Abstract
Forests of the Western---- Ghats are well known for their evergreenness and high endemism. The present study carried out in the Sharavathi River Basin in the central Western Ghats of India is to find the relationship between forest evergreenness and tree endemism. The study was carried out from 2000 to 2006 and the methodology followed is a combination of transect and quadrat method nested with smaller quadrats for shrub layer and herb layer. A total of 51 endemic tree species belonging to 20 families were recorded. The results reveal that the composition of endemic tree population is closely associated with the evergreenness of the forest. With the increase in evergreenness, endemism also increased and almost all the endemic trees of the region occurred in very high evergreen class. Many of them were exclusively found in very high evergreen forests and ground layer data support this observation. Such narrow distribution of endemics makes them most vulnerable to extinction. The present study will be helpful in understanding the association of endemic trees with evergreenness of forest and will be useful in conservation as well as restoration of these endemic trees in their natural habitats.
Highlights
The Western Ghats, being one of the 35 global biodiversity hotspots (Marchese 2015), is very rich in plant diversity and endemism (Nayar et al 2014)
In all 203 tree species under 55 families were recorded of which 51 species belonging to 20 families are endemic to the Western Ghats
The present study shows that endemism in Sharavathi River Basin (SRB) ranged from the lowest of 3% at Chikandagudda to 84% at Tulsani which is exceptionally high compared to any of the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats
Summary
The Western Ghats, being one of the 35 global biodiversity hotspots (Marchese 2015), is very rich in plant diversity and endemism (Nayar et al 2014). Most of the arboreal taxa (63%) of the Western Ghats are endemic to the region and the evergreen forests are characterised by a very high percentage of endemic species (Ramesh 2001). Most of the red listed tree species of India (53 out of 96) are endemic to the Western Ghats (Nayar & Sastry 1987, 1988, 1990), indicating the heavy threat to them. The present study carried out in the Sharavathi River Basin (SRB) in the central Western Ghats of India aims at finding the relationship of forest evergreenness and tree endemism in the region
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
