| Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve | |
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 Nilgiri Hills from the top of Doddabetta Peak | |
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| Location | South India |
| Coordinates | 11°33′00″N76°37′30″E / 11.55000°N 76.62500°E /11.55000; 76.62500 |
| Area | 5,520 km2 (2,130 sq mi) |
| Established | 1986 |
| Governing body | Tamilnadu forest department, Karnataka forest department, Kerala forest department, Project Tiger |
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Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is abiosphere reserve in theNilgiri Mountains of theWestern Ghats inSouth India. It is the largest protectedforest area inIndia, spreading acrossTamil Nadu,Karnataka andKerala. It includes the protected areasMudumalai National Park,Mukurthi National Park,Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;Nagarhole National Park,Bandipur National Park, both in Karnataka;Silent Valley National Park,Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary,Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, andKarimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.
An ecosystem of the hill ranges of Nilgiris and its surrounding environments covering a tract of over 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi) was constituted as Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve byUNESCO in September 1986 under Man and Biosphere Programme. Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is India's first and foremost biosphere reserves with a heritage, rich in flora and fauna. Tribal groups such as theToda,Kotas,Irulla,Kurumba,Paniya,Adiyan, Edanadan Chettis, Allar, and Malayan are native to the reserve.[1]
The word Nilgiri is derived from theTamil wordneelam meaning blue and theSanskrit wordgiri meaning mountain.[2] It is thought that the bluish flowers ofkurinji shrubs gave rise to the name.[3]
In the 1970s, an area of around 5,670 km2 (2,190 sq mi) in theNilgiri Mountains was proposed to be included in the list of thebiosphere reserves of India. This proposed area encompassed a forestry zone of 2,290 km2 (880 sq mi), a core zone of 2,020 km2 (780 sq mi), an agricultural zone of 1,330 km2 (510 sq mi), and a restoration zone of 30 km2 (12 sq mi). Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was established in September 1986 and is India's first biosphere reserve underUNESCO'sMan and the Biosphere Programme.[4]
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve extends over an area of 5,520 km2 (2,130 sq mi) from the eastern part ofKodagu District toErode District in the east and to thePalakkad Gap in the south with an elevation of 80 to 2,600 m (260 to 8,530 ft). It has a buffer zone of 4,280 km2 (1,650 sq mi) and core areas of 1,250.3 km2 (482.7 sq mi), comprising 701.8 km2 (271.0 sq mi) in Karnataka, 264.5 km2 (102.1 sq mi) in Kerala and 274 km2 (106 sq mi) in Tamil Nadu.[4]
The reserve extends from thetropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests,tropical moist forests of the western slopes of the Ghats to the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests tropical dry forests on the east slopes. The rainfall range is 500–7,000 mm (20–276 in) per year. The reserve encompasses three ecoregions, theSouth Western Ghats moist deciduous forests,South Western Ghats montane rain forests, andSouth Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests.[5]
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve harbours more than 3,700 plant species, including about 200medicinal plants; the 132endemicflowering plants are contained in thelist of endemic plants in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.[4]Stuntedevergreen trees grow inshola forest patches above 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and are festooned withepiphytes.[6]
Tall trees above a height of 18 m (59 ft) are used by the giant honey bees (Apis dorsata) for building nests, including the speciesTetrameles nudiflora, Indian laurel (Ficus microcarpa), Coromandel ebony (Diospyros melanoxylon), yellow snake tree (Stereospermum tetragonum), rusty kamala (Mallotus tetracoccus) andAcrocarpus fraxinifolius.[7] During the peak flowering season from January to May, at least 73 species blossom includingteak (Tectona grandis), red cedar (Erythroxylum monogynum), hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis), large-flowered bay tree (Persea macrantha), zunna berry (Ziziphus rugosa) and creeping smartweed (Persicaria chinensis). They depend onpollination by giant honey bee, Asiatic honey bee (Apis cerana), red dwarf honey bee (A. florea) andTrigona bees.[8]
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve harbours 14 bird species that areendemic to the Western Ghats.[4] Of these, theNilgiri laughingthrush (Strophocincla cachinnans) inhabits only higher elevations above 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[9] Other endemics and near-endemics includeNilgiri wood-pigeon,Malabar grey hornbill,Malabar parakeet,white-bellied treepie,white-bellied shortwing,grey-headed bulbul,grey-breasted laughingthrush,rufous babbler,black-and-rufous flycatcher,Nilgiri flycatcher, andNilgiri pipit.[5]
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and adjacent areas host the largestAsian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in India, estimated at 5,750 individuals by 2007. Herds move in 562–800 km2 (217–309 sq mi) largehome ranges and congregate at perennial water sources during the dry season.[10]
Fauna includes over 100 species of mammals, 370 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles, about 39 species of fish, 31 amphibians and 316 species of butterflies.[citation needed] It is home to mammals such as theBengal tiger,Indian leopard,chital deer,gaur,sambar deer,dhole,golden jackal,Indian boar,Nilgiri tahr,Indian spotted chevrotain,black buck,Asian palm civet,sloth bear,four-horned antelope,Nilgiri marten,Indian crested porcupine,Malabar giant squirrel,honey badger,Indian grey mongoose,Indian pangolin,Indian fox,smooth coated otter, andpainted bat. Primates include thelion tailed macaque,Nilgiri langur,gray langur andbonnet macaque.
Amphibians includepurple frog, Silent valley brush frog,Malabar gliding frog,Beddomixalus. Around fifty percent of India's amphibian species are endemic to the region, and around ninety species of reptiles including the generaBrachyopihidium,Dravidogecko,Melanophidum,Ristella,Salea,Plectrurus,Teretrurus, andXylophis.[5]
Shola forests outside protected areas are threatened by fragmentation, especially in the vicinity of settlements.[6] The rapid and dense growth of the invasivePassiflora mollissima inhibits the regeneration of native tree species in the Shola forest patches.[11]
Poaching, deforestation, forest fires, and dangers to native tribes are the main threats. Despite poaching banned by law in 1972, people still tend to illegally hunt animals such as tigers, elephants, and chital for skin, fur or tusks. Forests are being destroyed for farming or livestock. Animals that kill livestock are killed by farmers. Forest fires destroy vegetation. Native tribes are being evacuated from their homelands, resulting in loss of tribal culture.[citation needed]
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