Why are the Western Ghats identified as one of the biodiversity hotspots?
Question : Why Western Ghats are considered as one of the biodiversity hotspots? Because Western Ghats are the regions with very high level of species richness and high degree of endemism. Hotspots are also regions of accelerated habital loss.
What type of ecosystem is found in Western Ghats?
The Western Ghats include a diversity of ecosystems ranging from tropical wet evergreen forests to montane grasslands containing numerous medicinal plants and important genetic resources such as the wild relatives of grains, fruit and spices.
What is special about Western Ghats?
The Western Ghats are known for their high biodiversity and endemism as it is identified as one of the world’s eight hot hotspots of biological diversity. It is classified as evergreen forest as it receives as much as 350 inches of rain every year.
In which states is Western Ghat is spread and known for its rich biodiversity?
Hence, Western Ghat is spread and known for its rich biodiversity in Maharashtra–Karnataka–Kerala. Ace your People Development & Environment and Environmental Initiatives preparations for International Agreements with us and master Convention on Biodiversity for your exams.
Why Western Ghats are called ghats?
Ghats, two mountain ranges forming the eastern and western edges, respectively, of the Deccan plateau of peninsular India. In Hindi ghat means “river landing stairs” or “mountain pass” and has been extended in its Anglicized plural form (formerly ghauts) to include the mountains themselves.
Where are the Western Ghats?
The Western Ghats mountain range extends down the western side of India from the River Tapti, north of Mumbai, to Tamil Nadu at the southern tip of India.
Is Eastern Ghat a biodiversity hotspot?
Biodiversity hotspots are located only in tropical regions. 2. India has four biodiversity hotspots i.e., Eastern Himalayas, Western Himalayas, Western Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In India, Eastern Ghats and Western Himalaya are the biodiversity hot spots.
Why is Western Ghats called ghats?
What is the difference between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats?
Ghats refer to the stepped mountains with valleys in between them. The western ghats are continuous chains of mountains and can be crossed through passes only. 1. The Eastern ghats are not continuous and are cut by rivers falling into the Bay of Bengal.
Why Western Ghats are higher than Eastern Ghats?
The western ghats are hill ranges running parallel to the west coast. They are continuous in nature and have a higher elevation than eastern ghats because they are hundreds of millions of years younger. The elevation of western ghats is between 900-1600 . Erosion is the primary force in shaping mountains .
Did you know Western Ghats is a biodiversity hotspot in India?
But did you know that our very own Western Ghats Belt in India is recognized by UNESCO as one of the world’s eight “hottest” biodiversity hotspots? A biodiversity hotspot is defined as a forest area which fulfils the following two criteria:
What is the importance of Western Ghats?
Western Ghats are best known for their biological diversity and endemism. Also, it one of the world’s eight hottest hotspots of biodiversity. Which plant is known as Queen of Western Ghats?
What is the total area of the Western Ghats?
These mountains cover an area of around 140,000 km² in a 1,600 km long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat Gap at around 11°N. Older than the great Himalayan mountain chain, the Western Ghats of India are a geomorphic feature of immense global importance.
What is the biggest threat to the environment in Western Ghats?
The cultivation of tea, coffee, rubber, and palm oil has been propelling the slow destruction of the lush natural beauty of the region, once densely covered by forests. Human activities pose the greatest threat to the environment of the Western Ghats that negatively affect the region’s rich and highly vulnerable biodiversity.