"to preserve some of the ecoregions still undeveloped. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve comprising of the evergreen forests of Nagarahole and deciduous forests of Bandipur in Karnataka, adjoining regions of Wayanad-Mukurthi in Kerala and Mudumalai National Park-Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu forms the largest contiguous protected area in the Western Ghats. Silent Valley in Kerala is among the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India. In August 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) designated the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and assigned three levels of Ecological Sensitivity to its different regions. The Western Ghats"
"metre contour of the Western Ghats. It is bounded on the east by the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests in Maharashtra and Karnataka, and the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests in Kerala. Very little of the natural vegetation of the ecoregion remains; it has largely been cleared for agriculture, grazing, and teak plantations. The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southern India. It covers the southern portion of the Western Ghats range and the Nilgiri Hills between 250 and 1000 metres elevation in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states. ==="
"the Western Ghats. It surrounds the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion, which lies above 1000 metres elevation. The South Western Ghats montane rain forests are an ecoregion of southern India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats range in Karnataka Kerala and Tamil Nadu, at elevations over 1000 meters. They are cooler and wetter than the lower-elevation South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, which surround the montane rain forests. The ecoregion is the most species-rich in peninsular India, and is home to numerous endemic species. It covers an area of . It is estimated that two-thirds of"
"The Western Ghats are home to four tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregions – the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, North Western Ghats montane rain forests, South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, and South Western Ghats montane rain forests. The northern portion of the range is generally drier than the southern portion, and at lower elevations makes up the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests ecoregion, with mostly deciduous forests made up predominantly of teak. Above 1,000 meters elevation are the cooler and wetter North Western Ghats montane rain forests, whose evergreen forests are characterised by trees of"
"that there was no link. In 2006, India applied to the UNESCO MAB for the Western Ghats to be listed as a protected World Heritage Site. The Western Ghats is very important Tropical Rainforest of India. During the monsoon season between June and September, the unbroken Western Ghats chain acts as a barrier to the moisture laden clouds. The range starts near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, south of the River Tapti, and runs approximately through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala ending at Kanyakumari, at the southern tip of India, one of three Biodiversity"
"northwards about 1600 km to the mouth of the river Tapti (21°N). The mountains rise to average altitudes between 900 and 1500 m above sea level, intercepting monsoon winds from the southwest and creating a rain shadow in the region to their East. The varied climate and diverse topography create a wide array of habitats that support unique sets of plant and animal species. Apart from biological diversity, the region boasts of high levels of cultural diversity, as many indigenous people inhabit its forests. The Western Ghats are amongst the 25 biodiversity hot-spots recognized globally. These hills are known for"
"Karian Shola National Park Karian Shola National Park is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, nominated as a national park in 1989. The Western Ghats are a chain of mountains running down the west of India parallel with the coast some inland. They are not true mountains, but the edge of a fault that resulted about 150 million years ago as the subcontinent of India split from Gondwanaland. They are older than the Himalayan mountain range and are clothed in ancient forests. They influence the weather in India as they intercept the incoming monsoon storm systems. The greatest"
"the original forests have been cleared, and only 3,200 square kilometres, or 13% of the intact area, is protected. The southern portion of the Western Ghats contains the highest peaks in the range, notably Anai Mudi in Kerala, at 2695 meters elevation. The Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon winds off the Arabian Sea, and the average annual precipitation exceeds 2,800 mm. The northeast monsoon from October to November supplements the June to September southwest monsoon. The South Western Ghats are the wettest portion of peninsular India, and are surrounded by drier ecoregions to the east and north. The cool and"
"ecoregions cover portions of the Nilgiris. The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests lie between 250 and 1000 metres' elevation. These forests extend south along the Western Ghats range to the southern tip of India, and are dominated by a diverse assemblage of trees, many of them deciduous during the winter and spring dry season. These forests are home to the largest herd of Asian elephants in India, who range from the Nilgiris across towards the Eastern Ghats. The Nilgiris and the Southwestern Ghats are also one of the most important tiger habitats left in India. The South Western Ghats"
"high mountains between 1200m-2000m which is floristically and faunistically similar to the Nilgiri Hills. The tallest peak in this range is called Vavul Mala. At an altitude of 7677 foot high(2339m), it is the tallest of the Western Ghats to the north of Nilgiri Hills. Vellarimala Vellarimala Hills (Malayalam: വെളളരിമല)is a mountain range in Kerala, India, spread across Thiruvambady Panchayat in Kozhikode district and Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad district. Vellarimala forms a part of a high hill range of what is otherwise known as Camel's Hump Mountains, a part of the Western Ghats. Most of the hill range falls in"
"rainfall occurs between June and September during the southwest monsoon, with lesser amounts falling in the northeast monsoon between October and November. The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered to be one of the eight most important ""hotspots"" of biological diversity in the world. The Karian Shola National Park is located at the southern end of the Western Ghats, in the Anaimalai Hills. The geographical coordinates of the park are latitude 10°13.2' to 10°33.3´N, and longitude 76°49.3' to 77°21.4' E. The Western Ghats became a World Heritage Site in 2012. In the Anamalai sub-cluster in"
"Western Ghats World Heritage site. The Sanctuary and the Palni Hills in Dindigul District form the Anaimalai Conservation Area. The sanctuary has six administrative ranges; Pollachi: A southern suburban town of Coimbatore, it has Range Headquarters at Anaimalai Farm: Valparai: Water Falls: , Ulandy Top Slip: , Amaravathi: Amaravathi Nagar: and Udumalpet: . IGWLS is adjacent to Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary to the west. The core area of Manjampatti Valley is a ± drainage basin at the eastern end of the park. Manjampatti Valley is contiguous with Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to the south and the proposed Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and"
"Chembra Peak Chembra Peak (Chembra Mala) is one of the highest peak in the Western Ghats and the highest peak in Wayanad hills, at above sea level. Chembra is located near the town of Meppadi and is south of Kalpetta. It is part of the Wayanad hill ranges in Western Ghats, adjoining the Nilgiri Hills and Vellarimala in Kozhikode district in Kerala. It is the highest and the largest peak in Western Ghats of India in between Nilgiris and Himalayas exceeding 2,000m . Visits to this peak organized by 'the Chempra Peak VSS' under the control of South Wayanad Forest"
"about 10% in Western Ghats. Except in developed areas of certain river valleys, double-cropping is rare. Rice is the predominant crop in high-rainfall areas and sorghum in low-rainfall areas. Other crops of significance include cotton, tobacco, oilseeds, and sugar cane. Coffee, tea, coconuts, areca, pepper, rubber, cashew nuts, tapioca, and cardamom are widely grown on plantations in the Nilgiri Hills and on the western slopes of the Western Ghats. Cultivation of Jatropha has recently received more attention due to the Jatropha incentives in India. Deccan Plateau The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in western and southern India. It rises"
". The Western Ghats mountain chain is recognised as one of the world's eight ""hottest hotspots"" of biological diversity and is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The chain's forests, are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains. Kerala's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region, and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. The state's largest lake Vembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about in area. Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala. Kerala's"
"geographic features of South India. The Western Ghats, along the western coast, mark another boundary of the plateau. The narrow strip of verdant land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is the Konkan region; the term encompasses the area south of the Narmada as far as Coastal Karnataka. The Western Ghats continue south, forming the Malnad (Canara) region along the Karnataka coast, and terminate at the Nilgiri mountains, an inward (easterly) extension of the Western Ghats. The Nilgiris run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka, encompassing the Palakkad and"
"resulting from its varied climates and geography. Deciduous forests are found along the Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior Deccan plateau. The southern Western Ghats have rainforests located at high altitudes called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests and the Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains. The Western Ghats is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Important ecological regions of South India are the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, located at the conjunction of the borders of Karnataka, Kerala"
"Elivai Malai Elivai Mala (ഏലിവ മല) is a peak in the Western Ghats of South India. The mountain lies in (Mannarkad taluk) Palakkad district of Kerala, close to the border with Tamil Nadu. With a topographic prominence of 1,540 metres it is one of the ultra prominent peaks of South Asia. It forms the highest point in the Western Ghats to the immediate north of the Palakkad Gap. It is the highest peak in between Anamalai Hills and Nilgiri Hills in Western Ghats. It is situated approximately 5 kilometres to the south of Siruvani Dam and reservoir. There are a"
"of the Western Ghats. The more humid Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests lie to the northeast and east, while the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests lie across the Satpuras to the northwest. The Godavari River crosses the ecoregion from its source in the Western Ghats and indeed most of the rivers on the plateau drain east towards the Bay of Bengal, with the exception of the Tapti River in the northwestern corner of the plateau, which drains westward into the Arabian Sea. This is a highly populated area and most of the natural forest in the ecoregion has been cleared"
"much of the moisture back into the air via transpiration, allowing it to later condense and fall again as rain. The northern portion of the narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan, the central portion is called Kanara and the southern portion is called Malabar. The foothill region east of the Ghats in Maharashtra is known as Desh, while the eastern foothills of the central Karnataka state is known as Malenadu. The range is known as ""Sahyadri"" in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Western Ghats meets the Eastern Ghats at Nilgiris in"
"Western Coastal Plains The west coast of India and the Western Ghats hills, which starts near the south of the Tapi River. The plains are located between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The plains begin at Gujarat in the north and end at Kerala in the south. It includes the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The region consists of three sections: the Northern part of the coast is called the Konkan (Mumbai-Goa), the central stretch is called the Kanara, while the southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar Coast. On its northern side there are two"
"both the Western Ghat and the Eastern Ghat mountain ranges which both meet at the Nilgiri hills. The Western Ghats dominate the entire western border with Kerala, effectively blocking much of the rain bearing clouds of the South West Monsoon from entering the state. The eastern parts are fertile coastal plains. The northern parts are a mix of hills and plains. The central and the south-central regions are arid plains. Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about which is the country’s second longest coastline. Tamil Nadu's coastline bore the brunt of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami when it hit India,"
"ideal for major cash crops like rubber, tea, cardamom and other spices. Timber trees like teak and rosewood are grown in this region. The Ghats maintain an average elevation of . The part Agasthyarkoodam, which is the second-highest peak in the Western Ghats ( above sea level), lies in the district. The forests in the tail end of Western Ghats form the most diverse and unknown ecosystem in Peninsular India. The midland region lying between the Western Ghats and lowlands is made up of small and tiny hills and valleys. This is an area of intense agricultural activities. This region"
"ranges which define the northern spur of the Deccan plateau. The Western Ghats run parallel along the western coast and the narrow strip of land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea forms the Konkan region. The Western Ghats continue south until Kanyakumari. The Eastern Ghats run parallel along the eastern coast and the strip of land between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal forms the Coromandel region. Both the ranges meet at the Nilgiri mountains. The Nilgiris run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka, encompassing the Palakkad"
"species of festooning climber, shrubs, valuable herbs, variety of orchids, two types of canes and many indigenous palms and cycads. The important timbers are teak, rosewood, vengai. Various types of forest products like bamboos, reeds, canes, soft wood tamarind, lemon grass, rubber, coconut, areca nut, kadukkai, cinnamon bark, nelli, cardamom, mango, lemon varieties, jack fruit, and many medicinal plants of high value which are harvested here. The mountain range is near the end point of Western Ghats. From tourism angle, the forest are highly enhancing with pleasant sholas, hill top forests, beautiful grasslands, panoramic valleys, top hillocks, singing streams, vast"
"Ghat Roads Ghat Roads are access routes into the mountainous Western and Eastern Ghats mountain ranges of the Indian Subcontinent. These roads are remarkable feats of engineering and most date back to British times. Ghat roads were built to connect to the famous Hill Stations and also to connect coastal (sea side) areas with upper region Deccan plateau of the Indian Subcontinent. There are many roads in India which can be classed as Ghat Roads. The Ghat roads between Tirupati and Tirumala to pilgrim Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. They are in Seshachalam Hills range in Pūrva Ghaṭ The Western Ghat lies"
"Anaimalai Hills The Anamala or Anaimalai Hills, also known as the Elephant Mountains, are the range of mountains that form the southern portion of the Western Ghats and span the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in Southern India. The name ""animala"" is derived from the Tamil/Malayalam words ""ana"" or ""anai"", meaning elephant, and ""mala"" or ""malai"", meaning hill — thus Elephant Hill. Anamudi Peak (8,842 feet [2,695 metres]) lies at the extreme southwestern end of the range and is the highest peak in southern India. Palakkad Gap divides the Western Ghats to the north. The lower slopes of the"
"Zarghun Ghar Zarghun Ghar (, lit. ""Green Mountain""), or Zarghoon Mountains, is a mountain range located in the east of Quetta District, in Balochistan Province, western Pakistan. The Zarghun Ghar range's highest peak is Loy Saar Naikan, at 3,578 meters (11738. ft), while the second highest peak is Kuchnai Saar, at 3,404 meters (11,170. ft). At , The ""Loy Saar Naikan"" of the Zarghun Ghar mountain range is the highest peak of Baluchistan. The base of the Zarghoon Ghar up to Ziarat is densely covered by Pashtun Juniper (""Juniperus macropoda"") trees, a forest of about 200,000 acres (810 km2). The"
"deep-cut valleys. The wildest lands are covered with dense forests, while other regions lie under tea and coffee plantations (established mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries) or other forms of cultivation. The Western Ghats rise on average to 1500 m elevation above sea level. Some of the popular hill stations in the region are Munnar, Vagamon, Paithalmala, Wayanad, Nelliyampathi, Elapeedika, Peermade, Thekkady and Ponmudi. Most of Kerala, whose native habitat consists of wet evergreen rainforests at lower elevations and highland deciduous and semi-evergreen forests in the east, is subject to a humid tropical climate. However, significant variations in terrain"
"Western Ghats in India it grows up to altitudes of , while in Sri Lanka up to . It is national tree of Sri Lanka and state flower of Tripura and Mizoram. The tree can grow over tall, often buttressed at the base with a trunk up to in diameter. The bark of younger trees has an ash grey color with flaky peelings, while of old trees the bark is dark ash-grey with a red-brown blaze. It has simple, opposite, narrow, oblong to lanceolate, blue-grey to dark green leaves that are long and wide, with a whitish underside. The emerging"
"the foreign fighters' incursion into Pakistan. Spīn Ghar Spīn Ghar (), ""white mountain"", also known as Safēd Kōh (Persian/Urdu: ), Speen Ghar, or the Indian Caucasus as late as the 19th century, and as the Morga Range, is a mountain range in eastern Afghanistan, which expands into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is situated in the East of 'Dra Khebar'. Its highest peak, straight and rigid Mount Sikaram, towers above all surrounding hills to above mean sea level. The Kabul River cuts a narrow trough through the Spīn Ghar mountains to flow eastward into the Indus River; otherwise, the range connects"
"Malshej Ghat Malshej Ghat (माळशेज घाट) is a mountain pass in the Western Ghats range in the Thane-Pune Road of Maharashtra, India. The site is nestled in the lofty rugged hills of the Western Ghats. The site is home to hundreds of different kinds of flora and fauna especially the avian population such as quails, rails, crakes, flamingos and cuckoos. Malshej ghat, with average height of 700 m is situated in Pune district near the borders of Thane and Ahmednagar districts. It is at a distance of 130 km north of Pune and 154 km from Mumbai towards northeast. The"
"Balaghat Range Balaghat Range is series of hills in the Maharashtra state of India. Balaghat district is in Madhya Pradesh state of India but Balaghat range is in the state of Maharashtra. Balaghat Range starts from Western Ghats at the Harishchandra Range to the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka states. It extends about 320 kilometers. Balaghat range spread in Ahmednagar, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad and Solapur districts of Maharashtra. Balaghat Range has width between five and nine kilometers. Balaghat hills of west have elevation of 550–825 meters which are much higher than east. These hills are with flat tops. Balaghat range"