Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Nilgiri Hills from atop Doddabetta Peak

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats, Nilgiri Hills range of South India. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (6,000⁺ km²), conjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.^[1]

Location

The reserve encompasses 5,520 km² in the states of Tamil Nadu (2537.6 km²), Karnataka (1527.4 km²) and Kerala (1455.4 km²). It forms an almost complete ring around the Nilgiri Plateau. The Biosphere lies Between 10^o 50' t

Protected Areas

Map of Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve showing multiple contiguous protected areas

A stream amidst greenery in the Nilgiri Hills

The Mudumalai WL Sanctuary and National Park (321.1 km² (124.0 sq mi)), Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (344 km² (133 sq mi)), Bandipur National Park (874 km² (337 sq mi)), Nagarhole National Park (643 km² (248 sq mi)), Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary, Mukurthi National Park (78 km² (30 sq mi)) and Silent Valley National Park (89.52 km² (34.56 sq mi)) are protected areas within this reserve that also includes zones of the Nilgiris open to forestry and tourism including: Nilgiris District (North 448.3 km² (173.1 sq mi)) and South 198.8 km² (76.8 sq mi)), Erode District (Sathyamangalam forest (745.9 km² (288.0 sq mi)) and Erode (49.3 km² (19.0 sq mi)) and Coimbatore District (696.2 km² (268.8 sq mi)) in Tamil Nadu.

The reserve extends from the tropical moist forests of the windward western slopes of the Ghats to the tropical dry forests on the leeward east slopes. Rainfall ranges from 500 mm to 7000 mm per year. The reserve encompasses three ecoregions, the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, South Western Ghats montane rain forests, and South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests. The habitat types include montane rain forest, semi-evergreen moist forest, thorn forest and scrub, montane grassland, and high-elevation Shola forests.

Fauna

Fauna includes over 100 species of mammals, 350 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles; about 39 species of fish, 31 amphibians, 60 species of reptiles,^[2] 316 species of butterflies ^[3] and innumerable invertebrates. Rare animals include the tiger, Asian Elephant, and Nilgiri Tahr.

References

1. ^ UNESCO, World Heritage sites, Tentative lists, Western Ghats sub cluster, Niligiris.It includes the Mudumalai,Mukurthi,Wayanad and Bandipur national parks retrieved 4/20/2007 World Heritage sites, Tentative lists
2. ^ Tamil Nadu Forest Department
3. ^ Mathew George and Kumar M. Mahesh, Directors Note [1]- Chapter 6, STATE OF THE ART KNOWLEDGE ON THE BUTTERFLIES OF NILGIRI BIOSPHERE RESERVE, INDIA, ENVIS Centre, Wildlife Institute of India, retrieved 6/10/2007BUTTERFLIES