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Western Ghats: Endemism & Ecological Reports Questions
The Western Ghats represent one of the world's eight hottest biodiversity hotspots, meeting Norman Myers' rigorous criteria by harboring over 1,500 endemic vascular plant species while experiencing greater than 70 percent primary habitat loss. Stretching across six states from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu, the mountain complex exhibits exceptional biological endemism, with more than 60 percent of its amphibian and reptile taxa found nowhere else on Earth. Flagship endemic fauna include the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), restricted to high-altitude montane cliff terrains, the arboreal Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) inhabiting fragmented evergreen canopy forests, and the ancient fossorial Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis). Anthropogenic pressures from commercial plantations, linear infrastructure, and mining spurred landmark ecological governance inquiries. In 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel led by Madhav Gadgil recommended designating the entire mountain tract as an Ecologically Sensitive Area, stratified into three conservation tiers with strict prohibitions on commercial mining and mega-dams. Subsequently, the 2013 Kasturirangan Committee recommended a pragmatic compromise, classifying approximately thirty-seven percent of the range as natural landscape requiring statutory protection from polluting industries under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
High-yield conceptual summaries for competitive exams and rapid revision.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is an endemic shrub of the high-altitude Shola-grassland ecosystem that exhibits synchronized mass blooming (masting) once every 12 years.
The Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina), historically distributed in the lowland coastal forests of Kerala and Karnataka, is classified as Critically Endangered and possibly extinct.
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), chaired by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, submitted its landmark report to the Ministry of Environment in August 2011.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Statutory demarcation of Ecologically Sensitive Areas in the Western Ghats is enforced under Section 3 and Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
To qualify as a global Biodiversity Hotspot under Norman Myers' quantitative criteria, a region must contain at least how many endemic species of vascular plants?
Verified Explanation
To meet the threshold for a global Biodiversity Hotspot, a region must harbor at least 1,500 endemic species of vascular plants (>0.5% of the world's total plant diversity), reflecting high biological richness and irreplaceable endemism.
2ID: GK-ENV-00813
mediumEcosystems & Biodiversity
What is the minimum percentage threshold of original native primary vegetation that a biogeographical region must have lost to qualify as a global Biodiversity Hotspot?
Verified Explanation
The second indispensable criterion for a global Biodiversity Hotspot is high threat: the region must have suffered habitat destruction that has resulted in the loss of at least 70% of its original primary native vegetation (i.e., retaining 30% or less of its natural vegetative cover).
3ID: GK-WILD-00214
mediumRamsar Wetland Sites & Biosphere Reserves
Which global biodiversity hotspot covers the Western Ghats mountain range along the western coast of the Indian peninsula?
Verified Explanation
The 'Western Ghats and Sri Lanka' is one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity, recognized for exceptional levels of plant and animal endemism.
4ID: GK-ENV-00830
hardEcosystems & Biodiversity
Under Norman Myers' original quantitative methodology for establishing a global Biodiversity Hotspot, what role do endemic animal species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians) play in the qualifying threshold?
Verified Explanation
Norman Myers and Conservation International defined hotspots using exactly two strict quantitative criteria: (1) containing at least 1,500 species of endemic vascular plants, and (2) having lost at least 70% of primary native vegetation. While vertebrate endemism is documented, it is not a prerequisite for qualification.
5ID: GK-ENV-00063
easyEcosystems Biodiversity
What is a "Biodiversity Hotspot", a concept introduced by British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988?
Verified Explanation
Conservation International recognizes 36 global biodiversity hotspots (such as the Western Ghats and Indo-Burma) that hold over 50% of the world's plant species.
6ID: GK-GEOG-00635
hardForests & Wildlife Sanctuaries
Which national park in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh exhibits an unbroken altitudinal succession from tropical evergreen rainforest to alpine meadows and holds four pantherine cat species?
Verified Explanation
Namdapha National Park ranges in elevation from 200 m to over 4,500 m, accommodating all four big cat species: tiger, leopard, snow leopard, and clouded leopard.
7ID: GK-ENV-00451
hardEcosystems & Biodiversity
What two quantitative criteria formulated by Norman Myers in 1988 must a biogeographic region satisfy to qualify as a Global Biodiversity Hotspot?
Verified Explanation
To qualify as a hotspot, a region must harbor at least 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics (>0.5% of world total) and have lost at least 70% of its original primary habitat.
8ID: GK-ENV-00491
mediumEcosystems & Biodiversity
Which British ecologist introduced the concept of 'Biodiversity Hotspots' in 1988 to identify biogeographic regions with high endemism under severe habitat threat?
Verified Explanation
Norman Myers formulated the biodiversity hotspot concept in 1988. To qualify as a hotspot, a region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics and have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.
9ID: GK-ENV-00554
mediumEcosystems & Biodiversity
Who originally introduced the concept of 'Biodiversity Hotspots' in 1988, defining regions with exceptional endemic plant concentrations experiencing severe habitat loss?
Verified Explanation
British ecologist Norman Myers coined the 'Biodiversity Hotspot' concept in 1988, which Conservation International later refined to require ≥1500 endemic vascular plant species and ≥70% primary habitat loss.
10ID: GK-ENV-00814
mediumEcosystems & Biodiversity
Which of the four global Biodiversity Hotspots represented in Indian territory extends over the Nicobar group of islands and spans much of maritime Southeast Asia?
Verified Explanation
The Sundaland biodiversity hotspot encompasses the Nicobar Islands of India, along with Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and western Indonesia. The other three hotspots touching India are the Western Ghats (and Sri Lanka), the Himalaya (spanning the entire Indian Himalayan Region), and Indo-Burma (covering northeastern India south of the Brahmaputra).