Biosphere Reserves — Set 3

Correct Answer: C. Maharashtra

• **Maharashtra** = does NOT share the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, which is exclusively shared between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. • **2005** — the year it was designated a biosphere reserve, located at the meeting point of the Satpura and Maikal ranges. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Madhya Pradesh: IS one of the two sharing states; Chhattisgarh: IS the other sharing state with the majority of area; Uttar Pradesh: also does not share it, but Maharashtra is the option asked.

Correct Answer: A. Tamil Nadu

• **Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve** = India's first marine biosphere reserve, located off the southern coast of Tamil Nadu between India and Sri Lanka. • **Dugong (Sea Cow)** — the reserve's globally recognised flagship species, dependent on the rich sea-grass beds found among its islands and coral reefs. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Kerala: has Agasthyamala and Nilgiri BRs on land; Andhra Pradesh: has Seshachalam BR; Odisha: has Similipal BR.

Correct Answer: B. Sundarbans

• **Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve** = world-renowned habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger and the rare Gangetic River Dolphin in its estuarine waters. • **Ganga-Brahmaputra delta** — the unique ecosystem formed by the confluence of these two major rivers creates the Sundarbans' irreplaceable tidal habitat. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Panna: known for tigers and Ken River dolphins, but not Royal Bengal Tiger habitat; Manas: known for Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog; Dibru-Saikhowa: known for feral horses, not tigers.

Correct Answer: B. Uttarakhand

• **Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve** = located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, including Nanda Devi National Park and the Valley of Flowers. • **UNESCO World Heritage Site** — recognised for its spectacular alpine flora and the Nanda Devi peak (7,816 m), India's second highest mountain. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Himachal Pradesh: has Cold Desert BR; Arunachal Pradesh: has Dihang-Dibang BR; Sikkim: has Khangchendzonga BR.

Correct Answer: B. Nilgiri

• **Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve** = a key part of the Western Ghats spanning Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, established as India's first biosphere reserve in 1986. • **Global biodiversity hotspot** — the Western Ghats, including Nilgiri BR, is one of the world's top 36 biodiversity hotspots with thousands of endemic species. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Nokrek: in Meghalaya's Garo Hills of Northeast India; Similipal: in Odisha's Eastern Ghats; Sundarbans: in the coastal delta of West Bengal.

Correct Answer: A. Conservation of biodiversity with sustainable development

• **Conservation of biodiversity with sustainable development** = the primary dual objective of biosphere reserves under UNESCO's MAB framework. • **Core-Buffer-Transition zones** — the three-zone system that operationalises this balance: strict protection at the core, managed use in buffer, community development in transition. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Military zone: biosphere reserves are civilian conservation areas, not military; Commercial timber: biosphere reserves restrict, not promote, commercial logging; Large-scale industrialisation: directly contradicts the conservation mandate of biosphere reserves.

Correct Answer: A. Pygmy Hog

• **Manas Biosphere Reserve** = the only natural habitat of the critically endangered Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania), the world's smallest wild pig. • **Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan** — shares its border with Manas BR, forming a transboundary conservation area along the Indo-Bhutan border. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Asiatic Lion: found only in Gir Forest, Gujarat; Snow Leopard: found in high-altitude reserves like Cold Desert and Khangchendzonga; Lion-tailed Macaque: found in Nilgiri BR in Western Ghats.

Correct Answer: D. Madhya Pradesh

• **Madhya Pradesh** = has the highest number of UNESCO MAB-listed biosphere reserves among all Indian states, with three: Pachmarhi, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, and Panna. • **3 UNESCO MAB reserves** — Pachmarhi (2009), Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2012), and Panna (2020) are all in Madhya Pradesh, a record for any single Indian state. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: West Bengal: has Sundarbans BR on MAB list (only 1); Assam: has Manas BR on MAB list (only 1); Tamil Nadu: shares Nilgiri and Gulf of Mannar but these are multi-state.

Correct Answer: D. 1986

• **1986** = the year India established its first Biosphere Reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, marking the start of systematic ecosystem conservation. • **18 Biosphere Reserves** — India's total count since 1986, of which 12 are recognised in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 2001: no significant biosphere reserve establishment year; 1992: several reserves were established around this time but not the first; 1972: the Wildlife Protection Act was enacted but the first BR came in 1986.

Correct Answer: D. Area of Cooperation

• **Area of Cooperation** = the official alternate name for the Transition Zone, reflecting collaborative management between local communities and conservation authorities. • **Outermost zone** — the Transition Zone is the third and outermost of the three biosphere reserve zones, allowing diverse sustainable economic activities. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Strict Nature Reserve: another term for the Core Zone, not the Transition Zone; No-entry Zone: informally refers to the Core Zone; Wildlife Sanctuary: a separate legal designation under the Wildlife Protection Act.