Restoring degraded riparian forest ecosystems of the Western Ghats for ecological sustainability

The riparian ecosystems of the Western Ghats are highly diversified tropical forest ecosystems. The synergic effect of various threats may adversely affect and reduce the capacity of these riparian ecosystems to resilience, even though they have specific adaptations for living in extreme conditions....

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Published inRestoration ecology Vol. 29; no. 4
Main Authors Mohan, Mahesh, Saritha, Vadakke Neelamana K., Rameshan, Mutharimettak, Chacko, Ashly, Gopikrishna, Velamparambil G.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.05.2021
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects
Adaptation
Aquatic animals
Aquatic biota
Biota
Carbon sequestration
Climate adaptation
Climate change
diversity
Ecological effects
Ecosystem assessment
Ecosystem disturbance
Ecosystem restoration
Ecosystem services
Ecosystems
Environmental restoration
flood
forest
Forest ecosystems
management
Resilience
Riparian ecology
Riparian forests
river
Sustainability
Terrestrial ecosystems
Tropical climate
Tropical environment
Tropical environments
Tropical forests
Western Ghats
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Summary:The riparian ecosystems of the Western Ghats are highly diversified tropical forest ecosystems. The synergic effect of various threats may adversely affect and reduce the capacity of these riparian ecosystems to resilience, even though they have specific adaptations for living in extreme conditions. These diversity‐rich riparian ecosystems provide critical ecological services such as influencing environmental processes, acting as habitats for both terrestrial and aquatic biota, and supporting the livelihood of the surrounding community. Hence the restoration of such damaged ecosystems is highly significant. This article presents a scheme for sustainable restoration of the disturbed riparian ecosystems with the involvement of multi‐stakeholders. The three‐stage scheme ensures the support and livelihood of the local community, along with the ecological restoration of riparian ecosystems using nature‐based solutions with a scientific approach. The restoration will enhance the ecosystem services, climate change adaptations, and resilience, as well as the carbon sequestration capacity of the tropical region.
Bibliography:Coordinating Editor: Stephen Murphy
Author contributions: MM conceived and designed the article; VKS, AC, VGG collected and reviewed the literature; MM, MR wrote the manuscript; MM, VKS drew the diagrams; MM, VGG edited the manuscript.
ISSN:1061-2971
1526-100X
DOI:10.1111/rec.13254