Hey there, folks! Exciting news coming out of Pune today as researchers from IISER Pune have made a fascinating discovery about vegetation in the Western Ghats. In a recent study, they found that the direction of slopes plays a significant role in the tree cover and canopy height in protected areas along the Western Ghats.
PhD student Devi Maheshwori and faculty member Dr. Shreyas Managave, along with collaborators Dr. Girish Jathar and GIS Consultant Sham Davande, discovered that north-facing slopes have higher tree cover and taller canopy height compared to south-facing slopes. Similarly, west-facing slopes also have more tree cover and taller canopies than east-facing slopes.
The study revealed that northwest-facing slopes tend to have the highest tree cover and tallest canopy height, while southeast-facing slopes have the lowest. These differences were found to be more pronounced on steeper slopes, highlighting the impact of slope direction on vegetation distribution.
Dr. Shreyas Managave emphasized the importance of understanding these factors for conservation and afforestation efforts in the Western Ghats. The research, funded by SERB, DST, Government of India, sheds light on the influence of slope direction on tree growth in the region.
So next time you’re planning a biodiversity assessment or looking to increase tree cover in the Western Ghats, don’t forget to consider the direction of the slopes. This study underscores the significance of slope aspect in shaping landscape-scale tree structure in this biodiverse region.
For more details, check out the research paper titled “Monsoonal climate and asymmetric heating facilitate the slope-aspect to influence landscape-scale tree structure in the Western Ghats, India” published in Environmental Research Communications. And kudos to the team at IISER Pune for their groundbreaking work in understanding and protecting the unique ecosystems of the Western Ghats. Keep up the great work!
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