Reconciliation ecology in the Western Ghats: identifying potential sites and mechanisms for establishing informal conservation networks

As it is one of the most densely populated biodiversity hotspots on earth, there is limited scope for expansion of the formal protected area network in the Western Ghats. Such a situation necessitates the development of innovative mechanisms for maximising and maintaining biological diversity in human-dominated landscapes in the region. Deriving from the concepts and principles of reconciliation ecology, socio-ecological inquiry and policy analyses, we aim to develop a reconciliation framework for developing informal conservation networks with landowners in the Periyar-Agasthyamalai Corridor of the southern Western Ghats. 

The principles of reconciliation ecology rests on the premise that when isolated reserves are the only habitats that are protected, the projected loss of species in areas that are completely unprotected can show a linear relationship with the loss in area over the long term. Reconciliatory landscapes, on the other hand, have the potential to maintain considerably high levels of species diversity, acting as refuges and buffers for a variety of species, and playing a key role in long term persistence. In addition these landscapes play a crucial role in the maintenance of key ecosystem services such as pollination for crops and maintenance of watersheds. In the Western Ghats, these aspects have been explored for a number of habitat types and certain habitat types such as cardamom and coffee plantations with native canopies have already been identified as integral to biodiversity conservation. Although privately owned, most of these areas have a high degree of vegetation cover and are host a variety of taxa including mammals and birds. For lesser taxa, these habitats hold nearly as much importance as the surrounding reserve forests. However, in addition to ecological values, and in spite of the call for reconciliation, the integration with socio-cultural aspects and policy has not been attempted so far and the actual identification and prioritisation of reconciliatory landscapes are yet to be carried out. This project is an attempt at a pilot exercise prioritising conservation areas using ecological, socio-cultural and policy level filters.

This project aims to address potential conservation mechanisms relating to the development of the Periyar-Agasthyamalai corridor, a landscape which has been identified as a critical linking region by a number of conservation assessments. In addition to forest patches, the landscape is characterised by extensive plantations of cash crops. As a pilot attempt for a large-scale exercise in the Western Ghats, the primary outcome of this project will be the identification of a network of sites that are suitable for long-term conservation for reconciliation as well as a list of recommendations that can be applied to similar modified habitats. Other outcomes include a review of ecological work relating to species diversity and habitat modification as well as a review of policies governing land use. As a region that has high levels of literacy and environmental consciousness, a template for awareness generation in the study area will also be developed during the latter part of the project that will report specific research findings as well as explain concepts of conservation that are crucial to the maintenance of biodiversity in the region.

Investigators: Meera Anna Oommen