Indian biosphere reserves are established for the protection of bigger
areas of natural habitats like sanctuaries and national parks. Around 15
biosphere reserves have been founded by the Government of India.
Moreover, in today`s world, where global warming is becoming a huge
threat to the entire human civilisation day by day, the biosphere
reserves are providing a scope to study biosphere. Biosphere integrates
all living beings and their relationships in the world and it mainly
studies about their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere,
hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The biosphere reserve is actually an
international conservation designation given by the UNESCO under its
Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB), in 1971. The total number of
Indian biosphere reserves is roughly 16 and they are counted among the
most notable ones in the world.
For an exact definition of biosphere reserve, `The Statutory Framework
of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves` can be referred. According
to it, the biosphere reserves are created with an intention `to promote
and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and the
biosphere`. Another objective of the biosphere reserves is to conserve
in place all forms of life, along with its support system, in its
totality, so that it could serve as a referral system for monitoring and
evaluating changes in natural ecosystems. The article 4 of the
Statutory Framework states that the biosphere reserves must `encompass a
mosaic of ecological systems`, and thus should consist of combinations
of terrestrial, coastal, or marine ecosystems. The conservation of these
ecosystems and their biodiversity is sought to be maintained, through
appropriate zoning and management.
India is one of the biggest contributors of the programme of biosphere
reserve and the Indian biosphere reserves have been established by
fulfilling all the required criterions. Being the protected areas of
representative terrestrial, coastal and marine environments, these
reserves are working for conserving the diversity of plant and animal
species along with the habitat in which they live. Four of the Indian
biosphere reserves like the
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,
the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve and
the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve are included in the international
network. The reserves are covering 10 out of the 12 major bio-geographic
realms, at present.
Several biosphere reserves have been formed by the Indian government in
different parts of the country. More than one national park or preserves
as well as some buffer regions are sometimes incorporated in the
biosphere reserves. In these reserves, protection is granted not only to
the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the inhabitant
human communities of these regions, and their ways of life. The Indian
biosphere reserves can be divided in many ways according to their types.
Some of the most common types of Indian biosphere reserves include the
coasts,
Ganges Delta, East Himalayas, West Himalayas, Western Ghats, Semi-Arid, Deccan Peninsula, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, etc.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve located in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
Karnataka,
is the first ever biosphere reserve in India and it was established in
the year 1986. The other Indian biosphere reserves include the
Gulf of Mannar in
Tamil Nadu; the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in
West Bengal; the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Uttaranchal, the
Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve in
Arunachal Pradesh; the
Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve in
Madhya Pradesh; the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve in
Orissa; the
Achanakmar Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh; the Manas Biosphere Reserve in Assam, the
Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve in
Sikkim, the
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in
Kerala, the
Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve in
Andaman & Nicobar Islands; the
Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in
Meghalaya; and the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve in
Assam.
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