Common biases that plague conservation assessments in the Western Ghats

Conservation assessments are critical to the long-term survival of species, communities, ecosystems, landscapes and vast ecological regions. The Western Ghats is amongst the globally recognized biodiversity hotspots that are in dire need of a regional conservation plan. The ecological region is known for high levels of endemism, especially amongst vertebrate animals. Not less than 35% of the 1,282 species of vertebrates known in the region are endemic.