MCQs on Biodiversity (Environment)

• Sitamata Sanctuary was declared as a protected forest area in 1979.
  • It is famous for Flying Squirrel.

• ​Sitamata Sanctuary:
  • It is situated in Pratapgarh.
  • The highest biodiversity is found here.
  • Most teak forests are found here.
  • There are two water sources named Luv and Kush.
  • Sita Mata temple is also situated here, where every year fair is held.

  • It is home to the highest forest medicines after the Himalayas.​

Some of the Sanctuary in Rajasthan are:

Pench National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh.

Kaziranga National Park is famous for being the world's largest habitat for the great one-horned rhinos.

• Bandhavgarh National Park is a famous Tiger Reserve located in Madhya Pradesh, India.
• It was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.
• The Tiger Reserve is Known for the healthy population of tigers and a variety of herbivores.

• Madhya Pradesh was declared the Tiger State in 2019. As per the July 2019 Tiger census report, the tiger count in the state had risen from 308 in 2014 to 526 in 2018.
• Madhya Pradesh
  • ​Capital- Bhopal
  • CM- Mohan Yadav
  • Governor- Mangubhai C. Patel

• Kanha National Park is nestled in the Maikal range of Satpuras in Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India that forms the central Indian highlands.
• Tigers, jackals and wild pigs can be spotted in Kanha.
• Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955 and in 1973 was made the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
• It stretches over an area of 940 sq KM.

• Rajaji National national park, most famous for its elephant population.
  • Located at the Himalayan foothills, near Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun, with Ganga and Song rivers, flowing through it, the park is known for its scenic beauty and rich bio-diversity.
  • A paradise for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, the park is home to elephants, tigers, leopards, deers and ghorals, and a wide variety of birds. In 1983, three sanctuaries in Uttarakhand - Rajaji, Motichur and Chilla - were amalgamated into a large protected area and named Rajaji National Park, in honour of freedom fighter and and first governor general of India Late C Rajagopalachari; popularly known as “Rajaji”.
  • This area is the north-western limit of Asian elephants. Spread over an area of 820.42 sq km, Rajaji is a magnificent ecosystem nestled in the Shivalik ranges at the start of the vast Indo–Gangetic plains, thus representing vegetation of several distinct zones and forest types.

• Covering an area of 500 km², the Dachigam National Park is located in the Zabarwan Range of the Western Himalayas, around 22 km from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
• The word "Dachigam" means "ten villages" and the park was so named in the memory of the 10 villages that were relocated due to the park.
• The park was a protected area since 1910 but was upgraded to a National Park in 1981.
• It is primarily known for hangul or the Kashmir stag which is a subspecies of elk.
• Other animal species found in the park include Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear, Musk deer, Himalayan serow, Yellow-throated marten, Jackal, etc.
• Also, Himalayan monal, Black bulbul, Bearded vulture, Babbler, and Cinnamon sparrow are some of the common bird species.

• Clouded Leopard National Park is a national park in the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary Tripura, India.
  • Clouded Leopard National Park is a national park in the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary Tripura, India. It covers an area of about 5.08 square kilometers (1.96 sq mi) and is home to four species of primate monkeys including Phayre's langur. The National Park is 28km from the State's Capital Agartala.
  • The clouded leopard, also called the mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China. In the early 19th century, a clouded leopard was brought to London from China and described in 1821.

• Gee's golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), also known as simply the golden langur, is an Old World monkey.
• They are an endangered primate species distributed in the transboundary region of Bhutan and India.
• Golden Langurs are easily recognized by the colour of their fur and are distributed in the forested habitats of Tsirang, Sarpang, Zhemgang, and Trongsa districts of Bhutan.
• In India, fragmented and isolated populations of the species are distributed in the Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, and Bongaigaon districts of Assam.
• In India, 93% of its population is found in forest reserves (Chirang, Manas, and Ripu) and the western part of Manas National Park, and the remaining occur in several small isolated fragments.
• The population has declined by more than 30% in the last 30 years and is expected to decline further in the near future.
• Golden langurs are protected by law in their range.
  • The species is listed in Appendix I of CITES and in Schedule I of both, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 of India, and the Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan, 1995.
• Manas National Park is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve, and a biosphere reserve in Assam, India.
  • Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
  • The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, and pygmy hog.
  • Manas is famous for its population of wild water buffalo.

• Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha state.
• An integral part of Simlipal Tiger Reserve spread over 2750 sq. km constituted during 1973.
• Simlipal is declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1979.
• Simlipal has been proposed as Simlipal National Park since 1980.

• In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was enacted, which provides the main legal framework for the conservation and protection of wildlife in India.
• The two main objectives of the Act are
  • To provide protection to the endangered species listed in the schedule of the Act.
  • To provide legal support to the conservation areas of the country classified as National parks, sanctuaries, and closed areas.
• This Act has been comprehensively amended in 1991, making punishments more stringent, and has also made provisions for the protection of specified plant species and conservation of endangered species of wild animals.

• India’s Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty.
• It is located in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand.
• This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear, and blue sheep.
• The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya.
• The Nanda Devi National Park is renowned for its remote mountain wilderness, dominated by India's second-highest mountain at 7,817 m.

• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kerala state.
• Some other famous National Parks and Sanctuaries in Kerala are:-
  • Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, and Silent Valley National Park.
• Some facts about Kerala:-

• Manas National Park is also known as Manas Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • It is situated in Assam.
  • This National park is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve, and a biosphere reserve in Assam.
  • Manas is famous for its population of wild water buffalo.
  • It was declared a sanctuary on 1^st October 1928.
  • It was declared a World Heritage site in December 1985 by UNESCO.

• Rajasthan has four national parks and wildlife sanctuaries: Keladevi National Park of Bharatpur, Sariska Tiger Reserve of Alwar, Ranthambore National Park of Sawai Madhopur, and Desert National Park of Jaisalmer.
• The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur.
• It was created in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary and in 1977, it was gazetted as a national park.
• Uttarakhand has 6 National parks. -

• The 'Desert National Park' is situated in Jaisalmer - Barmer.
• Desert National Park
  • ​It is located in the Thar Desert.
  • The park was gazetted in 1980.
  • The Aravalli hills mark the easternmost boundary limit of the Thar desert while the western limit is defined by the fertile plains of the Indus.
  • Sandy areas dominate the western parts of the Jaisalmer district, while gravelly and rocky areas are scattered throughout central, southern, and eastern areas.
  • It is barren with several sand dunes and a few hills in the north-western region. It forms a vast sandy and undulating terrain.
  • The vegetation of the major part of the arid region of the Thar falls under the thorn forest type.
  • The vegetation is quite sparse with open grassland, thorny bushes, plantation, and dunes as the broad habitat types.
  • The Chinkara or Indian Gazelle is a common antelope of this region.
  • It also has fossils from the Jurassic Period.

• Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1981 with an initial area of about 344.68 km2 (133.08 sq mi).
• In the 1990s, it was selected as a possible site to implement the Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project, which aimed at establishing a second lion population in India.
• The sanctuary derives its name from the Kuno, a tributary of the river Chambal.
• The first batch of cheetahs is currently being brought from the African continent to be introduced into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

• Madhya Pradesh is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Satna, etc.
  • Area: 308,245 km²
  • Capital: Bhopal
  • Chief minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
  • Population: 7.33 crores (2012)
  • Regions: Malwa, ‎Bundelkhand‎, ‎Baghelkhand‎, ...‎
  • Country: India
  • Formation: 1 November 1956
  • Literacy (2011): 70.6%

• The state of Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of Tiger reserves in India (6 tiger reserves).

• The tiger reserves in India are governed under Project Tiger which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• About 80% of the tigers in the world are found in India.
• Tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh are:
  • Kanha Tiger Reserve
  • Pench Tiger Reserve
  • Panna Tiger Reserve
  • Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
  • Satpuda Tiger Reserve
  • Sanjay Tiger Reserve

• ​The National Tiger Conservation Authority:
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005.
  • It was established on the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganised management of Project Tiger and the Tiger Reserves in India.
• Project Tiger :
  • ​Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the endangered species of tiger in the country. Starting from nine (9) reserves in 1973-2016 the number is grown up to fifty (50).
• ​Total Tiger reserves in India: 51
• The tiger census conducted in India in 2022 yielded positive results but also brought some cause for concern:
  • Increase in national population: There was a 6.7% increase in the tiger population compared to 2018, bringing the national estimate to 3,167 tigers. This marks a continued rise since 2006.
  • Success stories in specific regions: The biggest rise in tiger numbers occurred in the Shivalik hills and Gangetic flood plains, followed by central India and the northeastern regions.
  • Challenges in the Western Ghats: While some major populations remained stable, there was a decline in tiger numbers in some parts of the Western Ghats. This highlights the ongoing threats posed by habitat loss due to development.

• Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur.
• The park was initially declared as a Sanctuary in 1966, to preserve the natural refuge of the endangered Brow-antlered Deer – Sangai.
• It was established as a National Park in the year 1977 and the total area of the park is 40.00 Km².
• This park is the world’s only floating national park and last natural habitat of Brow antlered deer – Sangai.
• The park is situated on the southern shore of the Loktak Lake – the largest freshwater lake in Eastern India, which has been declared a Ramsar site.

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve is located in the state of Bihar.
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve comprises of the Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) is situated in the northwest corner of the State of Bihar in the West Champaran district.
• ‘Tharu’, a scheduled tribe, is the dominant community found here.

• Keibul Lamjao National park is the only floating park in the world.
  • Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in Manipur.
  • It is World's only 'floating' sanctuary.
  • Famous for:
    • Sangai: Endemic and endangered subspecies of brow-antlered deer.
    • Phumdis: Floating islands.
  • Nearby lake: Loktak lake.

• Keibul Lamjao National Park:
  • The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur.
  • The only floating national park of its kind in the world, Keibul Lamjao National Park is a singular wetland ecosystem located on Loktak Lake.
  • The Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world, is home to the last of the brow-antlered deer (Rucervus eldii eldii), one of the most endangered deer in the world.
  • The rare sangai or dancing deer can be spotted here with relative ease.
  • Besides, you can also see hog deer, wild boar, large Indian civet, jungle cat, and otter, along with several migratory birds, which arrive here between the months of November and March as well as waterfowls.
  • The national park is characterized by many floating decomposed plant materials locally called phumdis.

Option 2 is correct, i.e. Gujarat.

• List of some important National Parks:

• Bhitarkanika National Park is situated in the Kendrapara district of Odisha.
• It is the 2nd largest Mangrove ecosystem of India after the Sundarbans.
• Bhitarkanika National Park is also popular as Mini Amazon of India.
• The mangrove forest is made by two river deltas of River Brahmani and Baitarani.
• The park alone is accountable for about 70 percent of India’s saltwater crocodile population.

• Other National parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha:
  • Simlipal National Park
  • Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Chilika (Nalaban) Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary

• The First National Park established in India was Jim Corbett National Park and was established in 1936.
• It is established as Hailey National Park to protect the Bengal tiger.
• Jim Corbett Park is located in the Nainital district and Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
• Corbett National Park contains a 520.8 km² area of hills, riverine belts, marshy depressions, grasslands, and a large lake.

• Buxa Tiger Reserve or Buxa National Park set up at the north-eastern corner of West Bengal bordering Bhutan and Assam in the Alipurdur District is a protected Forest Reserve of Dooars.
• Buxa Tiger Reserve was created in 1983 as the 15th tiger reserve in India.
• Buxa derived its name from the famous Buxa Fort.
• The diversity of mammals in the Buxa Tiger Reserve ranks second highest among all the tiger reserves of India.

• Tiger Reserve available in Utter Pradesh is Dudhwa & Pilibhit.
• Tiger Reserve available in Kerala is Periyar & Parambikulam.
• Tiger Reserve available in Andhra Pradesh is Nagarjunsagar Srisailam.
• Tiger Reserve available in Arunachal Pradesh is Namdapha.
• Tiger Reserve available in Assam is Kaziranga.

• Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the endangered species of tiger in the country. Starting from nine (9) reserves in 1973-2016 the number is grown up to fifty (50). A total area of 71027.10 km² is covered by these project tiger areas.

• Guindy National Park is a protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai.
• It is the 8th-smallest National Park of India .
• The park has a role in both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
• There are over 14 species of mammals including blackbuck, chital or spotted deer, jackal, small Indian civet, common palm civet etc.

• Valley of Flowers National Park is located near Badrinath, in Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand.
• It was declared as a National park in 1982, and it was declared as a World Heritage Site on July 14, 2005 by UNESCO.
• Animals like Asiatic black deer, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox, brown bear, and blue sheep are found here.
• Nanda Devi National park and Valley of Flowers National park together preserve a transition zone between the eastern and weste

• There are18 Biosphere reserves in India.
• Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.
  • They are internationally recognized, nominated by national governments, and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located.
• They often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along with buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.
• First Biosphere Reserve: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (Est. 1986)
• Largest Biosphere Reserve: Gulf of Mannar
• Smallest Biosphere Reserve: Panna

There are 18 biosphere reserves in India:

• Cold Desert, Himachal Pradesh
• Nanda Devi, Uttrakhand
• Khangchendzonga, Sikkim
• Dehang-Debang, Arunachal Pradesh
• Manas, Assam
• Dibru-Saikhowa, Assam
• Nokrek, Meghalaya
• Panna, Madhya Pradesh
• Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh
• Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh
• Kachchh, Gujarat (Largest Area)
• Similipal, Odisha
• Sundarban, West Bengal
• Seshachalam, Andhra Pradesh
• Agasthyamala, Karnataka-Tamil Nadu-Kerala
• Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu-Kerala (First to be Included)
• Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu
• Great Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Island

Optional 3 is correct, i.e. Himachal Pradesh.

Kanha National Park is the largest National park in Madhya Pradesh.

• Kanha National Park:
  • It is also known as the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
  • It is the largest National park in Madhya Pradesh which is extended for about 950 sq.km in the two districts such as Balaghat and Mandla of Madhya Pradesh.
  • This park is famous for its Royal Bengal Tiger.
• Madhav National Park:
  • It is located in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It covers an area of about 260 sq.km in it.
  • This park is famous for its various types of Deers.
• Mandla Fossils National Park:
  • It is the smallest National park which is located in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It covers an area of about 0.3 sq.km in it.
  • This park is famous for its Fossil bottle palm.
• Van Vihar National Park:
  • It is located in Bhopal which is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It covers an area of about 4.5 sq.km in it.
  • This park is famous for its Gharial.

• Chandoli National Park is located in the Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra.
• It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year of 1985.
• It was declared as a National Park in the year 2004.
• It was declared as a Project Tiger in 2007.
• The total area of the Chandoli National Park is 317.67 Km².
• The park receives its water supply from the Warna river.
• Important National parks in Maharashtra are:
  • Tadoba National Park.
  • Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
  • Navegaon National Park.
  • Gugamal National Park.

• Important National Park of Bihar is:
  • Valmiki National Park.
• Important National Parks of Uttarakhand are:
  • Nanda Devi National Park.
  • Rajaji National Park.
  • Valley of Flowers National Park.
  • Govind Pashu Vihar National Park.
  • Jim Corbett National Park.
• Important National Parks of Telangana are:
  • Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park.
  • Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park.
  • Mrugavani National Park.

• Simlipal sanctuary is one of the UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserves in India spread in an area of more than 2750 km² of the Chotanagpur plateau.
• Simlipal National Park derives its name from the abundance of "Semul" or red silk cotton trees that bloom abundantly in the locality.
• It was formally designated a tiger reserve in 1956, and under Project Tiger in the year 1973.
• It is part of the Similipal-Kuldiha-Hadgarh Elephant Reserve popularly known as Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve.

• Biosphere Reserves in India:

  Biosphere	State
  Cold Desert	Himachal Pradesh
  Nanda Devi	Uttrakhand
  Khangchendzonga	Sikkim
  Manas	Assam
  Kachchh	Gujarat (Largest Area)
  Sundarban	West Bengal
  Nilgiri	Tamil Nadu-Kerala
  Gulf of Mannar	Tamil Nadu

• The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is located in the Sahyadri ranges of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra.

• It is in the news because the Maharashtra government is planning to relocate tigers from the Vidarbha region to the sanctuaries elsewhere where their population is smaller, including the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR).
  • At present, STR has only seven tigers. For this, the state government has also set up a committee to examine this issue, and a decision will be taken based on its recommendations.
  • It will also consult experts from the Centre and submit its report in 2-3 months.
  • Tiger is India's national Animal and India is home to 80 percent of tigers in the world. Tiger Reserves are spread across 18 states in India.
  • A Tiger Reserve consists of a 'Core' or 'Critical Tiger Habitat', which is to be managed as an inviolate area, and a 'Buffer' or Peripheral area immediately abutting a Core area, which may be accorded a lesser degree of habitat protection. This is the typical zonation of a Tiger Reserve.

• Pench National Park is located in Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is named after the Pench River that flows through the park. In 1992, the National Park was established as a tiger reserve.

• The Valmiki National Park is famous for Tigers.
• It is the only National Park of Bihar.
• It is situated in the Champaran district on the banks of the river Gandak.
• The Gir National Park is famous for Lions. It is situated in Gujarat.
• The Kaziranga National Park of Assam is famous for the one-horned Rhino.
• The Dachigam National Park of Jammu and Kashmir is famous for Hangul or Kashmiri Stag.

Option 4 is correct, i.e. Andhra Pradesh.

• Papikonda National Park is located in Andhra Pradesh.

List of some important National Parks:

• The Simlipal National Park is located in Odisha.
• It is also a tiger reserve and is located in the Mayurbhanj district of the state.

• Hemis National Park is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh Union Territory of the Republic of India.
• The north of this protected area is enclosed by the banks of the Indus River.
• It is named after the famous monastery, Hemis gompa that is situated 40 km southeast of Leh.
• It is home to an immense population of snow leopards.
• Apart from snow leopards, the flora includes bharal, argali, Asiatic ibex, Eurasian brown bear, Tibetan wolf, red fox, etc.
• The Hemis National Park is the second-largest contiguous protected region of the country after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.

• Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is located in 3 districts namely Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• Uttar Pradesh has 3 tiger reserves, the other two are Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Amangarh Tiger Reserve.

• Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of national parks in India.
• The state has 7 tiger reserves, 11 national parks, and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.
• Andaman and Nicobar also have the highest number of national parks, i.e. 9.
• There are a total of 551 wildlife sanctuaries and 106 national parks in India.
• Bihar has 1 national park, Odisha has 2, while UP has 1.

• Vansda National Park is located in Gujarat.
• Vansda National Park, also known as Bansda National Park.
• Important animals found here are the Indian leopard, rhesus macaque, Hanuman langur, four-horned antelope, wild boar, Indian porcupine, hyena, flying squirrel etc.

The following National parks are most famous in India:

According to data available as of 2019, 104 national parks are situated in India.

• Indian national parks are protected areas under IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature) category II.
• In 1936, the Hailey National Park(now known as Jim Corbett National Park) was established as India's first national park.
• India enacted the Wildlife Conservation Act and Project Tiger in 1972 to safeguard the conservation- wildlife habitats.
• In 2018, The Kuno National Park is received the status of National park.

• Pench National Park:
  • Pench national park is also located in the state of Madhya Pradesh and derives its name from the river Pench flowing through it.
  • It was initially a wildlife sanctuary and was declared as a national park in 1992.
  • Royal Bengal tiger, wild boar, sloth bear, Indian leopard, fox, striped hyena, monkey, gaur, barking deer, four-horned antelope are the key fauna.
  • Both Kanha and Pench National Park are considered to be an inspiration for the ‘Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling.

• Sultanpur National Park was earlier known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary.
• Sultanpur National Park is in Haryana.
• The area was declared a Bird sanctuary in 1972.
• The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary became a National Park in 1991.
• Sultanpur is named after the Rajput raja Sultan Singh Chauhan.
• The Kalesar National Park is also situated in Haryana.

• Similipal Biosphere Reserve and National Park are located in Odisha.
  • It got its national park status in 1979.
  • Simplipal Biosphere Reserve has an abundance of red silk cotton trees.
  • It is in the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha covering 2,750 km2 (1,060 sq mi).
  • It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas—Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary with 191.06 km2 (73.77 sq mi) and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary with 272.75 km2 (105.31 sq mi)
• Bhitarkanika National Park is also located in Odisha.

• India’s Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty.
• It is located in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand.
• This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear, and blue sheep.
• The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya.
• The Nanda Devi National Park is renowned for its remote mountain wilderness, dominated by India's second-highest mountain at 7,817 m.

• The Keoladeo Ghana National Park is located in Rajasthan state, about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi.
• It was formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.​

• Mukundra hill largely extended to Kota, Rajasthan.
• Mukundra hill national park is situated in Mukundra hills and it also has a third tiger reserve of Rajasthan whose name is Mukundra hills tiger reserve.
• Mukundra hill national park consisting of three wildlife sanctuary Namely Darrah wildlife sanctuary, Chambal wildlife sanctuary and Jaswant Sagar wildlife sanctuary.

• It was formed on 16th September 1989 in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
• Its area is 2390 sq km and the source of the 'Ganga-Gaumukh’ is situated here. The bharal population is remarkable. Musk deer, snow leopard, and Himalayan tahr are also found.
• Uttarkashi district was created on February 24, 1960, out of what then constituted the Parganas of Rawain and Uttarkashi of Rawain tahsil of erstwhile Tehri Garhwal district.
• It sprawls in the extreme north-west corner of the state over an area of 8016 sq. kms. in the rugged terrain of the mystic Himalayas.

• Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Munger district of Bihar.
• This Sanctuary is famous for hot water springs.

Valmiki-:

• Valmiki National Park is located in Betiah, West Champaran.
• It is a Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Rajgir-:

• Rajgir wildlife sanctuary is located in the Nalanda district of Bihar.
• Rajgir wildlife sanctuary is also known as Pant wildlife sanctuary.

Gautam Budha-:

• It is located in the Gaya district of Bihar and Kodarma district of Jharkhand.

• The Buxa Tiger Reserve is located in West Bengal.

• Buxa Tiger Reserve was established in 1983.
• It was the then 15^th tiger reserve in India.
• Animals found in Buxa Tiger Reserve Indian leopard, Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, giant squirrel, gaur, chital, and wild boar.

• National Park/Wildlife sanctuary in West Bengal are West Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Singalila National Park, Sunderban National Park (STR) Tiger Reserve, and Jaldapara National Park.

Note: Recently Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

• Huangguoshu National Park of China is located in west Guizhou province.
• It is 128 km from Guiyang and 45 km from Anshun, a tourist destination in West China.
• Huangguoshu is also the largest waterfalls in China and East Asia located on the Baishui River in Anshun in the same province.

• Sariska Tiger Reserve is a national park and tiger reserve located in the Alwar district of the state of Rajasthan, India.
• It was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India's Project Tiger in 1973.
• It is the first reserve in the world to have successfully relocated tigers.

• Clouded Leopard National Park is a national park in the Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary Tripura, India.
• The park was established in the year 2007 for protection of the clouded leopard.

Kalesar National Park and Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary:

• These are protected areas in Yamunanagar district of Haryana state in India. So, option 4 is correct.
• 122 kilometers from Chandigarh.
• Both are also contiguous to Simbalbara National Park in Himachal Pradesh and Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand.
• Kalesar is a popular destination for leopards, panthers, elephants, red jungle fowl and bird-watching.
• This forested area in the Shivalik foothills is covered primarily with sal with smattering of Semul, Amaltas, and Bahera trees as well.
• Wildlife jeep safaris are available on 3 tracks.

• The United Kingdom became the first country to declare a climate emergency.

• On 1st May 2019, the British MPs have approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency.
• This proposal, which demonstrates the will of the Commons on the issue, does not legally compel the government to act.
• But it asks the government to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions completely by 2050 (compared to the current objective of 80 percent).
• It also seeks proposals aimed at achieving a zero-waste economy that can protect and restore the environment.
• Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who tabled the motion, said it was "a huge step forward".
• The declaration of an emergency was one of the key demands put to the government by the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion.

• There are 4 biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and the Sundaland.
• These hotspots have numerous endemic species.
• The Western Ghats are present along the western edge of peninsular India and cover most of the deciduous forests and rain forests.
  • This region consists of 6000 plant species of which 3000 are endemic.
  • The vegetation in this region was spread over 190,000 km² but has been now reduced to 43,000 km².
  • The region is also known for 450 species of birds, 140 mammals, 260 reptiles, and 175 amphibians.

• The Sundaland hotspot is located in South-East India (south of West Bengal, Bangladesh).
  • In the year 2013, the Sundaland was declared as a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations.
  • This region is famous for its rich terrestrial and marine ecosystem.
  • It is one of the biologically richest hotspots in the world which comprises 25,000 species of vascular plants, of which 15,000 are found only in this region.
• The Himalayas comprises North-East India, Bhutan, Central and Eastern parts of Nepal.
  • This region holds a record of having 163 endangered species which includes the Wild Asian Water Buffalo, One-horned Rhino, and as many as 10,000 plant species, of which 3160 are endemic.
  • This mountain range covers nearly 750,000 km².
• The Indo-Burma Region is stretched over a distance of 2,373,000 km², this region spans over the North-eastern states, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and the southern part of China.
  • In the last 12 years, 6 large mammal species have been discovered in this region: the Large-antlered Muntjac, the Annamite Muntjac, the Grey-shanked Douc, the Annamite Striped Rabbit, the Leaf Deer, and the Saola.
• Endangered Animal Species in India: The Royal Bengal Tiger, The Great Asiatic Lion, The Snow Leopard, The Pig Nosed Frog, The Pink Headed Duck..

• Kaziranga National Park is located in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam.
• The popular national park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses live in the park.
• The national park is also recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) making it not only an ideal wildlife sighting destination in India.
• In 1908, Kaziranga was designated a "Reserve Forest".

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National Park

• There are 106 National parks in India.
• First national park in India- Jim Corbett National Park (previously known as Hailey National Park).
• No human activity/rights allowed except for the ones permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State.
• It covered a 1.23 percent geographical area of India.
• Recently in July Assam government decided to upgrade the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into National Park.

• The Gulf of Mannar is a wide shallow bay that forms part of the Indian Ocean's Laccadive Sea, with a minimum depth of 5.8 m.
• It lies in the Coromandel Coast area, between the west coast of Sri Lanka and the southeastern tip of India.
• The low island and reef chain is known as Adam's Bridge (also known as Rama Sethu in India), which includes Mannar Island, separates Palk Bay from the Gulf of Mannar, which lies between Sri Lanka and India to the north.
• Sri Lanka's Malvathu Oya (Malvathu River) and the estuaries of South India's Thamirabarani River and Vaippar River flow into the Gulf.

• The Sundarbans is a delta mangrove region created in the Bay of Bengal by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers. The mangrove forest of the Sundarbans occupies an area of approximately 10,000 km2, of which forests stretch over 6,017 km2 in Bangladesh's Khulna Division and 4,260 km2 in West Bengal across the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas.
• Pachmarhi is a hill station in central India's Hoshangabad district of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is commonly known as Satpura ki Rani settled in a valley of the Satpura Range in the Hoshangabad district at an altitude of 1067 m. Dhupgarh, Madhya Pradesh's highest point (1,352 m) and the Satpura range are located here. It is a member of the Biosphere Reserve of Satpura.
• In the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve comes under World Network of Biosphere Reserve. In the states of Tamil Nadu (2537.6 km²), Karnataka (1527.4 km²) and Kerala (1455.4 km²), the reserve occupies 5,520 km².

• The Olive Ridley sea turtle is also known as the Pacific Ridley sea turtle.
• The Olive Ridley sea turtle's scientific name is Lepidochelys olivacea.
• The Olive ridley turtles inhabit in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
• The Olive ridley turtles are known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada.
• The Olive ridley turtles are carnivores.

The Olive ridley turtles in India:

• Gahirmatha is the lone mass nesting spot in the Indian Ocean region.
• It is the only turtle sanctuary in Odisha.
• Gahirmatha was declared a turtle sanctuary in 1997.

Legislation for the protection of Olive Ridley Turtles:

• The Olive ridley turtle is legally protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• The Olive ridley turtle is also listed in Appendix I of the CITES Convention.

IUCN status:

• The species is recognized as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was declared so in the year 2012.
• Following conservation areas are the part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:
• National Parks: Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Silent Valley.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam, Wayanad and Sathyamanglam.
• It covers the parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• It is a part of Western Ghats Biological diversity hotspot as it has vegetation ranging from dry scrubs to tropical evergreen forests which house a variety of fauna and flora.
• Rivers like Kabini, Siruvani, Pandiar, Bhavani, Pykara, Sigur, Moyar originate from here.
• Nilgiri Tahr is the Key conservation species

Eravikulam National Park:

• This national park is located in the state of Kerala and comes under the Munnar wildlife division.
• The national park lies in the rain shadow area of Western Ghats and receives rainfall from Northeast monsoon (October- December) instead of southwest monsoon.
• The national park houses thorny and deciduous forests and grasslands like shola grasslands.
• The Pambar River crosses through Eravikulam National Park.

Hemis National Park -

• The park is famous for its snow leopards.
• The park is located in the Leh district of Ladakh.
• The total area of the park is 4,400 Km sq.
• It is the largest national park in South Asia.
• The park is situated within the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe ecoregion.
• The forest consists of alpine shrublands and meadows and alpine tundra.
• As per the data, the park has 16 mammal species and 73 bird species.

• Hemis National Park:
  • It is a high altitude national park, located in Indian UT of Ladakh.
  • It is the largest National Park in India.
  • It is globally famous for its snow leopards.

• In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was enacted, which provides the main legal framework for the conservation and protection of wildlife in India.
• The two main objectives of the Act are
  • To provide protection to the endangered species listed in the schedule of the Act
  • To provide legal support to the conservation areas of the country classified as National parks, sanctuaries, and closed areas.
• This Act has been comprehensively amended in 1991, making punishments more stringent, and has also made provisions for the protection of specified plant species and conservation of endangered species of wild animals.
• There are 104 National parks and 566 wildlife sanctuaries in the country.
• Bannerghatta National Park is located in Karnataka.

• Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary or Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary is a Sanctuary located along the Western Ghats in Mukundapuram taluk of Thrissur District of Kerala.
• Established in 1984 with an area of about 85.067 sq. km, the sanctuary lies on the Western slopes of the Nelliyampathi Hills.
• It is an important bird area with 192 recorded avian species.

Some important Wildlife Sanctuary:

• The largest bird Sanctuary of Uttar Pradesh is Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary.
• Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary is situated in Kannauj district of UP
• Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary covers 80 square km.
• Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary is home to various migratory birds.
• Jackal, blue bull, mongoose, fishing cat, and monkeys are also found in Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary.

• Patna Bird Sanctuary is the smallest bird sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Patna Bird Sanctuary is a protected area in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district.
• Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Lakhimpur Kheri district not in Lucknow.
  • Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary was founded in 1972.
• Mahavir Swami Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Lalitpur district, UP.
  • It was established in the year 1977.

• Agenda 21 was the declaration signed at UNCED 1992 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
  • Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action recommended by the UN summit to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts environment.
  • Agenda 21 signed with an aim to achieve global sustainable development.
  • It was adopted by more than 178 governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.
  • Agenda 21 is divided into 40 chapters that have been grouped into 4 sections and 351-page.

Option 3 is correct, i.e. Odisha.

• Satkosia Tiger Reserve is located in the Angul district of Odisha.
• It is located where the Mahanadi River passes through a 22 km long gorge in the Eastern Ghats mountains.

Extra information:

• As of October 2019, a total of 551 wildlife sanctuaries in India.
• The union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has the highest number of wildlife sanctuaries in India i.e. 96.
• Jim Corbett National Park in Uttrakhand is the oldest National park established in 1936 is the oldest national park of India.

• Currently, there are565 wildlife sanctuaries in India.

• There is a total of 106 national parks in India.
• There are a total of 53 Tiger reserves in India.
• There are a total of 72 bird sanctuaries in India.

Correct Answer: - Kodagu District

• Brahmagiri National Park is situated at the border between Kerala - Wayanad district, and Karnatak - Kodagu District.
• Nagarhole National Park is situated in the Mysore district of Karnataka.
• Bandipur National Park is situated in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
• Bidar Forest Division doesn't have any National Park or Sanctuary.

• Total Biosphere Reserves in India: 18
• 11 biosphere reserves of India which have been recognized internationally under the Man and Biosphere Reserve program:

• Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• Biosphere Reserves are special environments for both people and nature and are living examples of how human beings and nature can co-exist while respecting each others’ needs.
• Eighteen biosphere reserves have been set up in India to protect flora and fauna.
• 12 out of these, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Gulf of Mannar, Nilgiri, Nokrek, Great Nicobar, Manas, S​impala, Pachmarhi Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Agasthyamala, Khangchendzonga National Park, and Panna have been included in the World network of biosphere reserves.
• The World network of biosphere reserves is part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Project.
• Recently, UNESCO has included the Panna National Park in its World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
• Panna National Park is a national park located in the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was established in 1981.
• It was declared as the 22nd Tiger reserve of India in 1993 and the 5th in Madhya Pradesh.

• Madhav National Park is situated in Shivpuri District of Gwalior division in northwest Madhya Pradesh, India.
• The park was first noticed in 1956, at 167 km², as Shivpuri National Park. In 1958, it was renamed Madhav National Park after Madho Rao Scindia,
• the Maharaja of Gwalior belonging to the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas, and was finalized the following year.
• Madhav National Park has an area of 354 km². It was set up in 1958.
• The national park is open year-round. With a varied terrain of wooded hills – the forest is dry, mixed and deciduous- and flat grasslands around the lake, it offers abundant opportunities of sighting a variety of wildlife.
• The principal tree species found in the park are Khair (Acacia catechu), Salai (Boswellia serrata), kadhai("Anogeissus pendula"), dhawda("Anogeissus latifolia"), tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) and palash (Butea monosperma).

• Melghat Tiger Reserve is in the state of Maharashtra.
• It was one of the first nine tiger reserves notified in 1973 under ‘Project Tiger’.

• In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the total number of sanctuaries is 96.
• Sanctuary means an area designated as a wildlife sanctuary, whether under sec. [26(A)5] or sec. 38, or considered to be a wildlife sanctuary under subsection (3) of Sec.66.
• A sanctuary is a protected area that is only designated for animal and human activities to be preserved.

Reference:-

https://wii.gov.in/wildlife_sanctuaries