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Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – The First Biosphere Reserve in India

NILGIRI BIOSPHERE RESERVE Max IAS
Nilgiri Tahr in Mukurthi National Park, part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

What are Biosphere Reserves?

The idea of biosphere reserves was initiated by UNESCO in 1973-74 under its Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme.

Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.

They are places that provide local solutions to global challenges. Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each site promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.

About Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) is an International biosphere reserve located in the Western Ghats and was the first biosphere in India established during 1986.

Objective of NBR

The NBR was mainly established to conserve in-situ genetic diversity of species to restore degraded ecosystems to their natural conditions, to provide baseline data for ecological and environmental research and education and to function as an alternate model for sustainable development.

  1. Conservation role: Biosphere reserves provide non-conventional protection of indigenous genetic resources, plant and animal species, ecosystems and landscapes of value for the conservation of the world’s biological diversity.
  2.  Development role:  Biosphere reserves seek to combine conservation concerns with sustainable use of ecosystem’s resources through close co-operation with local communities, taking advantage of traditional knowledge, Indigenous products and appropriate land management.
  3. Logistic role: Biosphere reserves are linked through a global network; they provide facilities for research, monitoring, education and training for local purposes as well as for international or regional comparative research and monitoring programmes.

Geography of NBR

The NBR lies at the tri-junction of the three southern states of India- Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, stretches from the Coorg-Waynaad plateau just east of Brahmagiri, south to Attapad-Bolampatti Hills at the northern edge of the Palghat gap and eastwards into Talamala-Hasanpur Plateau of the Eastern ghats. The total area (5,670 km²) of NBR is spread in three states, viz., Tamil Nadu (2537.6 km²), Kerala (1455.4 km²), and Karnataka (1527.4 km²). It forms an almost complete ring around the Nilgiri Plateau.

The protected area that lies within the reserve includes the following: 

  • Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Bandipur National Park
  • Nagarhole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi National Park)
  • Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley National Park.

The NBR falls under the biogeographic region of the Malabar Rain Forest and Deccan thorn forest.

Types of Vegetation in the NBR

Sl. No.      Forest Type    Nature of vegetation  Area of occurrence
    1.Moist evergreenDense, moist and multi-storeyed forest with gigantic treesIn the narrow valleys of silent valley
    2.Semi-evergreenMoist, DeciduousNilambur and Palghat division
    3.ThornDenseNorth-East part of the Nilgiri district
    4.Savannah woodlandTrees scattered amid woodlandMudumalai and Bandipur
    5.Sholas & GrasslandsHigh-elevated evergreen with GrasslandsSouth and western catchment area, Mukhurthi National Park

Plantations

A variety of exotic and native tree plantations cover the landscape of the NBR, which includes Teak, Blue gum, Wattle blue gum, Coffee, Cardamom, Pepper, Arecanut.

Flora

The NBR is very rich in plant diversity. About 3,300 species of flowering plants can be seen here. Of the 3,300 species, 132 are endemic to the NBR. The genus Baeolepis is exclusively endemic to the Nilgiris. Some of the plants entirely restricted to the NBR include species of Adenoon, Calacanthus, Baeolepis, Frereo, Jaradina, Wagatea, Poeciloneuron, etc.

The Sholas of NBR are a treasure house of rare plant species; of the 175 species of orchids found in the NBR, 8 are endemic to the NBR. These include endemic and endangered species of Vanda, Liparis, Bulbophyllum, Spiranthes and Thrixspermum.

Fauna

The fauna of NBR includes over 100 species of mammals, 350 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles and amphibians, 300 species of butterflies and innumerable invertebrates. 39 species of fish, 31 amphibians and 60 species of reptiles endemic to the Western ghats also occur in the NBR. Freshwater fish such as Danlo nellgheriensis, Hypselo barbusadubuis and Puntius bavanicus are restricted to the NBR. The Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri langur, slender loris, black buck, tiger, gaur, Indian elephant and marten are some of the animals found here.

There are already efforts made towards the protection of endangered and endemic mammals such as the Asian elephant(Elephasmaximus), Tiger(Panthera tigris), Nilgiri tahr(Hemitragus hylocrius), Nilgiri langur(Presbytis johnli),  and lion-tailed maccaque(Macaca sitenus) within the biosphere reserve.

A number of little known bats (Chiroptera) and smaller mammals, including the clawless otter(Aanyx cinerea), Nilgiri marten(Martes gwatkinsi), Civets(Vivera sp.)and the lesser cats(Fezis sp.) exist within the reserve.

Twelve species of mammals endemic to the western ghats are also found here; Musfamulus a rodent being exclusive to this reserve.

Rivers in NBR

Pykara, Sigur river, Bhavani river, Pandiar river, Siruvani river, Coonoor river, Kabini river.

People of NBR

The Biosphere has a large number of indigenous communities, most of them forest dwellers and hunter-gatherers.

Apart from the Todas– a well known pastoral group in the upper Nilgiris, other groups include the Paniyas, Irulas, Kurumbas, Kuruchiyans, Mullukurumbas, Adiyans, Alayars, Jerukurumbas, Kadu kurumbas, Betta Kurumbas, Urali Kurumbas, Edanadan Chettis, Wyanaadan Chettis, Mandarin Chettis, kurichyans, Karimpalans, Kaders, Pathiyans, Kanaladis, Kattunayakans, Aranadans, Mudugas, Sholagas, Kotas, Panjari yerevan, Hulas and Alars.

Except for Cholanaikens, who live exclusively on food gathering, hunting and fishing, all the other tribal groups are involved in their traditional occupation of agriculture.

Presently, there are 18 notified biosphere reserves in India

S. No.NameLocation (State)
1NilgiriPart of Wayanad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley and Siruvani hills (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka).
2Nanda Devi Part of Chamoli, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar districts (Uttarakhand). 
3Nokrek Part of Garo hills (Meghalaya).
4Great Nicobar Southern most islands of Andaman And Nicobar (A&N Islands). 
5Gulf of MannarIndian part of Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka (Tamil Nadu).
6ManasPart of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamprup and Darang districts (Assam) 
7SunderbansPart of delta of Ganges and Brahamaputra river system
(West Bengal). 
8SimlipalPart of Mayurbhanj district (Orissa).  
9Dibru-SaikhowaPart of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts (Assam)
10Dehang-DibangPart of Siang and Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. 
11PachmarhiParts of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh. 
12Khangchendzonga Parts of Khangchendzonga hills and Sikkim.
13AgasthyamalaiNeyyar, Peppara and Shendurney  Wildlife Sanctuaries and their adjoining areas in Kerala.
14Achanakamar –    AmarkantakCovers parts of Anupur and Dindori districts of M.P. and parts of Bilaspur districts of Chhattisgarh State.
15KachchhPart of Kachchh, Rajkot, Surendra Nagar and Patan Civil Districts of Gujarat State
16Cold DesertPin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu&Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh
17Seshachalam HillsSeshachalam Hill Ranges covering parts of Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh
18PannaPart of Panna and Chhattarpur districts in Madhya Pradesh

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