Western Ghats Forests Face Climate Mayhem

Native forests in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve are facing alarming disruptions due to climate change, manifesting as "erratic, unpredictable seasons." A 2024 study using satellite imagery from 2000-2020 revealed a changing seasonal rhythm, with vegetation growth periods shifting unpredictably. Researchers noted an annual temperature increase of 0.01 degrees Celsius and a rainfall decrease of 3.97 millimeters per year between 1950 and 2018.

This climate shift affects four forest types, altering the 'Start of Season,' 'End of Season,' and 'Length of Season.' Initially, growing seasons delayed and shortened for most forest types, but later advanced, leading to longer durations in some cases. This indicates climate change is altering the timing of biological activities rather than just overall greenery.

Ecologists observe clear impacts in cloud forests, with reduced moisture and visible yellowing, impacting epiphytes like mosses and orchids. The unpredictability of seasons, including unusual frost or lack thereof, disrupts ecosystems evolved for a stable climate. Even dry scrub forests are failing to green up as expected.

Endemic species like Magnolia nilagirica are flowering earlier, and endangered grassland plants show reduced flowering, threatening seed banks and increasing extinction risk. These phenological shifts disrupt crucial relationships between plants, pollinators, and seed dispersers, leading to reduced regeneration and a quiet erosion of the forest community's timing.