Why is India's Western Ghats considered as one of the world's biological hotspot? What are the threats it’s facing and the recent measures of protection taken?

A biodiversity hotspot is an area with unusual concentration of species, many of which are endemic. It is marked by serious threat to its biodiversity by humans. The concept was given in 1988 by Norman Myers. Qualification for Biodiversity Hotspot To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: Endemism: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5 percent of the world’s total) as endemics, and Loss of Habitat: it has to have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat. Accordingly, 34 biodiversity hotspots have been so far identified. Collectively, the Biodiversity hotspots support 60% of world’s plant and animal species with a high share of endemics and cover around 2.5% of Earth’s land surface. List of Biodiversity Hotspots North and Central America: California Floristic Province, Madrean pine-oak woodlands, Mesoamerica The Caribbean: Caribbean Islands South America: Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests, Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena, Tropical Andes Europe: Mediterranean Basin Africa: Cape Floristic Region, Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa, Eastern Afromontane, Guinean Forests of West Africa; Horn of Africa; Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands; Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany; Succulent Karoo Central Asia: Mountains of Central Asia; South Asia: Eastern Himalaya, Nepal; Indo-Burma, India and Myanmar; Western Ghats, India; Sri Lanka South East Asia and Asia-Pacific: East Melanesian Islands; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Philippines; Polynesia-Micronesia; Southwest Australia; Sundaland; Wallacea; East Asia: Japan; Mountains of Southwest China West Asia: Caucasus; Irano-Anatolian. THREATS: - high population pressure developing along coastal plains is causing human settlements to venture deeper into western ghats area. Clearing land for agricultural and human settlements is increasing - introduction of invasive plant/tree species as part of afforestation drives - buidling of roads through region in a bid to improve connectivity and increasing volume of traffic through this region - greater industrial/mining activity is affecting natural ecosystems, degrading them and causing fragmentation. Several measures have been taken to protect this region: - Gadgil report and Kasturirangan committee report seek to bring attention to vulnerability of this region. The demarcation of Ecologically Sensitive Areas, and regulating disruptive human activiy is sought - extending limits of core zone regions for in-situ conservation efforts by converting wildlife sanctuaries to national parks, increasing boundaries of wild life sanctuaries, and buffer regions - closing operation of highways during hours in the night to protect wildlife through these regions - prohibiting use of invasive plant species in afforestation programs The question of balancing the developmental needs of people living in these areas to access better livlihood facilities and the need for conserving nature and wildlife applies here. Greater involvement of local panchayats while pursuing conservation efforts is necessary to make the effort effective, holistic and long lasting. read less