How many biosphere reserves are established by the government and which are the important ones?
The government of India has established 18 biosphere reserves .They often include more national parks or wildlife sanctuaries within it. Some important ones are Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Uttarakhand, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu and Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in West Bengal.
What are National Parks?
National Parks are areas that are strictly reserved to preserve biodiversity ,landscape and history of that region. All developmental activities, such as building dams , roads , hunting poaching and grazing animals are prohibited. People can only enter the buffer zone. The boundaries are well marked and cannot be altered. There are around 103 national parks in India. Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan and Kaziranga National Park in Assam are some examples.
What are Wildlife Sanctuaries?
It is smaller in area as compared to national parks and biosphere reserves. It preserves wildlife in their natural surroundings and helps educate people about the conservation techniques involved .Activities such as poaching, hunting and logging are strictly prohibited .Collecting forest products and building private organizations are allowed only if they do not cause disturbance to wildlife. There are more than four hundred wildlife sanctuaries in India. Dandeli wildlife sanctuary in karnataka and Chinnar wildlife sanctuary in kerala .etc. are some examples.