Conservation scientists have proposed the creation of amphibian reserves in various parts of the country especially the Western Ghats that is known to have a right rate of endemism.
The suggestion has been put forth in the wake of a global study that estimated nearly half of the amphibian population to be threatened.
A recent study based on the second global amphibian assessment undertaken by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Amphibian Red List Authority found roughly 41% of amphibian species worldwide to be facing the threat of gradual extinction.
The findings presented a bleak scenario for India where 139 of the 426 assessed amphibian species stared at a similar fate. These include 16 ‘critically endangered’, 72 ‘endangered’ and 51 ‘vulnerable’ species.
The research also identified Western Ghats, spread across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, among the hotspots having the greatest concentration of threatened species. Among the three States, Kerala is home to the highest number of species.
Scientists cite habitat loss caused through changes in land use patterns as a major driver of such deterioration in India.
“The clearance of natural forest, especially in the Western Ghats is by far the biggest threat to the survival of threatened amphibian species in the country. On top of this, climate change is a growing threat. New amphibian reserves will have to be established urgently, particularly in Western Ghats,” Stuart Simon, a co-author of the study and former Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, told The Hindu in an email interview.
Noted amphibian biologist S.D. Biju, another co-author and Professor at the University of Delhi, has said there is a marked absence of national-level conservation programmes for the most threatened animal group similar to those implemented for tigers and elephants.
“India is a global biodiversity hotspot and a major centre for amphibian diversity and endemism. The overall understanding and status of amphibians in India hold important implications on the livelihood of amphibians worldwide. This is because over 70% of Indian amphibians are endemic to the country. This also means that if these species go extinct, they will vanish altogether from the surface of the Earth.
The study also brought reason to cheer as it attributed effective habitat protection and management steps in regions including Western Ghats, Costa Rica and Sabah in Malaysia for the improvements in status of 120 species, moving them to ‘less-threatened’ Red List categories.
