Core members of the Western Ghats Plant Specialists Group (WGPSG) – Dr. Aparna Watve (Red List Assessment Coordinator) and Anita Varghese (Chair of the group; Director-Keystone) recently met at Keystone Foundation. The WGPSG group was formed with the objective to assess the present restraints concerning endemic plant species in the Western Ghats region.
Along with the Biodiversity & Restoration team of Keystone, visits were made to different parts of the Nilgiris. Through planned assessments over a period, the group envisages understanding how endemic plants are threatened with habitat loss, degradation and expanding growth of invasive species in the Western Ghats.
Through this approach, they intend to include threatened endemic species in the IUCN redlist – which could help formalize conservation approaches at the policy level. The findings through the assessment will also help construct outreach and education materials to raise awareness locally.
