Biodiversity Degradation in the Western Ghats

Photo: Prasad

Abstract: Land use changes related to agriculture and other developmental activities along with intensive harvesting of non timber forest products have led to loss of forests, grasslands and biodiversity in the Western Ghats. Although some of these activities contribute significantly to local household incomes, non sustainable resource extraction can be deleterious.

The author is the Dean, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry.