Management of Forests in the Northern Western Ghats

The Western Ghats in India are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the "hotspots" of biologicaldiversity in the world. Looking at the physiography and climate of the Northern Western Ghats, the regionshould support Tropical semi evergreen (on Crestline) to moist deciduous type of forest (on Eastern end ofspurs) as ‘climax’ type of vegetation. But it is seen to be variedly degraded and fragmented due to use bylocal people for cultivation or intrusion by outsiders for commercial gains over the last two centuries, as wellas modern developmental pressures within the last few decades. The original forest cover and biodiversityis seen only in pockets of notified protected areas or within semiprotected areas like scared groves. Rest ofthe landscape is degraded to various seral stages depending on the degree of disturbance and is reflected insix major vegetation classes namely Rocky outcrops, Open grasslands with Scrub, Dense shrubbery, Dwarfcanopy forests, Riparian forests and Tall mature forests. Composition of species pertaining to each of theseclasses is more or less definite with some overlaps. The current article tries to illustrate the reasoning foreach of these stages along with the dominant species associated with each stage, mainly flora and birds. Ofthese stages, the last one is the protected ‘climax’ vegetation, which is the only support for ‘habitat specialist’species, some of which are threatened as per IUCN. No other seral stage can support this biodiversity. Froman ecological point of view, there is an urgent need to conserve these pockets and provide buffer for them.A detailed study may need to be undertaken to know the exact areas under such climax forest and developa policy for their protection.The article also suggests landscape-based management strategies for conservation in the NorthernWestern Ghats, based on ecological role and potential of each land class. This can be achieved throughvarious restoration techniques like soil water conservation, plantation, habitat development etc.