KBA Profile: Thamirabarani River
National Site Name Thamirabarani River
English Name
KBA delineation Catchment
One focal area is needed, the Kalakkad River, and additional focal areas will be identified for the other endemic species as more information become available. It has one AZE species (Garra Focal area delineation kalakadensis) and a number of endemic species to the KBA, which may also qualify as AZE species.
The Thamirabarani River, which includes the subbasins of Kodayar, Servalar, Gadana, Ramanadhi, Nambiar, Manimuthar, Pachaiyar, originates from the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, and has good evergreen forest cover in the upper parts (designated as Mundanthurai and Kalakkad Tiger Reserve). The middle stretches of are dominated by tea plantations. The KBA has Site description one AZE species (Garra kalakadensis) and a number of endemic species to the KBA, which may also qualify as AZE species.The area of the AZE species (Kalakkad River) has high levels of rice paddies, banana plantations. There are also high levels of tourism in Servalar, Panathirtham, Agasthyar falls, Manimuthar falls, Sorimuthu Ayyanar temple. There are hydroelectric power stations at Karayar and Upper Kodayar.
Management required at Yes catchment scale
Management required at focal There are potentially lots of focal areas within the KBA area within catchment
KBA Trigger Species
Group Species Criterion1 Criterion2 Criterion3 Notes
Fishes Garra kalakadensis EN 2050.90562 NA AZE species
Fishes Horalabiosa joshuai EN 5600.472176 NA Endemic to KBA - Potential AZE species
Fishes Puntius kannikattiensis NA 2050.90562 NA Endemic to the KBA
Odonata Esme mudiensis NA 21199.4574 NA Odonata Euphaea cardinalis NA 22114.31401 NA
Odonata Protosticta rufostigma NA 8144.388313 NA
Plants Anaphalis leptophylla VU NA NA
Plants Farmeria indica EN NA NA
Fishes Puntius tambraparniei EN Endemic to KBA potential AZE species
Protected Areas Overlap with KBA
Name Designation Desig. Type Status PA Management Focus
Mundanthurai Sanctuary National Designated No freshwater biodiversity focused management
Kalakad Sanctuary National Designated No freshwater biodiversity focused management
Western Ghats World Heritage Site International Inscribed No freshwater biodiversity focused management
Shendurney Sanctuary National Designated No freshwater biodiversity focused management
Agastyamalai National Park National Proposed No freshwater biodiversity focused management
Potential KBA Stakeholders*
SPKCES Sri Paramakalyani Centre for Environmental Science, MS University, Alwarkurichi
ATREE Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment
FERAL Foundation for Ecological Research Advocacy and Learning
Indian AZE
Conservation Research Group
Zoo Outreach Organization
Tamil Nadu Forest Department 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]
5.7 Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)
15.1 Water Storage Areas(over 8ha)
15.2 Ponds(below 8ha)
15.3 Aquaculture Ponds
15.8 Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land
Threats to KBA
Threats (IUCN Classification Scheme) Notes
1.1 Housing & urban areas Especially for Tiruneveli
1.2 Commercial & industrial areas Textiles & paper industry
1.3 Tourism & recreation areas Including pilgramage
2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops Bannana and rice
2.4 Marine & freshwater aquaculture
3.2 Mining & quarrying Sand and rock mining from rivers, granite quarry
5.4 Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources Aquarium trade (Puntius tambraparniei)
7.1 Fire & fire suppression 7.2 Dams & water management/use Dams, water extraction for irrigation
7.3 Other ecosystem modifications Channel diversion and weirs/check dams
8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases Tilapia spp, Major carps
9.1 Domestic & urban waste water Especially for Tiruneveli
9.2 Industrial & military effluents Textiles & paper industry
9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents Pesticide
9.4 Garbage & solid waste
Conservation actions for KBA
Conservation actions In (IUCN Classification Needed Notes place Scheme)
Current site protection not for freshwater biodiveristy. Site protection is 1.1 Site/area protection Yes Yes needed for the AZE species (Kalakkad River) and potetially for the other endemic fishes in the KBA.
Catchment management, for example of water diversions at the focal area. 2.1 Site/area management Yes Temple Authorities for the Focal Area
2.2 Invasive/problematic Yes Removal of invasive aquatic plants, and Tilapia species control
2.3 Habitat & natural Yes Restoration of riparian vegetation process restoration
4.1 Formal education Yes Forest and Fisheries departments, local communities, plantations
4.2 Training Yes Forest and Fisheries departments, local communities, plantations
4.3 Awareness & Yes All stakeholders and urban area in focal areas, communications
5.2 Policies and regulations Yes Mining, plantations - restoration of riparian zones
5.3 Private sector standards Yes Mining, plantations - restoration of riparian zones & codes
Agricultural 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 2
Essential staple 0
Emergency 0
2. Commercial
Local 0
Regional 0
National 0
3.Migrant fishers 0
Notes Heavy reliance upon marine fishes
Other
There are a number of endemic Ephemeroptera - mayflies (Edmundsula lotica; Thraulus gopalani; Prosopistoma indicum; Sparsorythus gracilis); endemic and potentially AZE species amphibians (Raorchestes Other biodiversity kakachi; Nyctibatrachus vasanti). There are also a number of rare lythophytic ferns (Prosaptia obliquata; Ctenopteris subfulfcata), and a NT fern Lindsaea malabarica which is endemic to the KBA. It is also overlaps with 2 IBA sites.
Protected areas overview 1. Biju, S.D., Bocxlaer, I.V., Mahony, S., Dinesh, K.P., Radhakrishnan, C., Zachariah, A., Giri, V. and Bossuyt, F. 2011. A taxonomic review of the Night Frog genus Nyctibatrachus Boulenger, 1882 in the Western Ghats, India (Anura: Nyctibatrachidae) with description of twelve new species. Zootaxa 3029: 1-96. 2. Cherian, P.T., Devi, K.R. and Ravichandra, M.S. 2000. Ichthyo and herpetofaunal diversity of Kalakkad Wildlife Sanctuary. Zoos' Print Journal 15(2): 203-206. 3. Devi, K.R. 1992. Fishes of Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, India. Records of the Indian Museum 92(l-4): l93-209. 4. Johnson, J.A. and Arunachalam, M. 2009. Diversity, distribution and assemblage structure of fishes in streams of southern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 1(10): 507-513. References 5. Manickam, V.S. and Irudayaraj, V. 1991. Pteridophyte florar of the Western Ghats - South India. B.I. Publication PVT Ltd. New Delhi. 6. Raghavan, R., Dahanukar, N., Tlusty, M., Rhyne, A., Krishna Kumar, K., Molur, S. and Rosser, A.M. 2013. Uncovering an obscure trade: threatened freshwater fishes and the aquarium pet markets. Biological Conservation 164: 158-169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.04.019. 7. Rema Devi, K., Indra, T.J., Raghunathan, M.B., Mary Bai, M. and Ravichandran, M.S. 1997. Ichyofauna of the Tambraparni River system, Tamil Nadu. Zoos’ Print 12(7): 1-2. 8. Seshadri, K.S., Gururaja, K.V. and Aravind, N.A. 2012. A new species of Raorchestes (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from mid-elevation evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats, India. Zootaxa 3410: 19–34.
Dahanukar, N., Jayachandran, K.V., Irudayaraj, V., Iyer, P., Katwate, U., Krutha, S.K., Molur, S., Pati, S.K., Acknowledgments Pragatheesh, A. Raghavan, R., Rehel, S.M., Sivaramakrishnan, K.G. and Subbramanian, K.A.
* 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