New checklist maps over 3,200 flowering plant species in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

Researchers have documented 3,261 species, 26 sub-species and 28 varieties of flowering plants in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. Scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute compiled this new checklist, which has been published in Plant Science Today.

Plant Families And Endemism

The plants belong to 1,139 genera and 190 families. Fabaceae is the most species-rich family with 349 taxa, followed by Rubiaceae with 194, Poaceae with 193 and Orchidaceae with 168. The reserve shows a high level of plant endemism with 1,018 taxa restricted to India, including 245 steno-endemic taxa found only in specific habitats. The flora also shares strong links with Sri Lanka, with both regions having 347 shared taxa, alongside 102 taxa that show ties to tropical American plants.

Conservation And Background

The checklist aims to clear up past inconsistencies in plant names and records while highlighting the reserve's global importance. The research team notes that human pressures, habitat fragmentation and climate change threaten many species in the area, and they have called for targeted conservation plans, ecological restoration and community-based protection efforts.