Geoinformatics for wildlife habitat characterisation
Table 1. Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India
| Station/Union Territory |
Sanctuaries |
National Parks |
| Total No. |
Area (km2) |
Total No. |
Area (km2) |
| A & N Islands |
94 |
455.56 |
8 |
1153.34 |
| Andhra Pradesh |
21 |
11832.54 |
4 |
372.23 |
| Arunachal Pradesh |
9 |
6177.45 |
2 |
2468.23 |
| Assam |
8 |
990.58 |
2 |
930.00 |
| Bihar |
19 |
3881.75 |
2 |
567.32 |
| Goa |
4 |
355.78 |
1 |
107.00 |
| Gujarat |
21 |
16970.16 |
4 |
479.67 |
| Haryana |
10 |
342.65 |
1 |
1.43 |
| Himachal Pradesh |
30 |
4702.87 |
2 |
1295.0 |
| Jammu & Kashmir |
15 |
10157.67 |
4 |
3900.07 |
| Karnataka |
20 |
4238.21 |
5 |
2471.98 |
| Kerala |
12 |
2143.36 |
3 |
536.52 |
| Madhya Pradesh |
32 |
10567.05 |
11 |
6485.72 |
| Maharashtra |
25 |
13995.49 |
5 |
958.45 |
| Manipur |
1 |
184.85 |
2 |
81.00 |
| Meghalaya |
3 |
34.21 |
2 |
267.48 |
| Mizoram |
3 |
560.00 |
2 |
250.00 |
| Nagaland |
3 |
24.41 |
1 |
202.02 |
| Orissa |
18 |
6214.96 |
2 |
1212.70 |
| Punjab |
6 |
294.82 |
0 |
- |
| Rajasthan |
22 |
5662.87 |
4 |
3856.53 |
| Sikkim |
4 |
92.1 |
1 |
850.00 |
| Tamil Nadu |
17 |
2671.03 |
5 |
401.63 |
| Tripura |
4 |
603.62 |
0 |
- |
| Uttar Pradesh |
29 |
8107.52 |
7 |
5429.83 |
| West Bengal |
15 |
1055.55 |
5 |
1692.65 |
| Daman & Diu |
1 |
2.18 |
- |
- |
| Delhi |
1 |
13.20 |
- |
- |
| Chandigarh |
1 |
25.42 |
- |
- |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Lakshadweep |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Pondicherry |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Total |
448 |
112,357.86 |
85 |
36,171.60 |
Modern civilisation, by clearing the forests for settlements, agricultural activities and communication purposes, and by setting up large scale hydroelectric projects and industries has done irreparable damage to the environment that it makes any attempt to salvage the diversity of wildlife a difficult undertaking. Way back in March 1980 five international organisations viz., International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) had come out with combined “World Conservation Strategy” document to minimize the destruction of world’s wildlife. All these efforts express concern of the people to dwindling wildlife resources.
Table 2: Biosphere reserves in India
Biogeographic
Region |
Name of the Biosphere Reserve
& State/Union Territory |
Area
(km2) |
Date of
set up |
| Western Himalaya |
Nanda Devi (Uttaranchal) |
2236.74 |
18.1088 |
| North East India |
Nokrek (Meghalaya)
Manas (Assam)
Dibru Saikhowa (Assam)
Dihang-Dibang (Arunachal Pradesh) |
80.00
600.00
765.00
|
01.9.88
14.3.89
28.7.97
|
| Gangetic Plains |
Sunderbans (West Bengal) |
9630.00 |
29.3.89 |
| Coastal |
Gulf of Mannar (Tamil nadu) |
10500.00 |
18.2.89 |
| Western Ghats |
Nilgiri (Karnataka, Kerala & Tamilnadu) |
5520.00 |
01.8.86 |
| Islands |
Great Nicobar (A. & N. Islands) |
885.00 |
06.1.89 |
| Deccan Peninsula |
Simlipal (Orissa) |
2750.00 |
21.6.94 |