Question

What is biosphere reserve? How many reserves are there in India?

Answer 1

Hint : Biosphere Reserve is nominated by the National Government and these are one step closer to Sustainable Development.

Complete answer : Biosphere reserves are the areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems which includes plants and animals. The main of having biosphere reserves to promote the solutions for the conservation of biodiversity and to protect the natural habitat. i.e. Flora and Fauna. Biosphere reserves have three main functions:

1. They help in the conservation of cultural diversity and biodiversity.
2. Provides economic development which is beneficial in all aspects of life.
3. Provides logistic support, education, training, development through research.

Biosphere reserves collectively form a WORLD NETWORK. Biosphere reserves are divided into 3 zones : 1. Core Areas(Protected zone)
2. Buffer zone (Second most zone)
3. Transition zone (Outermost part and also called zone cooperation)

There are 18 biosphere reserves in India to protect not only flora and fauna, but also to the human communities who inhabit their ways of life. These are :

Cold desert, Himachal Pradesh
Nanda Devi, Uttarakhand
Khangchendzonga, Sikkim
Dehang-Debang, Arunachal Pradesh
Manas, Assam
Dibru-Saikhowa, Assam
Nokrek, Meghalaya
Panna, Madhya Pradesh
Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh
Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh
Kachchh, Gujarat (Largest area)
Similipal, Odisha
Sundarban, West Bengal
Seshachalam, Andhra Pradesh
Agasthyamala, Karnataka-Tamil Nadu
Nilgiri , Tamil-Nadu-Kerala(first to be included)
Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu
Great Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Island.

Notes : The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first biosphere reserve in India and established in 1986, located in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri hills ranges of South India.