Biosphere reserves

1. Biosphere reserves, forest research
institutes
Sankrita Gaonkar
Assistant Professor in Botany
sankrita002@gmail.com

2. Contents
• Biosphere reserves
• Forest research institutes
• References

3. Biosphere reserve
• Special protected areas of terrestrial or coastal environments, where people are
integrated components of system
• Are examples of natural biomes – unique biological communities
• Concept launched in 1971 – UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB)
programme
• India – 18 biosphere reserves – rich biodiversity
• Are nominated by national government and controlled by state government

4. Objectives of Biosphere reserve:
1) A conservation function – to contribute to conservation of landscapes,
ecosystems and species variation
2) A development function – to foster economic and human development which
is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable
3) A logistic function – to provide support for research, monitoring, education
and information exchange related to local, national and global issues of
conservation and development

5. Structure of Biosphere reserve
• Three interrelated zones:
1) Core zone – represents undisturbed
or least disturbed area of an ecosystem
2) Buffer zone – surrounds the core
zone
• Managed for research, education and
training activities
• Restriction on resource use
• Undertake special developmental
measures to enhance conservation
• Timber production, hunting, fishing,
grazing are permitted
3) Transition zone – outermost part of
biosphere reserve
• Active cooperation between reserve
management and local people
• Settlements, cropping, forestry and
recreation are permitted

6. Sacred groves
• Patches of forests that are
protected by local
communities because of
religious beliefs and
traditional rituals
• Any disturbances to forest
will offend the deity,
causing illness, natural
calamities or crop failure
• E.g., Ajobachi Rai at Keri,
Devachi Rai at Pernem

7. • There are 18 biosphere reserves in
India:
1) Cold Desert, Himachal Pradesh
2) Nanda Devi, Uttrakhand
3) Khangchendzonga, Sikkim
4) Dehang-Debang, Arunachal
Pradesh
5) Manas, Assam
6) Dibru-Saikhowa, Assam
7) Nokrek, Meghalaya
8) Panna, Madhya Pradesh
9) Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh
10) Achanakmar-Amarkantak,
Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh
11) Kachchh, Gujarat (Largest
Area)
12) Similipal, Odisha
13) Sundarban, West Bengal
14) Seshachalam, Andhra Pradesh
15) Agasthyamala, Karnataka-
Tamil Nadu-Kerala
16) Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu-Kerala
(First to be Included)
17) Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu
18) Great Nicobar, Andaman &
Nicobar Island

8. Forest Research Institutes of India
https://www.collegedekho.com/articles/forest-research-institutes-in-india/

9. References
• https://www.collegedekho.com/articles/forest-research-
institutes-in-india/
• Kumar P and Mina U. 2020. Fundamentals of ecology and
environment. 2ND Edition. Pathfinder Publication, New Delhi.
160-162