Conservation of Myristica swamps - The highly threatened and unique Ecosystem in the WesternGhats, India
Investigators: Bhausaheb Tambat and Ravikanth. G
Location: Central Western Ghats
Duration: 2003 – 2004
Description: Myristica swamps are one of the unique ecosystems in the Western Ghats,
a global mega diversity hot spot in the country. Located in low-lying poorly drained depressions,
these swamps form an extensive network along the watercourses through the primeval forests of the
Western Ghats. However, due to human interventions, the swamps today are highly threatened and fragmented.
Besides, these swamps as their name indicates, are the only sites of occurrence of certain members of
the ancient family Myristicaceae such as Myristica fatua var magnifica and Gymnacranthera canarica.
The vegetation of the swamps is poorly understood. Preliminary studies have shown that many species
endemic to swamps are poor in regeneration. Few of the species have incredibly small population
sizes, which greatly endangers their very existence. It is feared that unless immediate measures
are taken to restore the populations of these species, many would be faced with the prospect of
certain extinction.
The proposal attempts to map the network of swamps in the central Western Ghats and assess the
relative threats. Further, by undertaking inventories and determining the demographic profiles
of the species in the swamps, it is hoped to arrive at plans for restoration and conservation
of the swamps and their species. The study will provide a strong foundation for work related
to the long-term conservation of the genetic resources of the swamps.
Progress: Mapping the distribution of swamps, based on exhaustive field survey
in the central Western Ghats has been carried out. Besides that, we have inventoried 18 swamps
of different size class (size range from 300 m 2 to 10,000 m 2) in Uttara Kannada district. The
swamps have been categorised in to three-size class namely, small (< 500 m 2), medium
(500 to 2000 m 2) and large (>2000 m 2), data on the vegetation has been obtained by laying
10*10 m quadrats. About 200 plants have been inventoried in these swamps. Initial analysis
suggests that small swamps harbour very few species and thus was less diversity on the other
hand larger swamps support greater number of species and were highly diverse. The species
similarity among the set of small, medium and large swamps increased with size, indicating
a set of small swamps harbour greater diversity of species than a set of large swamps.
The team is now involved in assessing the threats to the swamps with their constituent
endemic species, based on their results the team will develop a strategic action plan to
prioritise and conserve the unique and highly threatened ecosystems in the Western Ghats.
Outputs:
- Identify and prioritize the swamps in the central Western Ghats that are highly threatened
and those that could serve as long-term repositories of species endemic to the swamps
- Identify and prioritize the species for restoration and conservation.
- Develop a comprehensive strategy and action plan for the long-term conservation of swamps
and their genetic resources in the central Western Ghats.
Publications
- Ravikanth, G., R. Vasudeva, Ganeshaiah K.N. and Uma Shaanker.R., 2004. Molecular analysis
of Semecarpus kathalekanensis (Anacardiaceae) – a newly described species from the Myristica
swamps of Western Ghats, India. The Indian Forester 130 (1): 101-104.
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