KBA Profile: Bhavani River

National Site Name Bhavani River

English Name

KBA delineation Catchment

Focal area delineation No

The Bhavani River is an east flowing river draining the Nilgiri Hills in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is a tributary to the Cauvery River. The upper areas of the catchments are a mosaic of Shloa Site description forest, wattle and eucalyptus plantations, in the lower elevations it is mostly arecanut, banana and palm cultivation and urban areas. This KBA has three endemic species, 2 crabs and 1 shrimp.

Management required at Yes catchment scale

Management required at focal No area within catchment

KBA Trigger Species

Group Species Criterion1 Criterion2 Criterion3 Notes

Fishes Barbodes bovanicus CR NA NA Endemic to the Moyar and Bhavani KBAs

Devario Fishes EN 7054.488363 NA Endemic to the Moyar and Bhavani KBAs neilgherriensis

Fishes Hemibagrus punctatus CR 14130.24971 NA

Fishes Homaloptera menoni NA 8707.33726 NA

Fishes Labeo potail EN NA NA

Fishes Nemacheilus monilis NA 10632.57541 NA

Nemacheilus Fishes NA 14677.50177 NA nilgiriensis Nemacheilus Fishes EN NA NA pulchellus

Osteochilichthys Fishes NA 17719.15974 NA brevidorsalis

Fishes Puntius arulius EN NA NA

Fishes Puntius cauveriensis EN NA NA

Burmagomphus Odonata NA 19768.56262 NA laidlawi

Caconeura Odonata NA 15880.73167 NA gomphoides

Chlorogomphus Odonata NA 18953.86679 NA campioni

Odonata Epithemis mariae NA 32143.88717 NA

Heliogomphus Odonata NA 2381.253912 NA kalarensis

Odonata Idionyx nadganiensis NA 18734.76843 NA

Odonata Idionyx nilgiriensis NA 4084.016725 NA

Odonata Idionyx saffronata NA 24819.16101 NA

Indolestes Odonata NA 11514.71019 NA pulcherrimus

Macrogomphus Odonata NA 26655.61097 NA wynaadicus

Odonata Macromia bellicosa NA 21325.4282 NA

Odonata Macromia cingulata NA 39140.78864 NA

Odonata Macromia ellisoni NA 24425.14736 NA

Macromia Odonata NA 21648.41687 NA flavocolorata

Odonata Macromia ida NA 16836.08527 NA Odonata Macromia indica NA 15071.65659 NA

Odonata Macromia irata NA 16836.08527 NA

Odonata Macromidia donaldi NA 18660.90733 NA

Megalogomphus Odonata NA 11514.71019 NA hannyngtoni

Megalogomphus Odonata NA 10298.96507 NA superbus

Merogomphus Odonata NA 26458.05683 NA longistigma

Onychogomphus Odonata NA 27739.64776 NA nilgiriensis

Onychogomphus Odonata NA 7054.488363 NA striatus

Phylloneura Odonata NA 41554.26134 NA westermanni

Odonata Protosticta hearseyi NA 40533.40822 NA

Protosticta Odonata VU 24051.87867 NA sanguinostigma

Plants Anaphalis beddomei VU NA NA

Plants Anaphalis leptophylla VU NA NA

Plants Anaphalis wightiana VU NA NA

Plants Hydrocotyle conferta EN NA NA

Crabs Vanni pusilla NA 1559.048097 NA Endemic to the KBA

Almost Endemic to the KBA (only known from Crabs Vanni nilgiriensis NA 703.4060128 NA this KBA and the Moyar KBA)

Macrobrachium Shrimps VU 408.2787679 NA Endemic to the KBA gurudeve

Glyptothorax Fishes EN madraspatanus

Fishes Hypselobarbus dubius EN Endemic to the Moyar and Bhavani KBAs

Plants Utricularia wightiana VU

Protected Areas Overlap with KBA

Name Designation Desig. Type Status PA Management Focus

Western Ghats World Heritage Site International Inscribed No freshwater biodiversity management

Nilgiri Tahr National Park National Proposed No freshwater biodiversity management

Silent Valley National Park National Designated No freshwater biodiversity management

Karimpuzha National Park National Proposed No freshwater biodiversity management

Mukurthi National Park National Designated No freshwater biodiversity management

Potential KBA Stakeholders*

Keystone Foundation

Tamil Nadu State Forestry Department

Mr. Godwin Vasant Bosco

Department of Wildlife, Government Arts College, Ooty

WWF India

Wildlife Trust of India

Nilgiri Natural History Society

EIA Resource and Response Centre

Arulagam Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association

Zoological Survey of India, Southern Regional Station

KBA Freshwater Habitats

5.1 Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks(includes waterfalls)

5.2 Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks

5.4 Bogs Marshes Swamps Fens Peatlands[generally over 8ha]

5.5 Permanent Freshwater Lakes(over 8ha)

5.6 Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes(over 8ha)

5.7 Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)

5.8 Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)

15.1 Water Storage Areas(over 8ha)

Threats to KBA

Threats (IUCN Classification Scheme) Notes

1.1 Housing & urban areas

1.2 Commercial & industrial areas

1.3 Tourism & recreation areas

2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops

2.3 Livestock farming & ranching

3.2 Mining & quarrying sand

7.2 Dams & water management/use 8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases Fishes

9.1 Domestic & urban waste water

9.2 Industrial & military effluents

9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents

9.4 Garbage & solid waste

Conservation actions for KBA

Conservation actions In (IUCN Classification Needed Notes place Scheme)

2.1 Site/area management Yes Catchment management, especially in the upper Nilgiri valleys.

2.2 Invasive/problematic Yes species control

Keystone Foundation undertaking many activities in the KBA. But more is 4.1 Formal education Yes Yes needed

Keystone Foundation undertaking many activities in the KBA. But more is 4.2 Training Yes Yes needed

4.3 Awareness & Keystone Foundation undertaking many activities in the KBA. But more is Yes Yes communications needed

5.2 Policies and regulations Yes Urban development in upper valleys

5.3 Private sector standards & Yes Industrial pollution codes

Industrial pollution. Implementation of Wetland (Conservation and 5.4 Compliance and Yes Management) Act 2010 & Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act enforcement 1974.

Food Security Used for food security Score Notes

1. Subsistence

Optional/alternative 1

Essential staple 1

Emergency 0

2. Commercial

Local 1

Regional 0

National 0

3.Migrant fishers 0

Notes Mostly fish

Other

There are 2 frogs that are endemic to the KBA (Ghatixalus variabilis and Raorchestes coonoorensis) and 3 species that are almost endemic to the KBA (Raorchestes thodai, R. tinniens, R. signatus). The rare mayfly Other biodiversity Eatonigenia trirama, is endemic to this KBA. The ceacillian Ureaotyphlus malabaricus, is endemic to this KBA. The vine snake (Ahaetulla perotetti) and the Nilgiri pit viper (Trimeresurus strigatus)is endemic the wider Nilgiri Hills. Eriochrysis rangacharii (a reed) is also endemic to the KBA and has almost disappeared.

Protected areas overview

1. Ali, A., Dahanukar, N., Kanagavel, A., Philip, S. & Raghavan, R. (2013). Records of the endemic and threatened catfish, Hemibagrus punctatus from the southern Western Ghats with notes on its distribution, ecology and conservation status. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(11): 4569–4578; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3427.4569-78. 2. Anil, Z., Dinesh, K.P., Kunhikrishnan, E., Das, S., Raju, V.R., Radhakrishnan, C., Palot, M.J. and Kalesh, S. 2011. Nine new species of frogs of the genus Raorchestes (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Western Ghats, India. Biosystematica, 5, 21–48. 3. Biju, S.D. and Bossuyt, F. 2009. Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155: 374–444. 4. Biju, S.D., Roelants, K. and Bossuyt, F. 2008. Phylogenetic position of the montane treefrog Polypedates variabilis Jerdon, 1853 (Anura: Rhacophoridae), and description of a related species. Organisms, Diversity & Evolution 8: 267–276. 5. Easa, P.S. and Shaji, C.P. 2003. Biodiversity documentation for Kerala. Part 8: Freshwater Fishes. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, 127 pp. References 6.Ishwar, N.M., Chellam, R. and Kumar, A. 2001. Distribution of forest floor reptilies in the rainforest of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, South India. Current Science 80(3): 413-418. 7. Malhotra, A. and Thorpe, R.S. 2004. A phylogeny of four mitochondrial gene regions suggests a revised taxonomy for Asian pitvipers (Trimeresurus and Ovophis). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32: 83-100. 8. Ravichandran, M.S., Dutta, S., Bhatta, G., Gower, D., Wilkinson, M. and Oommen, O.V. 2004. Uraeotyphlus malabaricus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 07 March 2014. 9. Smith, M.A. 1943. The fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, including the whole of the Indo-Chinese region. Vol. III. Serpentes. Taylor and Francis, London. 10. Srinivasulu, C., Srinivasulu, B., Deepak, V. and Achyuthan, N.S. 2013. Ahaetulla perroteti. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 07 March 2014. 11. Srinivasulu, C., Srinivasulu, B., Vijayakumar, S.P., Deepak, V. and Achyuthan, N.S. 2013.Trimeresurus strigatus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 07 March 2014. 12. Wilkinson, M. and Nussbaum, R.A. (1992). On the phylogenetic position of the Uraeotyphlidae (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Copeia: 550-562.

Acknowledgments

* Potential KBA stakeholders have not been contacted in any official capacity nor have they endorsed the KBA – they are a list of potential stakeholders to inform any organisation or individual who may want to undertake conservation activities on freshwater biodiversity in this KBA