IISER study highlights significance of hill slopes in maintaining green cover in Western Ghats

A new study by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) highlighted that the hill slopes in Western Ghats, which are highly threatened by encroachments, are playing a crucial role in maintaining the green cover in western ghats in India.

- Gayatri Vajpeyee

PUNE:

The study conducted in 25 Protected areas of Western Ghats revealed that uneven solar heating of slopes facing different directions creates better conditions for tree growth on north- and north-west facing slopes, and less favourable on south- and south-east facing slopes in the Western Ghats.

Known as a global biodiversity hotspot, the Western Ghats traverse the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Climate Change, encroachments, change in agriculture pattern and proposed infra projects are among the significant threats for the Western Ghats in India.

In the recent paper titled 'Monsoonal climate and asymmetric heating facilitate the slope-aspect to influence landscape-scale tree structure in the Western Ghats, India,' IISER Pune researchers and collaborators examined vegetation in 25 protected areas along the Western Ghats and found a link between the direction of the slopes and tree cover, as well as canopy height.