CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR THE WESTERN GHATS OF KERALA - I - A GIS APPROACH FOR LOCATION OF BIODIVERSITY HOT-SPOTS

For the state of Kerala, we have attempted to identify potential areas for conservation by integrating several map themes, ranging from vege tation types, landuse/landcover, endemic plant and bird and larger mam mal distribution and abundance, We also investigate the relationships between forest fragmentation and density of large mammals over the ent ire state. It is shown that there is a significant effect of shape of patches of evergreen forest on the lion-tailed macaque population, We conclude with an agenda and an action plan for biodiversity conservati on planning for the Western Ghats of Kerala.