Which of the following regions of our country are known for their rich biodiversity?

Options

(a) Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas
(b) Western Ghats and Deccan plateau
(c) Eastern Himalayas and Gangetic plane
(d) Trans Himalayas and Deccan peninsula

Correct Answer:

Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas

Explanation:

Hotspots are those regions of rich biodiversity which have been declared sensitive due to direct or indirect interference of human activities. Norman Myers was the first to develop hotspots concept in 1988 to designate priority areas for in situ conservation. The two main criteria for determining a hotspots are – number of endemic species, and degrees of threat in terms of habitat loss. Twenty five terrestrial hotspots have been identified throughout the world. Of these, three are located in India and neighbouring countries. These three hotspots are Western Ghats, Indo-Burma region and the Eastern Himalayas. Western ghats occur along the western coast of India extending for almost 1600 km through Maharastra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to Srilanka and are regarded as Cradle of speciation.