Dear Members,
We are
pleased to share the main points highlighted in “Fast Facts on
India’s Biodiversity Part 1 – Biogeographic Zones” (By: Pramod Krishnan,
UNDP, 12 Sep 2012.) An
article based on the blog is available at : http://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/knowledge-and-solutions/blogs/2012/09/12/fast_facts_on_indias_biodiversity_part_1_biogeographic_zones.html
.
The following three
unparalleled factors give India its biological opulence:
ü
There
is an astounding spectrum of habitats and ecosystems existing over a wide range
of latitudes and longitudes. These, together with varied climatic regimes, have
resulted in an impressive range of bio-physical environments.
ü
India
lies at the confluence of three global centres of origin of life or
‘Biogeographic Realms’, viz. Indo-Malayan, Eurasian and Afro-tropical. India’s
flora and fauna have been enriched by elements from each of these realms.
ü
India
has a legacy of co-existence of humans and nature and a longstanding tradition
of conservation.
The 10 biogeographic
zones that India has been divided into is given below:
1.
Trans-Himalaya:
Constituting 5.6 % of the country’s geographical area, this zone includes
high altitude cold and arid mountain areas, including cold deserts. An extension
of the Tibetan Plateau, this zone has sparse alpine steppe vegetation with many
endemic species. It supports some of the biggest populations of wild sheep
and goats in the world as well as some rare species of fauna such as Snow
Leopard (Uncia uncia).
2.
Himalaya:
Consisting of the entire Himalayan mountain range, this zone covers 6.4 %
of the total geographical area and has alpine and sub-alpine forests, grassy
meadows and moist deciduous forests. It provides diverse habitats for a range of
species including endangered ones such as Hangul (Cervus eldi eldi) and Musk
Deer (Moschus moschiferus).
3.
Desert:
This arid zone falls west of the Aravalli hill range and comprises both the salt
and sand deserts of north-western India. Constituting 6.6 % of the
country’s geographical area, this zone also has large expanses of grasslands
that support several endangered species such as the Great Indian Bustard
(Ardeotis nigriceps).
4.
Semi-Arid:
This zone covers 16.6 % of the country. Although overall
semi-arid, this zone also has several lakes and marshlands. The grasses and
palatable shrub layer of this zone support the highest wildlife biomass. The
endangered Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is also found in this zone (in
the Gir forests of Gujarat).
5.
Western
Ghats:
Western Ghats is a mountain range running along the western coast of peninsular
India, from Tapti River in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. Constituting
4 % of the country’s geographical area, this zone supports tropical
evergreen forests that are home to approximately 15,000 species of higher
plants, of which around 4,000 (c. 27 percent) are endemic. There are several
endemic faunal species as well, such as the Nilgiri Langur (Presbytis johnii)
and the Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus).
6.
Deccan
Peninsula:
This is the largest zone covering as much as 42 % of the country. It
supports some of the finest forests in India with abundant populations of deer
and antelope species such as Chital (Axis axis), Sambar (Cervus unicolor) and
Four-horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis). There are small populations of
Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) and Wild Water Buffaloes (Bubalus arnee) as
well.
7.
Gangetic
Plain:
Flanking the Ganga River and its tributaries, the Gangetic Plain zone extends up
to the Himalayan foothills in the north. This flat alluvial zone is
topographically fairly homogenous and constitutes 10.8 % of the country’s
geographical area. This zone supports many large and charismatic mammals such as
One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), Asian Elephant and Wild Water
Buffalo. Other characteristic fauna includes Swamp Deer (Cervus duvauceli), Hog
Deer (Axis porcinus) and Hispid Hare (Carprolagus
hispidus).
8.
Coasts:
The coastal zone constitutes 2.5 % of the geographical area and covers
beaches, mangroves, mud flats, coral reefs and marine angiosperm pastures.
Sundarbans – shared with Bangladesh – is the largest contiguous mangrove area in
the world. The Lakshadweep Islands – having a biodiversity-rich reef lagoon
system – are also included in this zone.
9.
North-East:
Characterised by diverse habitats and long-term geological stability, the
North-East zone covers 5.2 % of India’s geographical area. Due to its
location at the junction of the Indian, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese
bio-geographical regions, it is considered a ‘gateway’ for much of India’s flora
and fauna. There are significant levels of endemism in all floral and faunal
groups.
10.
Islands:
Although this zone covers only 0.3 % of the country’s geographical area,
it is nonetheless important from the biodiversity perspective. The Andaman and
Nicobar Islands have some of India’s finest tropical evergreen moist forests and
show high degree of endemism in flora and fauna.
Thanks
and regards,
Ramesh Kumar Jalan, Ph.D.
Resource Person & Moderator
Climate Change Community, Solution Exchange,
United Nations Development Programme
55, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi-110003, India
Tel: +91-11-46532383 Fax: +91-11-24627612
No comments:
Post a Comment