Speaker : Diane Bouchet, Université Pierre & Marie Curie, Paris 6, France
Abstract: Levels of vegetal endemism in the Western Ghats are particularly high. This bioregion, which is also rich in terms of non endemic animal and vegetal species, is unfortunately under constant threat due to human pressure. Given that the endemism gives information about the species that are only encountered in the area of interest, it has been proposed to be an index that could be used in order to set conservation priorities.
The aim of this study is to link the observed distribution of endemism within the Ghats with spatially explicit ecological factors (such as the climate, altitude, soil type, vegetation type or faunal data) in order to better understand the observed pattern of endemism in the Western Ghats and to predict areas more likely to contain large numbers of total species. Those predicted areas, based on the features associated with high endemism rates, will be compared to existing protected areas and we will then highlight places in an urgent need for conservation plans.
My presentation will first review the notion of endemism and the interest of taking it into account for setting conservation plans; it will then focus on the data and the methods used for this analysis. The expected results and future applications will finally be expounded.
Organisers : Department of Ecology, French Institute of Pondicherry.
Venue : Jawaharlal Nehru Conference Hall, French Institute of Pondicherry, 11, Saint Louis Street, Pondicherry - 605 001.