INTRODUCTION

WESTERN GHATS A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT !! Along the south-western coast of India lies the western ghats mountain range. These ranges are known for their rich bio-diveristy and natural heritage. The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, hence known also as monsoon mountains. It covers an approximate area of 160,000 square km.     It...

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Fauna at Western Ghats

1. Lion Tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)- IUCN STATUS- ENDANGERED Morphology:  The growth of hairs on the temples and cheeks to form a long thick dark grey or brownish grey rough or mane, which hangs down on each side of the face like long whiskers and passes on to the throat as a shorter, paler beard, and by the shining, black hue of the rest of the head, body, limbs, and tail, although the underside, at least in the young, may be dark brown or greyish brown. The coat is in general...

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FLORA AT WESTERN GHATS

1. Baheda (Terminalia bellerica)- IUCN STATUS: Description:Deciduous trees, to 35 m high, bole often buttressed; bark 10-20 mm thick, surface blackish-grey, smooth, vertically shallowly fissured, exfoliations small, semi-fibrous; blaze yellow; branches sympodial; branchlets terete, thinly fulvous-hairy, leaf scars prominent. Leaves simple, opposite or alternate, clustered at the tip of branchlets, estipulate; petiole 15-80 mm, stout, slightly grooved above, glabrous; lamina 9-35 x 5-16 cm,...

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