{"id":48698,"date":"2025-07-19T19:12:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T13:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=48698"},"modified":"2025-07-29T12:29:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T06:59:03","slug":"kerala-india-top-biodiversity-discovery-hotspot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-07-2025\/kerala-india-top-biodiversity-discovery-hotspot","title":{"rendered":"Kerala: As India\u2019s Top Biodiversity Discovery Hotspot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong><strong>: GS3\/Environment &amp; Biodiversity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kerala has claimed the top spot as the country\u2019s leading state for new faunal discoveries, in a record-breaking year for India\u2019s biodiversity documentation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Findings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the \u2018<strong>Animal Discoveries: New Species and New Records 2024 Report\u2019<\/strong> by the <strong>Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)<\/strong>, 683 species and subspecies were discovered across India in 2024 <strong>(641 in 2023)<\/strong>.<ul><li>It is the <strong>highest ever<\/strong> in a single year since formal documentation began in 2008.<\/li><\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Of these, <strong>459 are globally new<\/strong>, while <strong>224 are new records for India<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kerala accounted for 101 species <\/strong>\u2014 including 80 new to science and 21 newly recorded in India, followed by <strong>Karnataka (82), Arunachal Pradesh (72), and Tamil Nadu (63).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Arunachal Pradesh<\/strong> documented 72 discoveries, <strong>Meghalaya<\/strong> followed with 42, while <strong>West Bengal <\/strong>registered 56.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Andaman and Nicobar Islands<\/strong>, long regarded as a cradle of endemic wildlife, contributed 43 new faunal entries to the national register, including 14 new species and 29 new records.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other Notable Discoveries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>Snake Species<\/strong> from <strong>Himachal Pradesh<\/strong> named <strong>Anguiculus Dicaprioi<\/strong>, honoring actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio for his advocacy on climate and biodiversity issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other<strong> Herpetological highlights<\/strong> include two new genera; 37 reptilian species; and Five amphibians, including one representing a new genus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Botanical (Flora)&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Botanical Survey of India (BSI) <\/strong>reported 433 new plant taxa, with<strong> Kerala again leading <\/strong>the count at 58 discoveries. These include 154 angiosperms; 63 lichens; 156 fungi; 32 algae; and 9 microbial species.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s total documented plant species now stands at 56,177, reinforcing its status as a global biodiversity treasure trove.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Does Kerala Stand Out?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kerala\u2019s rich ecosystems \u2014 ranging from the Western Ghats to coastal wetlands and tropical rainforests \u2014 make it a prime location for biodiversity research. The state\u2019s success is attributed to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Targeted field surveys;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advanced molecular techniques like DNA barcoding;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Systematic taxonomy efforts by ZSI scientists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Biodiversity Hotspots in India<\/strong><br>&#8211; India, one of the world\u2019s 17 megadiverse countries, is home to <strong>four globally recognized biodiversity hotspots<\/strong>, each teeming with <strong>endemic species<\/strong> and facing <strong>significant ecological threats.<\/strong><br>&#8211; This concept, introduced by <strong>Norman Myers<\/strong> and refined by <strong>Conservation International<\/strong>, identifies areas of high conservation priority due to their rich biodiversity and vulnerability. These require a region to have:<br>1. At least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species;<br>2. Lost 70% or more of its original natural vegetation;<br><strong>Four Biodiversity Hotspots in India<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Himalayas:<\/strong> Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam<br>1. Snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan tahr, rhododendron forests<br>&#8211; <strong>Indo-Burma:<\/strong> Northeast India (excluding Sikkim), Andaman Islands<br>1. Hoolock gibbon, golden langur, clouded leopard, orchids<br>&#8211; <strong>Western Ghats: <\/strong>Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat<br>1. Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Malabar civet<br>&#8211; <strong>Sundaland: <\/strong>Nicobar Islands<br>1. Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodile, coral reefs<br><strong>Why Do These Hotspots Matter?<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>High Endemism:<\/strong> These regions host species found nowhere else on Earth.<br>&#8211; <strong>Ecological Services:<\/strong> They regulate water cycles, prevent soil erosion, and buffer climate extremes.<br>&#8211; <strong>Cultural Significance:<\/strong> Indigenous communities rely on these ecosystems for livelihood and heritage.<br>&#8211; <strong>Global Conservation Priority:<\/strong> Despite covering just 2.3% of Earth\u2019s land, hotspots support over 50% of endemic plant species.<br><strong>Threats to India\u2019s Biodiversity Hotspots<\/strong><br>&#8211; Deforestation &amp; Habitat Fragmentation;<br>&#8211; Climate Change &amp; Glacial Retreat;<br>&#8211; Poaching &amp; Illegal Wildlife Trade;<br>&#8211; Infrastructure Development &amp; Mining;<br>&#8211; Invasive Species &amp; Agricultural Expansion<br><strong>Conservation Efforts<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Protected Areas:<\/strong> National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Biosphere Reserves<br>&#8211; <strong>Legislation:<\/strong> Wildlife Protection Act (1972), Biological Diversity Act (2002)<br>&#8211; <strong>Community-Based Conservation:<\/strong> Sacred Groves, Joint Forest Management<br>&#8211; <strong>Global Commitments:<\/strong> Convention on Biological Diversity, SDG 15 (Life on Land)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/wildlife-biodiversity\/kerala-emerges-as-indias-top-biodiversity-discovery-hotspot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: DTE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Kerala has claimed the top spot as the country\u2019s leading state for new faunal discoveries, in a record-breaking year for India\u2019s biodiversity documentation.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Other Notable Discoveries<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">A Snake Species from Himachal Pradesh named Anguiculus Dicaprioi, honoring actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio for his advocacy on climate and biodiversity issues.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Other Herpetological highlights include two new genera; 37 reptilian species; and Five amphibians, including one representing a new genus.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-07-2025\/kerala-india-top-biodiversity-discovery-hotspot\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48698"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48734,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48698\/revisions\/48734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}