imported>Tom Radulovich at 12:18, 1 August 2021

2021-08-01T12:18:47Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
[[Image:GreatNicobarBiosphereMap.jpg|thumb|200px|The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve]]
The '''Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve''' encompasses a large part (some '''85%)''' of the island of [[Great Nicobar]], the largest of the [[Nicobar Islands]] in the [[India]]n [[Union Territory]] of [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]. The Nicobars lie in the [[Bay of Bengal]], eastern [[Indian Ocean]], 190 km to the north of the [[Indonesia]]n island of [[Sumatra]]. The Reserve has a total core area of approximately 885 km<sup>2</sup>, surrounded by a 12 km-wide "forest buffer zone".<ref name = forestry>https://web.archive.org/web/20060208095618/http://forest.and.nic.in/frst-great%20nicobar%20biosphere%20reserve1.htm Dept. Environment and Forest, A & N Administration</ref> In year 2013 it was included in the list of Man and Biosphere program of UNESCO to promote sustainable development based on local community effort and sound science.<ref>[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/great-nicobar-now-9th-indian-reserve-in-unesco-world-network/article4768625.ece Great Nicobar now 9th Indian reserve in UNESCO world network]</ref>

==Geography==
The Reserve was declared in January 2013. It incorporates two [[National parks of India]], which were gazetted in 1992: the larger [[Campbell Bay National Park]] on the northern part of the island, and [[Galathea National Park]] in the southern interior. The non-[[Biosphere]] portions of the island (set aside for agriculture, forestry and settlements) are confined to the southwestern and southeastern coastal reaches.

The reserve has a total area of 103,870 ha. The core area of 53,623 ha comprises Cambell Bay and Galathea National parks. A buffer area of 34,877 ha includes forested lands adjacent to and between the two parks. There is also a transitional area of 10,070 ha, including 5,300 marine hectares.<ref name = unesco>"Great Nicobar". Man and Biosphere Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Accessed 1 August 2021. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/asia-and-the-pacific/india/great-nicobar</ref><ref name = wwf>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Nicobar Islands rain forests|id=im0133}}</ref>

==Flora and fauna==
The environment is classified by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] as [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]] [[biome]], and located in the [[Indomalayan realm]].<ref name = wwf/>

The reserve is home to many [[species]] of plants and animals, often [[Endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to the Andaman and Nicobars [[biogeographic]] region. Species of [[fauna]] in the reserve include: [[Nicobar scrubfowl]] (''Megapodius nicobariensis'', a [[megapode]] bird), the [[edible-nest swiftlet]] (''Aerodramus fuciphagus''), the [[Nicobar long-tailed macaque]] (''Macaca fascicularis umbrosa''), [[saltwater crocodile]] (''Crocodylus porosus''), Andaman water monitor (''Varanus salvator andamanensis''),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Samarasinghe|first=Dinal J. S.|title=On the taxonomy and distribution of ''Varanus salvator'' andamanensis Deraniyagala, 1944 (Reptilia: Varanidae), including a redescription of the type specimens and a discussion about its allopatric co-occurrence with ''V. s. macromaculatus'' on the Nicobar Islands|url=https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4743.1.5|journal=Zootaxa|volume=4743}}</ref> [[leatherback sea turtle|giant leatherback sea turtle]] (''Dermochelys coriacea''), [[Malayan box turtle]], [[Nicobar tree shrew]], [[reticulated python]] (''Python reticulatus'') and the [[coconut crab|giant robber crab]] (or coconut crab, ''Birgus latro'').<ref name = unesco/><ref name = wwf/>

==Indigenous inhabitants==
The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve also incorporates territories and traditional lands of the [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] [[Nicobarese people|Nicobarese]] and [[Shompen people|Shompen]] peoples.<ref name = unesco/>

==See also==
* [[Endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
* [[Fauna of India]]
* [[Flora of India]]
* [[Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education]]
* [[Wildlife of India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve}}

{{Nicobar district |state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|7.0500|N|93.7750|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

[[Category:National biosphere reserves of India]]
[[Category:Great Nicobar Island]]

{{AndamanNicobar-geo-stub}}

Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve - Revision history

imported>Tom Radulovich at 12:18, 1 August 2021