Sahyadri plateau
- Situated parallel to the Arabian Sea in western India is the Sahyadri plateau.
- It is located in the northern state of Gujarat and extends over 100,000 square kilometres to the southern state of Karnataka.
- With an average elevation of about 1,000 metres, the Sahyadri plateau is a mountainous area.
- At 1,646 metres above sea level, Kalsubai, a mountain in Maharashtra, is the highest point on the plateau.
- A range of rocks, including granite, gneiss, and sandstone, make up the Sahyadri plateau.
- Minerals such as bauxite, manganese, and iron ore can also be found on the plateau.
- With a wet season from June to September and a dry season from October to May, the Sahyadri plateau experiences tropical monsoon weather.
- On average, the plateau receives 2,000 millimetres of precipitation annually.
- There are many different types of flora and fauna on the Sahyadri plateau, such as scrublands, deciduous forests, and evergreen forests.
- The Nilgiri tahr, the Malabar civet, and the lion-tailed macaque are just a few of the endangered species that call the plateau home.
- There are several human endeavours carried out on the Sahyadri plateau, such as mining, forestry, and agriculture.
- With several hill stations and wildlife sanctuaries nearby, the plateau is also a well-liked tourist destination.
- The effects of changing land use on the rocky ecosystems in Maharashtra, India’s Sahyadri plateaus.
Specifics
- The rocky ecosystems of Maharashtra’s Sahyadri plateaus are being negatively impacted by the quick transition from traditional local grain farming to monoculture cashew and mango plantations.
- To learn more about how animals including elusive amphibians, insects, and reptiles are reacting to these changes in land use in rocky habitats, a team of five scientists conducted a study.
- Global Ecology and Conservation, an international peer-reviewed journal, has published the study.
Study’s primary focus
- The researchers examined a variety of creatures that inhabit the loose rocks of the plateaus, including the saw-scaled viper, the white-striped viper gecko, the Seshachari’s caecilian, an unusual amphibian without legs, and ants, spiders, and scorpions.
- Some endemic and threatened animals are shielded from harsh weather conditions, such as summer’s intense heat and torrential monsoon rains, by these rocky shelters.
- However, these animals’ survival is under threat due to the quick changes in land use, such as the transformation of natural plateaus into cashew and mango orchards.
Effects of Shifting Trends in Agriculture
- Natural plateaus are being destroyed as a result of the abandonment of the customary local grain farming in the rock outcrops and the establishment of monoculture cashew and mango plantations.
- Over 25,000 hectares of lateritic plateaus have been converted as a result of the growth of mango orchards.
- The animals that are dependent on these rocky habitats are becoming less common and less adaptable due to changes in land-use patterns.
Requirement for Additional Research
- This study looks at how orchards affect other animals in rock outcrops and emphasises the need for more comprehensive research to understand the socio-ecological effects of traditional paddy abandonment on amphibians.
- Because of the rarity of the animals discovered beneath the rocks during the survey, it is crucial to work with the local communities who own the land to preserve representative plateau habitats.
Concerns Regarding Conservation
- Little is known about the creatures that live beneath the rocks, and their extinction from the plateaus could have a big effect on the ecosystem services they offer.
- These unusual animals are sensitive to changes in their habitats, so removing even one rock can have a cascading effect on biodiversity.
Determining the Conservation Baseline
- The group created a baseline for the conservation of the rock-dwelling animal communities by contrasting them in plateaus, deserted paddy fields, and orchards.
- The study’s data may contribute to the plateaus’ preservation as biodiversity heritage sites, underscoring the significance of protecting these rocky environments.
Assistance and Financial Resources
- Along with the Nature Conservation Foundation-India (NCF) and Bombay Environmental Action, the study was supported by On the Edge Conservation (United Kingdom), the Habitat Trust (India), and the Maharashtra Forest Department.