Geologic evidence indicates that the mountains were formed during the break-up of the supercontinent ofGondwana. The mountains arose along the west coast of India somewhere in thelate Jurassic andearly Cretaceous periods when India separated from theAfrican continent. The mountains can be roughly divided into three parts: the northern section with an elevation ranging from 900–1,500 m (3,000–4,900 ft), the middle section starting south of Goa with a lower elevation of less than 900 m (3,000 ft), and the southern section where the altitude rises again. The Western Ghats have several peaks that rise above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), withAnamudi (2,695 m (8,842 ft)) being the highest peak. The average elevation is around 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
The Western Ghats form one of the majorwatersheds of India, feeding many perennial river systems that drain almost 40% of the land area of the country. Because of the higher elevation of the Deccan plateau on the west, most rivers flow eastwards towards theBay of Bengal, resulting in chiselled eastern slopes and steeper western slopes facing theArabian Sea. The Western Ghats play an important role in determining the climate and seasons in India. It blocks the rain-bearingmonsoon winds flowing eastward from the Arabian Sea, resulting in rainfall along the western coast. By the time the air rises above the mountains it is dry, forming arain shadow region with very little rainfall on theleeward side towards the interior of the Deccan plateau.
The Western Ghats region is abiodiversity hotspot. It contains a large number of different species of flora and fauna, most of which are endemic to this region. At least 325 globallythreatened species occur in the Western Ghats. The region was declared as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2012.
The name Western Ghats derives from the wordghat and the cardinal direction in which it is located with respect to the Indian mainland.Ghat, a term used in theIndian subcontinent, depending on the context, could either refer to arange of stepped hills such as theEastern Ghats and Western Ghats, or a series of steps leading down to a body of water orwharf.[1][2] As per linguistThomas Burrow, the wordGhat was derived from similar words used in variousDravidian languages such askattu (mountain side, ridge, or dam) inTamil,katte (dam),gatta (mountain), andgattu (bank or shore) inKannada, andkatta (dam), andgatte (shore or embankment) inTelugu.[3] The ancient name for the mountain range isSahyadri, derived fromSanskrit, meaning benevolent or tolerant mountain.[4]
The Western Ghats are the mountainousfaulted, anderoded edge of theDeccan Plateau. Geologic evidence indicates that they were formed during the break-up of the super-continent ofGondwana. After the break-up, the Deccan plateau was formed bybasalt rocks, which caused the western side to rise at an elevation.[5]
Geophysical evidence indicates that the mountains arose along the west coast of India somewhere in thelate Jurassic andearly Cretaceous periods when India separated from theAfrican continent.[6] Several faults triggered the formation of Western Ghats, then interspersed with valleys and river gorges. Because of the elevation of the Deccan plateau on the west, most rivers flow from west to east, resulting in chiselled eastern slopes and steeper western slopes facing the sea.[6]
The Western Ghats form an almost continuous chain of mountains running parallel to the western coast of India along theArabian Sea.[10] The average elevation is around 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[11] There are three gaps in the mountain range: the northernmostGoa Gap, formed 65–80 million years ago (Mya), the oldest and widest Palghat Gap, formed 500 Mya, and the southernmost, narrowest Shencottah Gap.[12] The narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as theWestern Coastal Plains.[13]
The mountains can be roughly divided into three parts: the northern section with an elevation ranging from 900–1,500 m (3,000–4,900 ft), the middle section starting from the south of Goa with a lower elevation of less than 900 m (3,000 ft), and the southern section where the altitude rises again.[10] The Western Ghats meet with theEastern Ghats in theMoyar River valley in theNilgiris before continuing south.[14][15] The Western Ghats have many peaks that rise above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), withAnamudi (2,695 m (8,842 ft)) being the highest peak.[16]
The Western Ghats form one of the majorwatersheds of India, feeding many perennial rivers. These major river systems drain almost 40% of the land area of the country.[17] The major river systems originating in the Western Ghats are theGodavari,Kaveri, andKrishna.[10][18] Most rivers flow eastwards towards theBay of Bengal owing to the steeper gradient moving from east to west, and many smaller streams drain the region, often carrying a large volume of water during the monsoon months.[17] The streams and rivers give rise to numerous waterfalls in the region.[19] The rivers have been dammed forhydroelectric andirrigation purposes, with major reservoirs spread across the region.[20][21]
The Western Ghats play an important role in determining the climate and seasons in India. During the dry summer months of April – May, heat builds up on the land, which draws air from the sea. The air, which picks up moisture along the way and flows eastward from the Arabian Sea, is blocked by the Western Ghats.[22] The rising air cools and brings aboutorographic precipitation along the western coast.[23] This signifies the onset of themonsoon season in June. By the time the air rises above the mountains, it becomes dry, resulting in arain shadow region with very little rainfall on theleeward side towards the interior of the Deccan plateau. The monsoon winds rounding up the peninsula and moving from the east from theBay of Bengal pass over the Eastern Ghats and bring the majority of the rainfall to the plains up north.[24]
Climate in the mountains shows variations with altitude across the range. Due to its physical proximity to theequator and the Arabian Sea, the region experiences a warm and humidtropical climate throughout the year. Mean temperatures range from 20 °C (68 °F) in the south to 24 °C (75 °F) in the north. Subtropical or temperate climates, and occasional near-zero temperatures during winter are experienced in regions with higher elevations. The coldest period in the region are the wettest monsoon period in the southern part of the mountain range.[25] Annual rainfall in this region averages 100 cm (39 in) to 900 cm (350 in), with an average rainfall of 250 cm (98 in). The total amount of rain does not depend on the spread of the area; areas in northern Maharashtra receive heavy rainfall followed by long dry spells, while regions closer to the equator receive lower annual rainfall and have rain spells lasting several months in a year.[25]
The Western Ghats region is abiodiversity hotspot.[26][27] It consists of nearly 30% of all the species of flora and fauna found in India, most of which are endemic to this region.[28][29] At least 325 globallythreatened species occur in the Western Ghats.[9]
Other types of ecosystems includedry deciduous forests on the leeward rain shadow region,scrub forests at the foothills,peat bogs, andswamps.[35] Montanegrasslands are found in high altitude locations in the south Western Ghats interspersed withsholas, a unique type of stunted tropical montane forest found in the valleys between the mountains.[36]
Earlier sources indicated about four to five thousand vascular plant species of which nearly one-third was endemic to the region.[37] Later studies and publications have recorded 7,402 species offlowering plants occurring in the Western Ghats of which 5,588 were described as indigenous, 376 are naturalized exotics, and 1,438 species are cultivated or planted.[38] Among the indigenous species, 2,253 species are endemic to India and of them, 1,273 species are exclusively confined to the Western Ghats. 645 tree species were recorded with a high endemic ratio of 56%. There are 850 to 1,000 species ofbryophytes, including 682 species ofmosses (28% endemic) and 280 species ofliverworts (43% endemic), 277 species ofpteridophytes and 949 species oflichens (26.7% endemic).[39]
The Western Ghats are home to thousands of species of fauna, including at least 325 globallythreatened species.[40] As per a 2010 report, following is the distribution of faunal species in the Western Ghats apart from more than 6,000insect species.[35][41]
Seasonal rainfall patterns in the Western Ghats necessitate a period ofdormancy for itsland snails, resulting in their high abundance and diversity, including at least 258 species ofgastropods from 57 genera and 24 families.[70] A total of 77 species offreshwater molluscs (52 gastropods and 25bivalves) have been recorded from the Western Ghats, but the actual number is likely higher.[59] This includes 28 endemics. Among the threatened freshwatermolluscs are themussel speciesPseudomulleria dalyi, which is aGondwanan relict, and the snailCremnoconchus, which is restricted to the spray zone of waterfalls.[59] According to the IUCN, four species of freshwater molluscs are considered endangered and three are vulnerable. An additional 19 species are considered data deficient.[59]
Insects
There are roughly 6,000 insect species.[71] Of the 334Western Ghats butterfly species, 316 species have been reported to occur in theNilgiri Biosphere Reserve.[72] The Western Ghats are home to 174 species ofodonates (107dragonflies and 67damselflies), including 69 endemics.[59] Most of the endemic odonate are closely associated with rivers and streams, while the non-endemics are typicallygeneralists.[59] There are several species ofleeches found all along the Western Ghats.[73]
Historically, the Western Ghats were covered in dense forests. which formed the natural habitat for wildlife along with the nativetribal people. Its inaccessibility made it difficult for people from theplains to cultivate the land and build settlements. After the establishment ofBritish colonial rule in the region, large swathes of territory were cleared for agricultural plantations and timber. The forests in the Western Ghats were severely fragmented due toclear-felling for plantations.[74] The introduction of non-native species threatened the rareendemic species and habitat specialists, which depleted faster than other species.[75] Complex and species-rich habitats like thetropical rainforests are much more adversely affected than other habitats.[76] The primary threats to fauna were not only fromhabitat loss, but also fromoverexploitation, illicitgrazing,mining,poaching, andintroduced species.[59][35]
TheGovernment of India has established manyprotected areas, including twobiosphere reserves, 13national parks to restrict human access, severalwildlife sanctuaries to protect specific endangered species, and manyreserve forests.[77] TheNilgiri Biosphere Reserve, comprising 5,500 km2 (2,100 sq mi) of the forests, forms the largest contiguous protected area in the Western Ghats.[78] In August 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), appointed by the UnionMinistry of Environment and Forests to assess the biodiversity and environmental issues of the Western Ghats, designated the entire region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and assigned three levels of Ecological Sensitivity to its different regions.[79][80] Subsequent committees formed have recommended various suggestions to protect the region.[81] In 2006, India applied to theUNESCOMan and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) for the Western Ghats to be listed as a protectedWorld Heritage Site.[82] In 2012, 39 sites divided into seven clusters across the Western Ghats, were declared as World Heritage Sites.[83][84]
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