Assessment and Mapping of Montane Shola Forest in Kodagu, India’s Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot

Sholas are the unique mosaic of stunted evergreen forests and grasslands that are found only in Southern India. They play a key role in regional water security, agricultural sustenance, and regional biodiversity maintenance. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary located in Central Western Ghats, was chosen for this study due to its ecological importance and the underexplored nature of its Shola forests. Despite being part of 36 global biodiversity hotspots, the region lacks comprehensive studies integrating tree diversity, regeneration, and vegetation mapping. This study was conducted to assess these parameters across three elevation ranges: 1300–1400 m, 1400–1500 m, and 1500–1600 m. There are 6 belt transacts of 100 m × 5 m were laid out in each of these elevations to assess tree diversity, while three sub-transacts of 5 m×2 m were laid in each main belt transact to assess the regeneration status. Furthermore, Sentinel-2 was used to generate area demarcation and vegetation maps. A collection of auxiliary maps was also generated, including elevation, slope, False Colour Composite (FCC), and land cover maps. The results showed that the species diversity decreased with an increase in elevation. The highest density of growing stock was observed in low-elevation (423 stems ha ^–1 ) followed by mid-elevation (393 stems ha ^–1 ). A similar trend was noticed in the regenerates. The results further showed that the middle and higher elevations have more similar species (45.49%) than the lower and middle (26.12%). The generated elevation map showed that the Shola region covers 20.25 km² (≥ 1300 m) in a total area of 182.57 km² and 47.84% (7.77 km²) of the Shola Forest, which confirms the ecological importance and relative dominance of these patches. In conclusion, this study helps in the ecological monitoring, conservation, and restoration of fragile, fragmented yet biodiversity-rich patches through the implementation of suitable and effective, elevation-specific management interventions.