Basics
- Nilgiri Mountains: Part of Western Ghats → a global biodiversity hotspot, rich in endemic species (Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri sholakili, Nilgiri laughingthrush).
- Biodiversity Monitoring Challenge: Current field studies show only a “snapshot”; long-term biodiversity loss requires historical baseline comparisons.
- Role of Museums & Archives: Preserve old specimens, maps, and notes → crucial for studying species decline, habitat change, and climate impacts.
Relevance:
- GS III (Environment – Biodiversity conservation, Habitat loss, Climate change impact, Grassland ecology)
- GS I (Geography – Human–environment interaction, Land-use change, Western Ghats ecosystems)
- GS I (History – Colonial records as scientific resources, Museums as repositories)
- Essay (Heritage & Ecology – Role of archives, science–society linkage in conservation)
The Study (Vijay Ramesh et al., Global Change Biology, 2025)
- Data Sources:
- Bird specimens from British-era natural history museums (late 1800s).
- Old land-use maps (e.g., Captain John Ouchterlony’s 1848 Nilgiri land-cover map).
- Contemporary field surveys across 42 sites.
- Modern satellite imagery.
- Methodology:
- Digitisation of historical museum specimens + maps.
- GIS-based land-use change analysis (1848–2018).
- Bayesian statistical tool (FAMA – field abundance–museum abundance) → estimated species’ relative abundance.
Key Findings
- Grassland Decline:
- 80% reduction → from 993 sq. km (1848) → 201 sq. km (2018).
- Grassland birds most affected: Nilgiri pipit, Malabar lark.
- 90% decline in relative abundance of grassland birds.
- Forest Birds Stability:
- 53% of forest bird species showed stable populations.
- Reason: Grasslands converted into wooded forests (plantations + invasive woody species).
- Indicates habitat “substitution” but not genuine conservation.
- Conservation Blind Spot:
- Grasslands not recognised as critical ecosystems.
- Policies & public perception focus on “forests” and tree planting → inadvertently harm grasslands.
Significance of Museums in Conservation
- Functions:
- Preserve historical records of species distribution & abundance.
- Aid taxonomy & species identification.
- Enable studies on long-term ecological changes (migration, size shifts, community collapse).
- Baseline data for conservation planning.
- Examples:
- Dead birds collected 150 years ago → now key evidence of species decline.
- Old maps digitised → show land-cover shifts invisible in short-term monitoring.
Challenges
- Access Issues:
- Most collections in Western museums (colonial legacy).
- High costs, visa barriers for Indian researchers.
- Institutional Barriers:
- Lack of digitisation in Indian archives.
- Funding constraints & bureaucratic hurdles.
- Ethical Concerns:
- Specimens collected from India but housed abroad → question of ownership & repatriation.
Broader Ecological Insights
- Grassland Neglect: Seen as “wastelands” → converted into plantations, agriculture, or urban land.
- Historical Baselines: Essential to understand true extent of biodiversity loss (short-term data underestimates decline).
- Climate Change Link: Land-use change + temperature rise → shift in ecosystems, pushing species to edge of survival.
