Hill Forts: Abodes of Endemic Plants and Potential Priority Conservation Areas of Northern Western Ghats

Abstract

Hill forts of Northern Western Ghats offer an interesting mix of man-made and natural habitats and as a result shelter a great diversity of endemic and threatened plants. Strict protection of certain areas and selective interference for strategic reasons on hill forts are responsible for maintenance of large protected populations of local endemic species. This has also created special patterns of plant distribution. In recent years, many novelties have been described from forts. Though hill forts have gained importance from the historical and archeological point of view, they are seldom considered as biodiversity conservatories. We suggest here that while prioritizing conservation areas in Northern Western Ghats, hill forts should be given a status of local biodiversity hotspots and conservation should be provided to all microhabitats that are natural as well as man-made. This will assure protection of endemic and threatened species of Western Ghats as well as local endemics of Northern Western Ghats.