Older than the Himalaya mountains, the mountain chain of the
Western Ghats represents geomorphic features of immense
importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes. The
site’s high montane forest ecosystems influence the Indian
monsoon weather pattern. Moderating the tropical climate of the
region, the site presents one of the best examples of the
monsoon system on the planet. It also has an exceptionally high
level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognized as
one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological
diversity. The forests of the site include some of the best
representatives of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests
anywhere and are home to at least 325 globally threatened flora,
fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.