1. The GulfOf MannarBiosphereBy KunalClass 9

2. A Biosphere A biosphere is an area where land, water andthe atmosphere meet each other. Biospheres are very rich in the variety of life inthem. 3. The Gulf Of MannarBiosphere is the earliestmarine biosphere reserve inIndia. It was declared aBiosphere Reserve in 1989.Gulf of MannarThe Gulf of Mannar is located south of thePalk Strait between Srilanka and India. 4. Area is more than 10,500 metre square.It hosts more than 3,600 species of floraand fauna.It is known for its pearl banks.The biosphere includes beaches,estuaries, seaweed, sea grass, coralreefs, salt marshes and mangrove forests. 5. The Gulf of Mannar is one of the richestcoastal regions in Asia.More than 117 hard coral species have beenrecorded in this biosphere.Sea turtles, sharks, dugongs and dolphinsfrequently visit this area. 6. Sea weed, sea grass, coral reefs, salt marshesand mangrove forests are the types ofvegetation that thrive here. 7. The gulf of Mannar is very popular for itspearl banks. The pearls are exported tovarious places around the Earth.Pearl fishing in the gulf ofMannar in 1926 8. The biosphere consists of a wide variety and alarge population of fish. The main occupationhere is hence, fishing. 9. The mangroves growing in the biosphereprovide protection from tsunamis.During the 2004 tsunami, a coastal villageprotected by these mangroves recorded only2 deaths. Whereas, another coastal village ofabout the same population that did not havemangroves recorded hundreds of deaths. 10. 47 villages are located near the biosphere.Their combined population is more than50,000. This has led to overharvesting ofmarine species. 11. Local fishermen rely on the reef to feed theirfamilies.Increased pollution and coral mining havealso reduced catches. 12. Several species such as dolphins, dugongs,sharks, whales and sea cucumbers areendangered.The government of India is planning to create achannel linking the Gulf of Mannar to the Bayof Bengal. This could disturb the marine life. 13. In 1986, a group of 21 small islands weredeclared the Gulf of Mannar MarineNational Park.In 1989, the park and its 10 km buffer zonewere declared the Gulf of MannarBiosphere Reserve. 14. TheAgasthyamalaiBiosphere Reserve 15. AgasthyamalaiBiosphere ReserveThe Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve is located amongst theWestern Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu near Tirunelveli. 16. This biosphere covers an area of about 3,500km square.The ABR is composed of 3 wildlife sanctuariesand the adjoining areas of the KallakadMandutharai Tiger reserve.It is located at a high altitude and is home tomany rare species of plants and animals. 17. The ABR provides habitat to many rare andendangered species of animals.Some of them are the tiger, Asian elephantand the NilgiriTahr. 18. The biosphere also provides home to manypeople also.It is home to one of the oldest survivingancient tribe on Earth, the Kanikaran. 19. The biosphere is located in the Western GhatsMost Deciduous Forests.Almost the entire area is covered with arainforest with tall trees. 20. More than 2,000 varieties of medicinal herbsalso exist in the ABR.About 50 of them are rare species. 21. The biosphere is a good place for tourism.The rare and endangered species in it attracttourists. 22. The availability of medicinal herbs providesplants for medicinal purposes. 23. The mountainous region provides land foradventure parks. 24. The Agasthyamalai biosphere reserve has totackle poaching and illegal hunting ofanimals.Many humans living near it often cut trees forwood from the forest. 25. In 2011, foreign tourism generated$121 million in India.In Tamil Nadu alone, there were around 2.2million foreign wildlife tourists. 26. The huge amount of revenue generated fromtourism encourages the government to investin the tourism industry.The beauty and variety of wildlife in thecountry impresses tourists.So, areas are declared as wildlife sanctuaries,national parks and biospheres. 27. Tourism plays a significant role inencouraging the government to preserve thewildlife of the country.