Environmental Science/Climate Change & Mitigation

Biodiversity Hotspots of the World

Biodiversity Hotspot of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Editor: T. Pullaiah, PhD

Biodiversity Hotspot of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

Published. Available now.
Pub Date: February 2024
Hardback Price: see ordering info
Hard ISBN: 9781774913758
E-Book ISBN: 9781003408758
Pages: 652pp w/index
Binding Type: Hardback/ ebook
Series: Biodiversity Hotspots of the World
Notes: 133 color and 5 b/w illustrations

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the first volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which will highlight the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that were designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure.

The concise volumes in this series focus on the most interesting and important properties of these hotspots, covering physiography and climatology, vegetation and forest types, amphibian and reptile biodiversity, genetic diversity of crops and plants, fishes, butterflies and insects, birds, mammals, angiosperms and gymnosperms, and much more. And of course, the unique threats and conservation efforts for the area are addressed as well.

This first volume focuses on the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, construed as forming a community of species because of their shared biogeographical history. The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka Hotspot is extraordinarily rich in species, especially plants that are found nowhere else. However, its forests face tremendous population pressure and have been dramatically impacted by demands for timber and agricultural land. The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka hotspot are rich with over 5,000 flowering plants, 139 mammals, 508 birds, and 179 amphibian species. And over 300 of these species are globally threatened.

These volumes will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution as the series concisely records the existing biodiversity of these biodiversity hotspots of the world.

CONTENTS:
Preface

1. Biodiversity Hotspots
T. Pullaiah

2. Physiography and Climatology of the Western Ghats
S. Karuppusamy

3. Vegetation and Forest Types of the Western Ghats
S. Karuppusamy

4. Bacterial Diversity of the Western Ghats as a Rich Source for Biotechnological Applications
M. Arun Padmakumar and Kesavan Madhavan Nampoothiri

5. Diversity of Cyanobacteria in the Western Ghats
Kodandoor Sharathchandra and Kandikere R. Sridhar

6. Lichen-Forming and Lichenicolous Fungi of the Western Ghats
Sanjeeva Nayaka and Biju Haridas

7. Bryophytes of the Western Ghats: A Gentle Look into the Distribution Pattern
C. N. Manju, K. P. Rajesh, K. M. Manjula, B. Mufeed, and V. K. Chandini

8. Pteridophytes of the Western Ghats of India: A Look into the Patterns
K. P. Rajesh

9. Spermatophytes of the Western Ghats
S. Karuppusamy

10. Genetic Diversity of Crop Plants of the Western Ghats
Maya Peringottillam and Alagu Manickavelu

11. Plant Biodiversity of Silent Valley, Core Zone of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, Kerala
R. Balaji, M. V. Anju, R. Prasanna, R. Kuralarasan, S. Arun Kumar, and C. Kunhikannan

12. Status of Ichthyofauna in the Western Ghats
Ramakrishna

13. Status of Amphibian Diversity in the Western Ghats
Ramakrishna, P. Deepak, and K. P. Dinesh

14. Status of Reptiles of the Western Ghats
Ramakrishna

15. Butterflies as Ecosystem Engineers in the Western Ghats: A Brief Review with a Systems Perspective
Paulraj Selva Singh Richard, Hopeland P., Umesh Pavukandy, and Nithya Basith

16. Status of Avian Diversity in the Western Ghats
Ramakrishna

17. Status of Mammals in the Western Ghats
Ramakrishna

18. Phytoplankton Diversity of the Western Ghats, India
Seetharamaiah Thippeswamy

19. Zooplankton Diversity in the Western Ghats
Ramakrishna

20. Prudent Management of Protected Areas in India through a Virtual Spatial Decision Support System
Ramachandra T. V. and Bharath Setturu

21. Factors Affecting Diversity and Distribution of Animals in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot
Ramakrishna, K. P. Dinesh, and P. Deepak

22. Spatial Conservation Prioritization of Landscapes in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats
K. V. Satish, S. Vazeed Pasha, and C. Sudhakar Reddy

23. Physiography, Climate, and Historical Biogeography of Sri Lanka in Making a Biodiversity Hotspot
Sandun J. Perera and R. H. S. Suranjan Fernando

24. Overview of Sri Lankan Fungi and Lichen Research
Mahesh C. A. Galappaththi, Samantha C. Karunarathna, Chandrika M. Nanayakkara, Steven L. Stephenson, Lucas Dauner, Nalin Wijayawardene, and Udeni Jayalal

25. Angiosperms and Gymnosperms of Sri Lanka
Sudheera M. W. Ranwala

26. Sri Lankan Insects with an Overview of Diversity and Biogeography
Amila P. Sumanapala

27. Diversity of Honeybees in Sri Lanka
R. W. K. Punchihewa

28. Status of Freshwater Fishes of Sri Lanka
Smpath De Alwis Goonatilake

29. Diversity of Amphibians of Sri Lanka
Peter Janzen

30. Diversity, Distribution and Biogeography of Sri Lankan Birds
Salindra K. Dayananda, Sandun J. Perera, Sampath S. Senevirathne, and Sarath W. Kotagama

31. Threats and Conservation of Biodiversity in Sri Lanka
Sudheera M. W. Ranwala

Index


About the Authors / Editors:
Editor: T. Pullaiah, PhD
Former Professor, Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India

T. Pullaiah, PhD, is a former Professor in the Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he has taught for more than 35 years. He has held several positions at the university, including Dean, Faculty of Biosciences; Head of the Department of Botany; Head of the Department of Biotechnology; and member of the Academic Senate. He was President of the Indian Botanical Society (2014), President of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (2013), and Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. Under his guidance, over 50 students obtained their doctoral degrees. He has authored over 70 books, edited over 40 books, and published over 340 research papers, including reviews and book chapters. His books include Redsanders: Silviculture and Conservation (Springer), Genetically Modified Crops (Springer), Sandalwood: Silviculture, Conservation and Applications (Springer), Advances in Cell and Molecular Diagnostics (Elsevier), Camptothecin and Camptothecin Producing Plants (Elsevier), Paclitaxel (Elsevier), Monograph on Brachystelma and Ceropegia in India (CRC Press), Ethnobotany of India (5 volumes, Apple Academic Press), Global Biodiversity (4 volumes, Apple Academic Press) and Invasive Alien Species (4 volumes, Wiley Blackwell). He was also a member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Professor Pullaiah received his PhD from Andhra University, India, attended Moscow State University, Russia, and worked as Post-Doctoral Fellow during 1976-1978.




Follow us for the latest from Apple Academic Press:
Copyright © 2024 Apple Academic Press Inc. All Rights Reserved.