Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Why in News?

Recently, researchers warned that climate change is destabilising the forest ecosystems of the Western Ghats in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

About Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) is located in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats. It encompasses parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

It was established in 1986 and was the first biosphere reserve in India. It is also India’s first biosphere reserve under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

Protected Areas within the Reserve

The important protected areas associated with the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve include Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley.

Vegetation

The reserve supports a wide range of vegetation types because of its varied altitude and climatic conditions. These include tropical evergreen forests, montane sholas and grasslands, semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and thorn forests.

Tribal Population

Several indigenous tribal communities are native to the reserve. These include the Todas, Kotas, Irullas, Kurumbas, Paniyas, Adiyans, Edanadan Chettis, Cholanaickens, Allar and Malayan, among others.

Flora

The flora of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve includes species belonging to genera such as Adenoon, Calacanthus, Baeolepis, Frerea, Jarodina, Wagatea and Poeciloneuron.

Fauna

The reserve is particularly important for species such as the Nilgiri Tahr and Lion-tailed Macaque. It also supports the largest South Indian populations of elephant, tiger, gaur, sambar and chital.

Ecological Significance

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve forms an important part of the Western Ghats ecosystem and supports diverse forest types, wildlife and tribal communities. Its ecological stability is therefore significant for the conservation of biodiversity in southern India.