New checklist by Keralam research team records 3,261 flowering plant species in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
Compilation by team from Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute seeks to reaffirm global significance of Western Ghats as a biodiversity hotspot and need for focused, region-specific strategies for protecting it
A comprehensive checklist of flowering plants in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR) in Keralam, India, has been compiled by a research team from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI). The checklist records 3,261 species, 26 subspecies, and 28 varieties belonging to 1,139 genera and 190 families.
The research team found a high level of endemism, with 1,018 taxa (31.2%) endemic to India, including 245 steno-endemic taxa confined to specialized habitats. The ABR is home to 347 taxa sharing biogeographic affinity with Sri Lanka. The checklist also highlights 102 taxa with affinity to tropical American flora, indicating long-distance dispersal events or human introduction.
The research team recommends targeted conservation strategies to protect the ABR's unique flora threatened by anthropogenic pressures and habitat change.
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