Background and AimsThe Mountains of the Western Ghats are the second most important shelter in the world for threatened species. The current paper is an attempt to study the conservation assessment of rare, endangered and threatened species (RET) of the southern Western Ghats. A species is endangered when it is threatened with extinction. Since time began, countless species have gone extinct from natural processes. The present study was conducted to identify the rare, endangered and threatened climbing plants in Southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India.MethodsThe plant collection and identification of the RET listed climbing species of the Southern Western Ghats was done during 2011–2014. The collection and identified RET plant species from the study were selected from different hills (forest) of Tamil Nadu. During the work the selected study sites were visited, plant specimens were collected and systematically pressed, stored for identification.Key resultsA total number of 285 climber species comprising 125 genera of 41 families were identified from Southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. Out of 285, 33 species are listed as RET species like Ceropegia mannarana Umam. & Daniel and Gloriosa superba L. fond to be Endangered species and Celastrus paniculata Willd., Aganosma cymosa G.Don. Smilax wightii A. DC., Corallocarpus gracilipes Cong., are rare species. The most specious families include Asclepiadaceae (7 species), Convolvulaceae (5-species) followed by, Fabaceae (4-species), Cucurbitaceae and Liliaceae each 3-species, and all the other remaining families having two or one species each.ConclusionSome of the threatened factors such as over-exploitation of natural resources and other anthropogenic activities adversely affect the existing ecosystem and it may lead to the rarity of many species in future. There is an urgent need for developing pragmatic conservation strategies for endemic plants in the southern Western Ghats, which may lead to their effective protection.

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印度西高止山脉南部的稀有、濒危和受威胁 (RET) 登山者

背景和目标西高止山脉是世界上第二个最重要的濒危物种庇护所。目前的论文试图研究西高止山脉南部稀有、濒危和受威胁物种 (RET) 的保护评估。当一个物种面临灭绝威胁时，它就处于濒危状态。自古以来，无数物种因自然过程而灭绝。本研究旨在识别印度泰米尔纳德邦西高止山脉南部的稀有、濒危和受威胁的攀缘植物。方法 2011-2014 年期间对 RET 列出的南西高止山脉攀缘植物进行了植物采集和鉴定。从研究中收集和鉴定的 RET 植物物种选自泰米尔纳德邦的不同山丘（森林）。在工作期间，对选定的研究地点进行了访问，收集并系统地压榨、储存植物标本以供鉴定。主要结果从泰米尔纳德邦的西高止山脉南部鉴定出总共 285 种攀缘植物，包括 41 科 125 属。在 285 个物种中，有 33 个物种被列为 RET 物种，如 Ceropegia mannarana Umam。& Daniel 和 Gloriosa Superiorba L. 喜欢成为濒危物种，Celastrus paniculata Willd., Aganosma cymosa G.Don. Smilax wightii A. DC., Corallocarpus gracilipes Cong.，是稀有物种。最似是而非的科包括剑兰科（7种）、旋花科（5种），其次是豆科（4种）、葫芦科和百合科各3种，其余各科各有2种或1种。结论一些受威胁因素，如自然资源的过度开发和其他人为活动对现有生态系统产生不利影响，可能导致未来许多物种的稀有。迫切需要为西高止山脉南部的特有植物制定实用的保护策略，这可能会导致它们得到有效保护。