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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/biosphere-reserves/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:01:18 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>Disappearing grasslands impact bird populations, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Aug 2026 16:37:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grassland ecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiri pipit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/14123726/Nilgiri_Pipit_Anthus_nilghiriensis_from_Anaimalai_hills_IMG_2145-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40133</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Birds, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Endangered species, Endemic species, Forests, Grasslands, Habitat Loss, Shola-grasslands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global distributions are concentrated here. But changes in land use dynamics have caused a steady decline in the populations of certain birds in the region. Colonial-era plantations of exotic tree species like Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus, which are not native to this region, have invaded several parts of the sky islands. Between 1973 and 2017, the islands lost 516 sq km of grasslands and 63 sq km of forests. These diminished habitats have also exposed the limits of adaptability for birds. “Highlighting how land-use change shapes species’ connectivity provides a window into how species specialised to high-elevation grassland habitat types respond to habitat alterations,” said Chiti Arvind, Postdoctoral Fellow, IISER Tirupati and a co-author of a research paper studying the impacts of land use change in the shola sky islands on bird movements. Shola forests and grasslands in the Nilgiris. Image by Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Gains and losses The study covered approximately 2,900 sq km across the two largest sky islands — in the Nilgiris and Palani-Anamalais — at elevations higher than 1400 metres above sea level. The objective was to observe how habitat fragmentation impacted the movements of the seven most&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Nine anchor species could meet India’s biodiversity and climate targets</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/nine-anchor-species-could-meet-indias-biodiversity-and-climate-targets/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/nine-anchor-species-could-meet-indias-biodiversity-and-climate-targets/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Aug 2026 16:33:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shradha Triveni]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dhole]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[king cobra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pangolin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sloth bear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild dog]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/17122525/sloth-bear-daroji-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40101</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Birds, Carbon emissions, Cats, Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Forests, Tigers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s conservation priorities often revolve around charismatic species such as the tiger. But what if the same conservation model is expanded to other species? That’s what researchers explored through a new research published in Conservation Letters. The paper suggests nine “anchor species” whose habitat conservation could simultaneously benefit biodiversity and climate mitigation. Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s conservation priorities often revolve around charismatic species such as the tiger. But what if the same conservation model is expanded to other species? That’s what researchers explored through a new research published in Conservation Letters. The paper suggests nine “anchor species” whose habitat conservation could simultaneously benefit biodiversity and climate mitigation. Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), dhole (Cuon alpinus), king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), gaur (Bos gaurus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), tiger (Pathera tigris) and the leopard (Panthera pardus) make up the anchor species. Habitat protection of at least any one of these nine key species could help conserve more than 700 vertebrates and around 1.1 gigatonnes of carbon (above-ground) across India, notes the study. “Biodiversity is often an afterthought in carbon markets. It’s always carbon first, biodiversity second,” says co-author Aakash Lamba, pointing at how existing frameworks like Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards frame biodiversity as an added benefit of carbon-financed climate projects, rather than considering biodiversity as central to climate mitigation. A conservation scientist at the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore, Lamba emphasises on a species-centred conservation model. The idea is simple: the more you conserve forests, which in this case are the habitats of nine anchor species, the higher the conservation of natural carbon stocks. For each species, researchers measured two things — first, how many other vertebrate species co-occurred in its habitat and second, how much above-ground carbon was stored within that habitat. By&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/nine-anchor-species-could-meet-indias-biodiversity-and-climate-targets/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Biosphere reserves are pockets of hope for a changing planet [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/biosphere-reserves-are-pockets-of-hope-for-a-changing-planet-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/biosphere-reserves-are-pockets-of-hope-for-a-changing-planet-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jan 2026 13:32:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Benno BöerNeha MidhaSrishti Kumar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biosphere reserves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/02114559/Pin_Valley_Spiti_Himachal_Jun18_D72_7092-e1767334578993-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36325</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Climate Change, Ecology, Industry, Natural Resources, United Nations, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The world is facing a Triple Planetary Crisis, where climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss converge. Around the world and especially in India and other South Asian countries, the pressures of unbridled resource extraction and rapid population growth have pushed ecosystems to their limits. In a situation like this, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves stand as rare [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The world is facing a Triple Planetary Crisis, where climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss converge. Around the world and especially in India and other South Asian countries, the pressures of unbridled resource extraction and rapid population growth have pushed ecosystems to their limits. In a situation like this, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves stand as rare “pockets of hope”. These designated protected ecosystems, whether terrestrial, marine or coastal, are living landscapes that prove it is still possible to protect nature while supporting human wellbeing. In these reserves, sustainability is a scientific challenge as well as a cultural, ethical, and community-driven way of life. Every UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is shaped by the people who live within and around it. The forests, rivers, coastlines, and farmlands are not abstract conservation zones. These ecosystems are their homes, livelihood and identity. They are where memories reside. When these communities participate meaningfully in decision-making, and their rights and knowledge are respected, conservation stops being a top-down imposition and becomes a shared responsibility. Empowering communities is essential in South Asia where millions depend directly on natural ecosystems for survival. A well-informed, aware, and motivated community is the strongest force for conservation, and the primary agent that transforms a reserve from protected land into a living “pocket of hope”. The authors emphasise on the importance of ethical, science-based journalism, sharing the example of reporting on dugongs from the southeastern coast in the late 2010s, which helped shift public awareness and foster scientific collaboration stronger coastal protections. Image by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/biosphere-reserves-are-pockets-of-hope-for-a-changing-planet-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Two recent forest guard deaths in Asia’s second largest biosphere reserve spur reforms</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/two-recent-forest-guard-deaths-in-asias-second-largest-biosphere-reserve-spur-reforms/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/two-recent-forest-guard-deaths-in-asias-second-largest-biosphere-reserve-spur-reforms/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Aug 2023 15:50:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aishwarya Mohanty]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biosphere reserves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest guards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/08/25124246/Similipal-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=24147</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biosphere reserves, Forests, and Tigers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On May 22, Bimal Kumar Jena, 40, a forest guard posted at Baunsakhala beat under Pithabata range, in the core area of Similipal national park, was shot dead by poachers. Similipal is a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district, in Odisha.  This was the first such case of a forest guard being killed by poachers within [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On May 22, Bimal Kumar Jena, 40, a forest guard posted at Baunsakhala beat under Pithabata range, in the core area of Similipal national park, was shot dead by poachers. Similipal is a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district, in Odisha.  This was the first such case of a forest guard being killed by poachers within the sanctuary. Almost a month later, on June 17, Mathi Hansda, 40, a forest ranger, was allegedly killed by poachers, while patrolling along with five other staff members near Gamchacharan under the Upper Barhakamuda range of Similipal South. These deaths inadvertently shed light on not only the escalating poaching menace, but also the severe challenges faced by forest department personnel. Meanwhile, the forest department is working on improving the overall situation. Escalating poaching While the deaths have brought to light the lack of security and safety for the foot soldiers working in the tiger reserve area, they have also exposed the existing problem of poaching. Similipal, home to the unique melanistic tigers, has seen a drastic fall in their numbers. The population once stood at over 100 in 2002, but it has now dropped to 16, in 2022, according to the tiger estimation report released recently. However, between 2018 and 2022, the numbers doubled from eight to 16. With an intelligence unit set up, the team has started cracking down on poachers and tracking poaching activities. Recently, four leopard skins were seized. Photo by Aishwarya Mohanty. Since 2019, the tiger reserve has also witnessed 11&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/two-recent-forest-guard-deaths-in-asias-second-largest-biosphere-reserve-spur-reforms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Nature and tribal welfare takes a back seat during the elections in the Nilgiris</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/04/nature-and-tribal-welfare-takes-a-back-seat-during-the-elections-in-the-nilgiris/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/04/nature-and-tribal-welfare-takes-a-back-seat-during-the-elections-in-the-nilgiris/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Apr 2019 12:05:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bhanu Sridharan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/04/17203933/DSC_1834-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=4893</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment and Elections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biosphere reserves, Cities and Towns, Environmental Politics, Forest Rights Act, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Protected Areas, Tourism, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[One of the most biodiverse regions of the Western Ghats, the Nilgiris (the blue mountains) comprise a range of ecosystems including dry deciduous forests at its base, dense evergreen forests on the slopes and on the mountain tops a mosaic of stunted forests and grasslands. Over 3000 species of plants, 350 species of birds and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[One of the most biodiverse regions of the Western Ghats, the Nilgiris (the blue mountains) comprise a range of ecosystems including dry deciduous forests at its base, dense evergreen forests on the slopes and on the mountain tops a mosaic of stunted forests and grasslands. Over 3000 species of plants, 350 species of birds and 100 species of mammals occur in this region because of which the Nilgiris have been declared a biosphere reserve and comprise protected areas such as the Mukurthi National Park and the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The Nilgiris are also home to six ancient indigenous communities and tribes – Badagas (traditionally settled agriculturists and the largest numerically), Todas (pastoralists occupying the upper plateau), Kotas (artisans) and Irulas, Kurumbas and Paniyars (hunter-gatherers, who also practice settled agriculture now). While the tribal and indigenous communities face multiple challenges, the residents appear to have little faith in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections addressing any of their problems. The Lok Sabha constituency of the Nilgiri mountains in Tamil Nadu, includes popular hill towns such as Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Gudalur and Coonoor and towns such as Mettupalayam, Avanashi and Bhavanisagar that connect the region to the plains. The Nilgiris seen from the wildlife corridors of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Photo by S. Gopikrishna Warrier/Mongabay. Declining forests and less access to forest resources In the 19th century, the British began clearing forests for tea and cultivation and started planting exotic trees, a practice continued by the independent Indian government, decimating the region’s unique high&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/04/nature-and-tribal-welfare-takes-a-back-seat-during-the-elections-in-the-nilgiris/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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					<title>Decline in forest fires in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve indicates management effectiveness</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/09/decline-in-forest-fires-in-nilgiri-biosphere-reserve-indicates-management-effectiveness/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/09/decline-in-forest-fires-in-nilgiri-biosphere-reserve-indicates-management-effectiveness/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Sep 2018 10:57:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2018/09/15004824/nilgiri1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=2406</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biosphere reserves, Forest Fires, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Since the development of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats in 1986 — the first such reserve to have been established in India — active measures have been taken to suppress forest fires, most of which are caused by humans and can affect biodiversity in the region. But the biosphere managers need to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Since the development of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats in 1986 — the first such reserve to have been established in India — active measures have been taken to suppress forest fires, most of which are caused by humans and can affect biodiversity in the region. But the biosphere managers need to evaluate the effectiveness of the past fire suppression measures to plan future courses of action. A new satellite-based study by a team of researchers from ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad and Andhra University has now quantified fires in the entire Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve over the past 40 years, revealing that fires in the reserve have declined in both area and frequency. Previous studies so far have looked at the status of fires in the reserve, but most were focused on a small area within the reserve or considered a short time period in their analysis. The researchers attributed this decline to effective fire management strategies implemented after the reserve was established. Annual fire management plans had been carried out in the reserve, which involved local communities through Joint Forest Management committees by the Forests and Wildlife Department and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).Using data from both NASA’s Landsat satellites and Indian remote sensing satellites, the researchers of the study mapped out the area of forest burnt and analysed the spatial patterns and frequencies of fires in the reserve from 1973 to 2014 — a period of four decades. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve encompasses six protected areas among which four are&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2018/09/decline-in-forest-fires-in-nilgiri-biosphere-reserve-indicates-management-effectiveness/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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					<title>Father bamboo bush frogs are sole caregivers, protect young from cannibals</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/01/father-bamboo-bush-frogs-are-sole-caregivers-protect-young-from-cannibals/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/01/father-bamboo-bush-frogs-are-sole-caregivers-protect-young-from-cannibals/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jan 2018 11:46:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Richa Malhotra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amphibians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[frogs]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2018/01/03111559/Pic-2A-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=283</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Animal Behaviour, Animals, Biosphere reserves, Forests, and Frogs]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At the southern tip of India’s Western Ghats, on the edge of a wet evergreen forest stands a tall copse of reed bamboo. Dotting the bamboo’s hollows are round, transparent eggs with a creamy white centre. In about a month, the eggs will hatch into tiny froglets. The glittery green frogs will stick around for [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[At the southern tip of India’s Western Ghats, on the edge of a wet evergreen forest stands a tall copse of reed bamboo. Dotting the bamboo’s hollows are round, transparent eggs with a creamy white centre. In about a month, the eggs will hatch into tiny froglets. The glittery green frogs will stick around for a while and then leave the safety of the bamboo. But until they do, their father will watch over them. Enter the secretive world of the white-spotted bush frog Raorchestes chalazodes, a ‘critically endangered’ species. Limited in its presence to the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, the frog breeds only inside bamboo stalks. After scouting out a suitable nesting site – a bamboo internode with a tiny opening to squeeze through – a male bush frog launches into a musical trill. Impressed, a female enters the hollow. She lays five to eight eggs and glues them on to the wall. The male then fertilizes the eggs and off goes the female, leaving the eggs behind in the male’s care. The white-spotted bush frog Raorchestes chalazodes in the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Photo by David Raju / India Biodiversity Portal. The male guards the eggs alone and frequently calls from within the hollow to signal his presence, finds a study by K. S. Seshadri of the National University of Singapore. The father frog even sleeps next to the eggs with eyes half-open. If an intruder like a cockroach, katydid or another male frog enters the bamboo, he warns&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2018/01/father-bamboo-bush-frogs-are-sole-caregivers-protect-young-from-cannibals/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>The first official record of animal diversity of the Great Nicobar</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2017/12/the-first-official-record-of-animal-diversity-of-the-great-nicobar/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2017/12/the-first-official-record-of-animal-diversity-of-the-great-nicobar/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Dec 2017 11:32:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bhavya Khullar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[record]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[survey]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2017/12/29085347/Robber_Crab__Birgus_latro__Linnaeus__1767_.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=259</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Bay of Bengal]]>
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											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Amphibians, Animals, Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Coast, Coral Reefs, Deforestation, Endangered species, Endemic species, Habitat Loss, Insects, Islands, New species, Oceans, Plants, Protected Areas, Reptiles, and Wildlife]]>
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							<![CDATA[The Great Nicobar Island is located further south than Kanyakumari and is closer to Myanmar and Sumatra than to the Indian mainland. Over millennia of evolution and isolation, the island has developed its unique biological diversity. The devastating impact of the 2004 Asian Tsunami had an adverse impact on this biodiversity. Even as the island [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[The Great Nicobar Island is located further south than Kanyakumari and is closer to Myanmar and Sumatra than to the Indian mainland. Over millennia of evolution and isolation, the island has developed its unique biological diversity. The devastating impact of the 2004 Asian Tsunami had an adverse impact on this biodiversity. Even as the island recovers, increasing human activity is causing habitat disturbance that is affecting the numbers of some of the critical species. The Zoological Survey of India has published the first official record of the animal diversity of the Great Nicobar Island in a book titled Faunal diversity of Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. “This is the first time a holistic account of the animal diversity of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve has been published. This book is going to provide baseline numbers for all future studies in Great Nicobar Island that are going to be conducted by the Zoological Survey of India. We are making this data publicly available to aid other organisations who aim to conserve its unique biodiversity,” said Kailash Chandra, director of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). In this study, done from April 2010 to March 2013 in the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, scientists at the ZSI recorded the animal diversity of this region from both its terrestrial and marine ecosystems. They also evaluated the success of conservation strategies implemented in this area and listed the factors that are putting the biodiversity in this hotspot at risk. The book lists a total of 1767&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2017/12/the-first-official-record-of-animal-diversity-of-the-great-nicobar/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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