Current Ecological Status and Identification of Potential Ecologically Sensitive Areas in the Northern Western Ghats

CURRENT ECOLOGICAL STATUS AND IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS IN THE NORTHERN WESTERN GHATS OCTOBER 2010 INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH BHARTI VIDYAPEETH DEEMED UNIVERSITY PUNE, MAHARASHTRA TABLE OF CONTENTS Team at BVIEER...............................................................................................iv Acknowledgements.............................................................................................v Disclaimer .........................................................................................................vi Terms of reference ............................................................................................vii Framework ......................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..........................................................................1 HISTORY OF CONSERVATION IN THE WESTERN GHATS.........................2 CURRENT THREATS TO THE WESTERN GHATS...........................................................................................2 CONCEPT OF ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS (ESAS).......................3 NEED FOR IDENTIFYING ESAs IN THE WESTERN GHATS......................3 DEFINING ESAs ..............................................................................................4 GENESIS OF ESAs IN INDIA ..........................................................................5 CHAPTER 2: ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NORTHERN WESTERN GHATS..............................................................................................7 LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS OF THE WESTERN GHATS ...............................7 Geomorphology and Hydrology........................................................................................... 8 Climate ............................................................................................................................. 10 ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY ............................................................................. 10 Forest Types ...................................................................................................................... 11 Grasslands......................................................................................................................... 17 Streams and Rivers ............................................................................................................ 17 Plateaus............................................................................................................................. 18 SPECIES DIVERSITY..................................................................................... 18 Flora ................................................................................................................................. 24 Fauna................................................................................................................................ 26 PROTECTED AREAS..................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 3: IMPACTS ..................................................................................... 43 INDUSTRY ..................................................................................................... 43 MINING.......................................................................................................... 45 ROADS............................................................................................................ 45 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................. 48 NEW TOWNSHIPS......................................................................................... 50 TOURISM ....................................................................................................... 50 INVASIVE EXOTIC SPECIES......................................................................... 51 i CLIMATE CHANGE ...................................................................................... 52 OTHERS.......................................................................................................... 54 CONCLUSION................................................................................................ 54 CHAPTER 4: PLANNING OF ESAS ................................................................. 57 CATEGORIZATION OF EXISTING ESAS .................................................... 57 Protected Areas .................................................................................................................58 ESAs around Protected Areas ............................................................................................ 60 Hill-station ESAs ...............................................................................................................61 CATEGORIZATION OF PROPOSED ESAS .................................................. 62 Areas Planned but not Notified as PAs ............................................................................... 62 Reserve Forest and Closed Canopy Forest........................................................................... 63 Water Bodies ..................................................................................................................... 64 Sacred Groves.................................................................................................................... 66 Specialised Ecosystems ...................................................................................................... 70 Species Based ESAs ........................................................................................................... 76 CHAPTER 5: PRIORITIZATION....................................................................... 83 IDENTIFYING BIODIVERSITY ASSET VALUES......................................... 86 Protected Areas .................................................................................................................86 Protected Area Surrounds ................................................................................................ 88 Hill Stations ..................................................................................................................... 88 Reserve and Closed Canopy Forest..................................................................................... 89 Water Bodies ..................................................................................................................... 89 Specialized Habitats........................................................................................................... 91 Habitats of Threatened Species .......................................................................................... 93 Corridors........................................................................................................................... 94 IDENTIFYING THREAT VALUES ................................................................ 94 Mines................................................................................................................................ 94 Industrial Areas ................................................................................................................ 97 Catchment Area Threats .................................................................................................... 97 Protected Areas Surrounds (ESA) Threats .......................................................................... 97 Grading the ESAs.............................................................................................................. 97 ANALYSIS OF TALUKAS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH BASED ON ESA CATEGORY AND THREAT LEVEL ................................ 100 Sector 1 ............................................................................................................................100 Sector 2 ............................................................................................................................101 ii Sector 3 ............................................................................................................................102 Sector 4 ............................................................................................................................103 Sector 5 ............................................................................................................................104 Sector 6 ............................................................................................................................106 Sector 7 ............................................................................................................................107 PLANNING FOR CORRIDORS................................................................... 108 The Need for Corridors.....................................................................................................108 Landuse Within Existing Corridors ...................................................................................108 Types of Corridors............................................................................................................109 Establishing Corridors in the Northern Western Ghats.......................................................109 Potential Corridors within the Northern Western Ghats.....................................................110 conclusion ...................................................................................................... 113 CHAPTER 6: IMPLEMENTATION

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