Paddy land conversion as a threat to floristic biodiversity – a study on Karrimpuzha watershed, Kerala state, south India

The areas of paddy fields had been declining the state of Kerala at alarming rates since the mid eighties due to sprawls in urbanization, industrialization and globalization. A micro level study has been conducted to understand the changes in cropping pattern and impacts of paddy fields declination upon the floristic diversity of Karrimpuzha watershed, which is situated on the north western parts of Palakkad District of Kerala State. Within short time span the study revealed that there would be a considerable variation in the cropping pattern of paddy fields and are transformed into different land use system. During the year 1970–71 paddy growing areas in Karrimpuzha watershed amounted to 53.16 percent of its total cropped area. By the year 2010–13 it declined to 18.38 percent in 1990–91 and further decreased to 12.10 percent by the year 2010–13. Continuation of unabated massive conversion resulted the total abandonment of rice cultivation in near future. One of the major current challenging issue of biodiversity loss has been lead by the increasing rate of paddy field conversion into non agriculture uses. The study on the floristic biodiversity in the study area reveals that paddy field accomadate large no plants ranging from algae to angiosperm. By this study we could collect and identify 257 number of angiosperm plants. Due to paddy conversions hoping that estimates on the economic value of major economic and ecological functions lost which would help to convince the stakeholders about the need for conservation.