the amphibians found here cannot be found elsewhere in the world. The 6000 vascular plants that are found here belong to more than 2500 genus out of which, 3000 plants are endemic in nature. Many spices used in the world now, such as cardamom and black pepper are traced back to originating in the Western Ghats. The region is also home to as many as 450 species of birds, 140 mammals, 260 reptiles, and 175 amphibians.

Sundaland

The Sundaland Hotspot of biodiversity is located in the Nicobar Islands of India. Sundaland is a large region that reaches up to the tectonic plates beneath the Indian Ocean. The hotspot is home to some of the iconic species like orangutans, Javan and Sumatran rhinos, pig-tailed langurs, and proboscis monkeys that are found only in Borneo. Sundaland is also the original location of the world’s largest flower, the rafflesia, which has a dimension of one meter across. Sundaland’s biodiversity is unmatched by any other region as most of the flora and fauna found here are unique to this region only.

Sunderbans

The Sunderbans is an accumulation of a total of 104 islands formed by the Ganga- Brahmaputra delta. Sundarban contains the largest forest which is a mangrove in the world. Sundarbans is also a World Heritage Site, where some of the rarest animal species, such as the Gangetic dolphins, Royal Bengal tigers, and the estuarine crocodiles are available. Additionally, Sundarbans harbors innumerable species of mammals, birds, and fish. Due to global warming, the sea is rising which is posing a grave danger to drown these islands that are home to a great diverse flora and fauna.

The islands of Sundarbans have a rich marine and terrestrial ecosystem including seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangroves. Species, including whales, turtles, dolphins, crocodiles, prawns, lobsters, fishes, and seashells form its marine biodiversity.

Conclusion

The biodiversity hotspots in India are very rich in terms of flora and fauna and they have some of the rarest species of plants and animals. However, many of the species living in these regions are threatened due to human activities. It is the duty of all to conserve the regions and maintain their diversity which is indirectly related to the well-being of all of us. For this reason, it is important to keep an eye on the statistics of animal and plant species found in these hotspots.

FAQs

Qns 1. What are the four official biodiversity hotspots of India?

Ans. Out of a total of 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world, four are officially present in India which are the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and the Sundaland.

Qns 2. How many islands are there in the Sundarbans?

Ans. There are 104 islands that comprise the Sundarbans.

Qns 3. Where are most of the spices believed to originate?

Ans. Most of the spices found in the world now, such as cardamom and black pepper are believed to have originated in the Western Ghats.