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Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the first volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that were designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure.

This first volume in the series focuses on the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, construed as forming a community of species because of their shared biogeographical history. The volume explores the diversity and conservation efforts of the extraordinarily rich species found here, including plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the world; forests, which face tremendous population pressure and have been dramatically impacted by demands for timber and agricultural land; as well as the hotspot’s diverse mammals, birds, insects, and amphibian species, and more.

The volumes in this series will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution.

T. Pullaiah, PhD, a former Professor in the Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he has taught for more than 35 years. He has held several positions at the university, including Dean, Faculty of Biosciences; Head of the Department of Botany; Head of the Department of Biotechnology; and member of the Academic Senate. Under his guidance, over 50 students earned their doctoral degrees. Dr. Pullaiah was a member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as President of the Indian Botanical Society (2014), President of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (2013), and Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. A prolific author and editor, he has published over 110 books and over 340 research papers. His books with AAP include Ethnobotany of India (5 volumes) and Global Biodiversity (4 volumes).