KBA Profile: Kabini River
National Site Name Kabini River
English Name
KBA delineation Catchment
Yes - Pookode Lake (for fishes) & Kuruva Islands (Odonata). More focal areas may be identified Focal area delineation when more information becomes available, in particular from Karnataka. This is a poorly surveyed area.
The Kabini river is an eastern flowing river from the Western Ghats, and is the main river that drains the Wayanad Plateau flowing into the Cauvery system. The landscape is a mosaic of evergreen, moist deciduous, bamboo and dry deciduous forest interspersed with cardamom, coffee, rice, banana and tea plantations. In the upper stretches there is a permanent lake Site description (Pookode Lake). In Karnataka the river is dammed forming the Kabini reservoir outside/downstream the boundary of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, within the KBA. The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve contains significant populations of tribal communities. The KBA is poorly surveyed and information only exists for the Kerala part of the KBA.
Management required at Yes catchment scale
Management required at focal Yes area within catchment
KBA Trigger Species
Group Species Criterion1 Criterion2 Criterion3 Notes
Hypselobarbus Fishes EN 5360.083209 NA Focal Area species micropogon
Fishes Labeo potail EN NA NA Focal Area species
Nemacheilus Fishes EN 13440.843 NA petrubanarescui
Puntius Fishes EN NA NA cauveriensis Burmagomphus Odonata NA 19768.56262 NA laidlawi
Caconeura Odonata NA 15880.73167 NA gomphoides
Odonata Elattoneura tetrica NA 40687.08846 NA
Macrogomphus Odonata NA 26655.61097 NA wynaadicus
Odonata Macromia cingulata NA 39140.78864 NA
Odonata Macromia ellisoni NA 24425.14736 NA
Odonata Macromia indica NA 15071.65659 NA
Dimeria Plants EN NA NA hohenackeri
Shrimps Caridina shenoyi NA 19264.83648 NA
Fishes Balitora mysorensis VU NA NA
Nemacheilus Fishes NA 10632.57541 NA monilis
Pterocryptis Fishes EN NA NA Focal Area species wynaadensis
Barbodes Fishes CR 5301.270294 NA Focal Area species wynaadensis
Fishes Puntius arulius EN NA NA Focal Area species
Chlorogomphus Odonata NA 18953.86679 NA campioni
Disparoneura Focal Area species (possible endemic to this area, Odonata VU 8493.745208 NA apicalis as the other location has no recent records)
Odonata Elattoneura souteri NA 14827.52838 NA
Odonata Epithemis mariae NA 32143.88717 NA
Odonata Esme longistyla NA 14526.20493 NA Odonata Euphaea dispar NA 24731.42411 NA
Odonata Idionyx galeata EN 12920.01903 NA
Idionyx Odonata NA 18734.76843 NA nadganiensis
Odonata Idionyx saffronata NA 24819.16101 NA
Indolestes Odonata NA 11514.71019 NA pulcherrimus
Odonata Lestes dorothea NA 9781.596907 NA
Odonata Macromia bellicosa NA 21325.4282 NA
Macromia Odonata NA 21648.41687 NA flavocolorata
Odonata Macromia ida NA 16836.08527 NA
Odonata Macromia irata NA 16836.08527 NA
Odonata Macromidia donaldi NA 18660.90733 NA
Megalogomphus Odonata NA 11514.71019 NA hannyngtoni
Merogomphus Odonata NA 26458.05683 NA longistigma
Onychogomphus Odonata NA 11606.41897 NA acinaces
Onychogomphus Odonata NA 27739.64776 NA nilgiriensis
Phylloneura Odonata NA 41554.26134 NA westermanni
Platysticta Odonata VU 29167.59293 NA deccanensis
Odonata Protosticta hearseyi NA 40533.40822 NA
Protosticta Odonata VU 24051.87867 NA sanguinostigma
Hemibagrus Fishes CR 14130.24971 NA punctatus
Puntius Fishes CR 1287.8517 NA Endemic to KBA pookodensis
Megalogomphus Odonata NA 10298.96507 NA superbus
Macrobrachium Shrimps NA 349.9855242 715 Endemic to KBA jayasreei
Macrobrachium Shrimps NA 349.9855242 715 Endemic to KBA kunjuramani
Longischistura Fishes EN Focal Area species striatus
Protected Areas Overlap with KBA
Name Designation Desig. Type Status PA Management Focus
Bandipur National Park National Designated
Arabithittu Sanctuary National Designated
Wayanad Sanctuary National Designated
Nagarahole National Park National Designated
Brahmagiri National Park National Proposed
Western Ghats World Heritage Site International Inscribed
Aralam Sanctuary National Designated
Nugu Sanctuary National Designated
Nilgiri UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve International Designated
Nilgiri Bird Reserve National Proposed Potential KBA Stakeholders*
Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshan Samithi
Ferns
MS Swaminathan Research Foundation
Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary
Indian AZE
River Research Centre
Conservation Research Group
Zoo Outreach Organization
Coorg Wildlife Society
Kanataka Forest Department
Kerala Forest Department
Kanataka State Biodiversity Board
Kerala State Biodievrsity Board
Jungle Lodges & Resorts
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science
Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions
Nature Conservation Foundation
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
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
5.3 Shrub Dominated Wetlands
5.4 Bogs Marshes Swamps Fens Peatlands[generally over 8ha]
5.5 Permanent 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 Major threat to Pookode Lake and Kuruva Islands
2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
2.2 Wood & pulp plantations
2.3 Livestock farming & ranching
2.4 Marine & freshwater aquaculture
3.2 Mining & quarrying Granite quarrying and sand mining
7.2 Dams & water management/use Dams and water extraction (water extraction is the threat at focal area)
8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases Fish & aquatic plants
9.1 Domestic & urban waste water Threat at focal areas 9.2 Industrial & military effluents Heavy metal pollution in and around Nanjangud
9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents
9.4 Garbage & solid waste
Conservation actions for KBA
Conservation actions In (IUCN Classification Needed Notes place Scheme)
1.1 Site/area protection Yes Yes Parts of KBA fall within Protected Areas
1.2 Resource & habitat Yes Focal areas protection
2.1 Site/area Yes management
2.2 Invasive/problematic Oreochromis mosambicus, O. niloticus, Cyprinus carpio, Poecilia reticulata, Yes species control Labeo rohita
3.1 Species management Yes Focal area species
4.1 Formal education Yes Forest Department, Local Panchayats
4.2 Training Yes Forest Department, Local Panchayats
4.3 Awareness & Yes Yes All stakeholders communications
5.3 Private sector Yes Granite and sand mining, industrial pollution from heavy metals standards & codes
Granite and sand mining, industrial pollution from heavy metals. 5.4 Compliance and Yes Implementation of Wetland (Conservation and Management) Act 2010 & Water enforcement (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.
Food Security Used for food security Score Notes
1. Subsistence
Optional/alternative 1
Essential staple 2
Emergency 0
2. Commercial
Local 1
Regional 0
National 0
3.Migrant fishers 0
Notes Mostly fishes on Kerala side
Other
The aquatic plants Eriocaulon wayanadense Vivek, Swapna and Suresh 2010, and Eriocaulon malabaricum Pradeep & Nampy, 2011 are endemic to the KBA, but are not yet assessed for the IUCN Red List. There are several endemic birds and amphibians to the KBA. A newly described fish (Pethia nigripinnis) and two Other biodiversity resurrected species (Garra alta, Dawkinsia rubrotinctus) are endemic to the KBA but not yet assessed for the IUCN Red List. Several species of frog (Raorchestes nerostagona, Zakerana brevipalmata, Raorchestes anili) are also endemic to the KBA.
Protected areas overview
1. Ali, A., Dahanukar, N., Kanagavel, A., Philip, S. and 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 2. Biju, S.D. and Bossuyt, F. 2005. A new species of frog (Ranidae, Rhacophorinae,Philautus) from the rainforest canopy in the Western Ghats, India. Current Science: 175-178. 3. Biju, S.D. and Bossuyt, F. 2006. Two new species of Philautus (Anura, Ranidae, Rhacophorinae) from the Western Ghats, India. Amphibia-Reptilia: 1-9. 4. Biju, S.D. and Dutta, S. 2009. Zakerana brevipalmata. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 09 March 2014. 5. Knight, J.D.M., Devi, K.R. and Atkore, V. 2011. Systematic status of Systomus rubrotinctus Jerdon (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) with notes on the Puntius arulius group of fishes. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3(4): 1686–1693. References 6. Knight, J.D.M., Devi, K.R., Indra, T.J. and Arunachalam, M. 2012. A new species of barb Puntius nigripinnis (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from southern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4 (3): 2409–2416. 7. Mercy, T. V. A. and Jacob, E. 2007. A new species of Teleostei: Putius pookodensis (Cyprinidae) from Wayanad, Kerala, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 104 (1): 76-78. 8. Peters, W. 1871. Neue Gattungen und neue oder Weinger bekannte Arten von Amphibien. Monatsberichte der königlich Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin: 924-943. 9. River Research Centre. 2013. Report on Monitoring of Fish Diversity of Rivers in Kerala. Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Thiruvananthapuram. 98 pp. 10. Shaji, C.P. and Easa, P.S. 1995. Freshwater fish diversity in Wayaad, Kerala, South India. Journal of Zoological Society of Kerala 5(1&2): 30-36. 11. Taghinia Hejabi, A., Basavarajappa, H.T. and Qaid Saeed, A. M. 2010. Heavy Metal Pollution in Kabini River Sediments. International Journal of Environmental Research 4(4):629-636.
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