Land-use changes putting rocky addresses of animals under stress in Sahyadri plateau

Source: The post is based on the article “Land-use changes putting rocky addresses of animals under stress in Sahyadri plateau”  published in The Hindu on 29th July 2023.

What is the News?

According to a study, rapid shift from traditional local grain cultivation to monoculture plantations of mango and cashew in the Sahyadri plateaus of Maharashtra is impacting elusive amphibians, insects, and reptiles that live under a crop of loose rocks.

About the study:

A team of scientists investigated how animals, from ants to snakes are responding to land-use changes in the loose rocks.

Scientists focused on several animals, including the white-striped viper gecko, Seshachari’s caecilian, saw-scaled viper, ants, spiders, and scorpions. 

These animals seek refuge among loose rocks which protect them from extreme weather conditions.

However, the rapidly changing agricultural trends such as abandonment of traditional local grain cultivation and the establishment of mango and cashew monoculture plantations is leading to the destruction of natural plateaus.

For instance, the rapid expansion of mango orchards has resulted in the conversion of more than 25,000 hectares of lateritic plateaus.

This has impacted elusive amphibians, insects, and reptiles that live under a crop of these loose rocks.