Conservation Areas of India

BIOSPHERE RESERVES: 

A few Unique and representative ecosystems of terrestrial and coastal areas are internationally recognised within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The Biosphere Reserve aims at achieving the three objectives as depicted:

• Conservation of ecosystems, species and other resources.
• Promotion of economic development.
• Promotion of scientific research and education.

There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India of which, four Biosphere Reserves are recognized by the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO:

1. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR): 1st biosphere reserve, established in Sept 1986. 5,520 sq. km.  

• It embraces: 

• Wildlife sanctuary complex: of Wayanad and Sathyamangalam(TN)
• National Parks: Nagarhole(N/Karnataka), Bandipur(E/Karnataka), Mudumalai, Mukurthi.
• The entire forested hill slopes of Nilambur, the Upper Nilgiri plateau, Silent Valley and Siruvani hills. 

• Habitat types: unspoilt areas of natural vegetation types with several dry scrubs, dry and moist deciduous, semi-evergreen and wet evergreen forests, evergreen sholas(temperate), grasslands and swamps. 
• Species: 
  • It includes the largest known population of two endangered animal species, namely:

• The Nilgiri Tahr: a deer.
• The Lion-tailed macaque: a primate
• The largest south Indian population of elephant, tiger, gaur, sambar and chital as well as a good number of endemic and endangered plants are also found in this reserve. 

• The habitat of several tribal groups remarkable for their traditional modes of harmonious use of the environment are also found here.
• The topography of the NBR is extremely varied, ranging from an altitude of 250 m to 2,650 m. 
• About 80% of flowering plants reported from the Western Ghats(one of 34 Biodiversity Hotspots) occur here.

1. Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve: situated in Uttaranchal includes parts of Chamoli, Almora, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts. It includes Valley of Flowers National Park.

• Forest type: Mostly temperate. 
• A few important species are silverweed and orchids like latifolie and rhododendron. 
• Rich fauna: For example, the snow leopard, black bear, brown bear, musk deer, snowcock, golden eagle and black eagle. 
• Major threats to the ecosystem are the collection of endangered plants for medicinal use, forest fires and poaching. 

1. Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve:  Swampy delta of the river Ganga in West Bengal. 9,630 sq. km 

• Forest type: mangrove forests, swamps and forested islands. 
• Fauna: 
  • Sunderbans is the home of nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers – good swimmers – adapted to saline waters – they hunt scarce prey such as chital deer (spotted deer), barking deer, wild pig and even macaques.
  • The tangled mass of roots of mangrove trees provide safe homes for a large number of species, from fish to shrimp. 
  • More than 170 bird species are known to inhabit here.
• In the Sunderbans, the mangrove forests are characterised by Heritiera fomes, a species valued for its timber.

1. Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve: 1,050sqkm: southeast coast of India – 

• Comprises 21 islands with estuaries, beaches, forests of the near-shore environment, seagrasses, coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves. One of the world’s richest regions from a marine biodiversity perspective.
• 3,600 plant and animal species
  • globally endangered sea cow (Dugong dugon) and 
  • six mangrove species, endemic to Peninsular India.

Additions after 2004

The other 8 Biosphere Reserves(additions after 2004), also included in the Man and Biosphere Program are: 

• Agasthyamalai(Southernmost hills of Kerala-TN): 

• Shendurni Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thenmala, Konni, Ranni Forest.
• Periyar Tiger Reserve.
• Nokrek (Meghalaya – south of Garo Hills), 
• Pachmari: northern slopes of Mahadeo hills, Tawa river valley, Narmada Basin; Part of Betul, Hoshangabad & Chindwara Districts;

• Satpura National park, 
• Pench National Park: South of Chhindwara.

  

• Simlipal (North Odisha, Mayurbhanj):  It derives its name from ‘Simul’ (silk cotton) tree, 

• It is a national park and a tiger reserve situated in the northern part of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. 
• It has 94 species of orchids and about 3,000 species of plants. The identified species of fauna include 12 species of amphibians, 29 species of reptiles, and 264 species of birds.
• Black Tiger: found only in Simlipal tiger reserve in Odisha.

• National Centre for Biological Sciences study, a single genetic mutation in these tigers caused black stripes to broaden or spread. The small and isolated tiger population led to inbreeding and the anomalous phenotype characterised by wide, merged stripes.
• The loss of genetic diversity is evident from the low heterozygosity (chances of inheriting different forms of a particular gene from each parent) in Simlipal (28%) compared to Central India (36%).
• Achanakmar-Amarkantak (Maikal Range Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh; Parts of Ahupur & Dinori districts of MP & Bilaspur district. Chhattisgarh). Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary. 
• Great Nicobar.
• Kanchenjunga, (N&W Sikkim) was added in the MAB program in 2018, Kanchenjunga National Park.
• Panna Biosphere Reserve – Panna (Panna district & Chhatarpur district), in the Vindhya Ranges was added in 2020 in the MAB program.

Other 6 include: (Not included in MAB)

• Manas(Manas River Basin, south of Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan),
• Dihang-Dibang(North Arunachal Pradesh), 
• Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Dibru Saikhowa(Riverine island in East Assam in Brahmaputra), 
• Great Rann of Kutch(part of Kutch, Rajot, Sundranagar & Patan Distts.
• Cold Desert: HP
  • Pin Valley National Park & surrounding; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary)
• Seshachalam Hills(Seshachalam Hill Ranges covering parts of Chittoor & Kadapa districts, AP)

National Parks:

• Sahyadri Tiger Reserve & Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary were declared by NTCA as Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger. 
  • Sahyadri Tiger Reserve: spreads along the crest of the Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats.
    • Chandoli National Park: a part of Tiger Reserve; located in the Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra. It forms and protects many perennial water channels, water holes and the Vasant Sagar Reservoir. It receives its water supply from the Warna River and reservoir as well as several other small streams and rivers.
• Bengaluru Bannerghatta National Park is located about 22 km south of Bengaluru. 
  • Vision: to have a Biological Recreation Center very close to the city in the midst of the forests in the valley of the famous Champakadhama hills inside the Bannerghatta National Park. 
    • To accomplish this vision, a mini zoo was created in 1972′ which gradually grew into the present National Park by 2002.
• Kudremukh National Park: located in the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikmagalur districts of the state of Karnataka. 
  • Important rivers: the Tunga, the Bhadra, and the Netravati are said to have their origin here. 
  • Animals found: Malabar civets, wild dogs, sloth bears and spotted deer.
• Nameri National Park: in the foothills of the Himalayas in Sonitpur District of Assam, 40 km from Tezpur.
  • It has over 300 species of birds. The area is criss-crossed by the river Jia- Bhoroli and its tributaries namely the Diji, Dinai, Doigurung, Nameri, Dikorai, Khari etc. 
  • There is a good prey base in the form of Sambar, Barking deer, Hog Deer, Wild Boar and Gaur. About 3000 domestic cattle also form part of this prey base for Tiger and Leopards.

National Parks of Andaman:

1. Campbell Bay & Galathea National Parks (Great Nicobar)
2. Mahatama Gandhi Marine National Park (South Andaman)
3. Mount Harriett National Park (Mount Manipur National Park)
4. Rani Jhansi Marine National Park
5. Saddle Peak National Park (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
6. Wildlife Sanctuaries of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Marine protected area: 

A space in the ocean where human activities are strictly regulated than surrounding waters. These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local, state, territorial, native regional or national authorities.

There are 128 marine protected areas in India.

• 4 Marine National Parks: 
  • Gulf of Mannar, 
  • Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (A&N Islands), 
  • Gulf of Kutch.
• 67 Marine sanctuaries, National Parks & wildlife sanctuaries,
  • Gahirmatha National Sanctuary: Largest marine protected areas.
  • Malvan Marine Sanctuary (Sindhudurg): Only marine sanctuary in the Konkan region.
• 3 Marine biosphere Reserves
  • Sundarbans: Also, a tiger reserve.
  • Gulf of Mannar.
  • Great Nicobar.
• 3 Ramsar Coastal wetlands:
  • Chilika, Pulicat & Bhitarkanika Mangroves.