The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:-IAS NEXT: BEST IAS COACHING
BEST IAS COACHING: IAS NEXT (www.iasnext.com)
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first biosphere reserve in India established in the year 1986. It is located in the Western Ghats and includes 2 of the 10 biogeographical provinces of India. Wide ranges of ecosystems and species diversity are found in this region. The total area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is 5,520 sq. km.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve encompasses parts of Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve falls under the biogeographic region of the Malabar rain forest.
The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Mukurthi National Park, and Silent Valley are the protected areas present within this reserve.
Vegetational Types of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Forest type / Nature of Vegetation /Area of occurrence
1.Moist evergreen/Dense, moist and multi-storeyed forest with gigantic trees — -In the narrow valleys of Silent Valley
2. Semi-evergreen/Moist, deciduous — -Nilambur and Palghat division
3. Thorn/Dense — -Northeast part of the Nilgiri district
4. woodland/Trees scattered amid woodland — — Mudumalai and Bandipur
5.Sholas & grasslands/High elevated evergreen with grasslands — — -South and western catchment area, Mukurthi national park
Flora:
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve 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 Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The genus Baeolepis is exclusively endemic to the Nilgiris. Of the 175 species of orchids found in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, 8 are endemic to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The sholas of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve are a treasure house of rare plant species.
Fauna
The fauna of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve 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 Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, slender loris, blackbuck, tiger, gaur, Indian elephant, and marten are some of the animals found here.
Water resources
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is one of the critical catchment areas of peninsular India. Many of the major tributaries of the river Cauvery like the Bhavani, Moyar, Kabini and other rivers like Chaliyar, Punampuzha, etc., have their source and catchment areas within the reserve boundary. Many hydroelectric power projects are present in the Kundah, Bhavani and Moyar basins. The sholas and grasslands play a very important role in retaining water and supplying it to these streams. A drastic decline in the sholas and grasslands is one of the reasons for the recent water scarcity in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Tribal groups like the Todas, Kotas, Irulas, Kurumbas, Paniyas, Adiyans, Edanadan Chettis, Cholanaickens, Allar, Malayan, etc., are native to the reserve. Except for Cholanaickens who live exclusively on food gathering, hunting, and fishing, all the other tribal groups are involved in their traditional occupation of agriculture.
