Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji
The Malabar tree toad, an endangered species endemic to the Western Ghats, is facing significant habitat loss and potential population decline due to deforestation and climate change.
A study published in ‘Scientific Reports by Nature’ indicates that even the existing national parks and wildlife sanctuaries may not be sufficient to shield the species from the effects of the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.
The study projects a loss of habitat for the toad across many parts of the Western Ghats. The central Ghats, including Karnataka and Goa, currently offer large swathes of ideal habitat for the endangered species. “But that is expected to change,” the study states.
The Malabar tree toad’s habitat could decrease by up to 72%, with the Mhadei and the Netravali wildlife sanctuaries becoming inhospitable for the species in the future.
The study has assessed 65 protected areas across the Western Ghats and states that under the present conditions only 21-32% of the toad’s habitat falls within these reserves. “This suggests that the existing protected areas network may not sufficiently protect the toad’s future range, especially as climate change shifts its distribution southwards.”
Ten major protected areas, including Kali, Kudremukh, Someshwara and Kalakad in Karnataka, currently host over 77% of the Malabar tree toad’s habitat range. “However, under high-emission scenarios, these habitats – especially Kali and Someshwara – may face near-total suitability loss by 2080,” states the study.
In Goa, while the current wildlife sanctuaries play a crucial role in providing microhabitat to the species, this may change especially with the increasing deforestation and the changing rainfall pattern in the region.
According to the study, climate change is also affecting the Malabar tree toad’s breeding behaviour.
“Annual precipitation and precipitation in the driest month were the strongest predictors for the Northern Western Ghats populations,” the study states “while vegetation cover played a larger role in the Southern populations”. This means rainfall patterns are not only dictating where the species lives but also when and how it breeds, which indicates a potential decline in the species’ population.
