Tropical areas of the world that have rich biodiversity and high levels of endemism and are under immediate threat of species extinction and habitat destruction, called ‘hot spots’ for preservation the Western Ghats and Assam, two of the 25-mega biodiversity hot spots of the world.

The Northeastern region of India is classified as a mega-diversity area. Unfortunately, this region has also become a ‘hot-spot’ area with reference to threats to biodiversity. The region is characterized by the continued prevalence of shifting cultivation leading to the depletion of forest resources.

Alien invasive species like Eupatorium, Mekenia and Lantana have spread fast in the post-shifting cultivation areas. Unique mammals like Mithun are now finding it difficult to get adequate food, since the alien species are non-edible. This is one of the causes for the dwindling population of Mithun.

Western Ghat covers 5 per cent of India’s land area, yet contains more than 4000 or 27 per cent of the country’s total plant species. Of these 1500 species are endemic. Nearly 63 percent of India’s arborescent evergreen taxa are endemic to the Western Ghats. In the Agasthyarmalai region, the pattern of high endemism and diversity “is well illustrated by plant taxa.

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This region has about 150 localized plant endemics and a rich reservoir for a large number of wild relatives of cultivated plants such as cardamom, mango, banana, rice, jackfruit and turmeric.

The Western Ghat is well-known for harboring 14 endemic species of caecillians. This region, like other parts of the tropics, is undergoing rapid transformation. The deforestation rate is high and forests are being transformed into agriculture and monoculture plantations, hydroelectric projects, mining and extraction of forest products are also altering the landscape.

The changes in land use and land cover have profound consequences for the biodiversity and economic well being of the people. Although change in the Western Ghats is occurring at a rapid pace, the extract magnitude and patterns of change are not well understood.