Research Team Documents 3,261 Flowering Plant Species in Agasthyamalai Reserve

Gist Researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute JNTBGRI have compiled a comprehensive checklist of flowering plants in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve ABR , documenting thousands of species. The findings reaffirm the Western Ghats' status as a global biodiversity hotspot with remarkably high endemism. For a civil services aspirant, this data underscores the ecological fragility of the region, providing vital factual material on species distribution, endemic orchids, and India's shared biogeographical history with Sri Lanka. Background Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve ABR : Spread across the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu , the ABR is one of four biosphere reserves located in southern India, forming a biologically unique and ecologically fragile landscape within the Western Ghats. The Compiling Body: The checklist was compiled by researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute JNTBGRI based in Thiruvananthapuram . Botanical Significance: The Western Ghats is already recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. This specific research cements the ABR as one of the most significant centres of angiosperm flowering plant diversity in the Indian subcontinent, highlighting the…