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13/12/20 10:20 AM IST

Bringing life back to Western Ghats grasslands

Context
  • Tropical montane grasslands (TMG) in the Shola Sky Islands of the Western Ghats have suffered big reductions due to invasions by exotic trees such as acacias, pines and eucalyptus, shrinking the range sizes of endemic species, including plants, birds, amphibians and mammals.
  • Some populations are being driven to local extinction.
  • In the Western Ghats, 23% of montane grasslands were reportedly converted into invasive exotic tree cover over a period of 44 years. 
In news

Researchers have now identified areas suitable for grassland restoration and conservation to reverse the decline.

Area of focus
  • Identifying grassland restoration sites using satellite images with a high spatial resolution (RapidEye)
  • And have recommended careful removal of young and isolated exotic trees at the invasion front and restoring grasslands, instead of removing dense stands of mature exotic trees.
  • Attempts to manage invasive exotic trees in montane grasslands incorporated approaches that include prevention and mechanical, chemical and biological control.
Areas located for restoration
  • Most of the areas suitable for montane grassland restoration were located in the Nilgiris (126 sq km), followed by the Palani Hills (73 sq km), and the Anamalai (55 sq km)
  • The largest areas for grassland restoration were in reserve forests (87 sq km), followed by wildlife sanctuaries (60 sq km) and national parks.
Source: The Hindu

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