Scientists outline genomic-based conservation roadmap for Eastern Ghats

A combination of genomic tools, species-level research and large-scale ecological studies can help scientists better understand how species originated and spread, how habitats have transformed over time, and which areas in the Eastern Ghats require urgent conservation attention, said G.Umapathy, chief scientist at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology’s Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES).

He said the Eastern Ghats are among India’s most complex and least-studied mountain systems. Spread across eastern India in fragmented hill ranges, they merge with the Western Ghats and eastern forests. Older than the Western Ghats, they have a distinct ecological history, but their rich biodiversity is poorly documented and increasingly threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change.