Which was the first biosphere reserve to be designated in India?
- A.Nanda Devi
- B.Nilgiri
- C.Sunderbans
- D.Gulf of Mannar
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Nilgiri. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, spread across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka in the Western Ghats, was designated in 1986 as the first biosphere reserve of India, and in 2000 it also became the first Indian reserve to be included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It contains well-known protected areas such as Mudumalai, Bandipur, Wayanad, Nagarhole and Silent Valley.
Option A, Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand, was designated in 1988 and lies in the Himalayas. Option C, the Sunderbans in West Bengal, was designated in 1989 and is famous for mangroves and the royal Bengal tiger. Option D, the Gulf of Mannar, was also designated in 1989 and is a marine reserve known for coral reefs and the dugong. The order to remember is Nilgiri 1986, then Nanda Devi and Nokrek in 1988, then four in 1989.
Read the full article: Biosphere Reserves and Ramsar Sites: Zones and Facts
Practice Questions
View allThe Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed in which year?
- A.1971
- B.1975
- C.1982
- D.1992
Show answer
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, which gave the treaty its popular name.
Read the full explanation →World Wetlands Day is observed every year on which date?
- A.2 February
- B.22 March
- C.5 June
- D.16 September
Show answer
The Ramsar Convention was signed on 2 February 1971, and that anniversary is observed each year as World Wetlands Day to draw attention to the services wetlands provide, such as flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification and habitat for migratory birds.
Read the full explanation →Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world, is situated on which lake?
- A.Wular Lake
- B.Chilika Lake
- C.Loktak Lake
- D.Kolleru Lake
Show answer
Loktak, in Manipur, is the largest freshwater lake of north-east India, and its surface carries phumdis, thick floating mats of vegetation, soil and organic matter that rise and fall with the water level.
Read the full explanation →The Man and the Biosphere Programme, under which biosphere reserves are recognised, was launched by which organisation?
- A.UNESCO
- B.UNEP
- C.IUCN
- D.WWF
Show answer
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization launched the Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1971 as an intergovernmental scientific programme to improve the relationship between people and their environment, and the sites recognised under it form the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following pairs of wetlands were the first two Ramsar sites designated in India?
- A.Wular Lake and Harike Wetland
- B.Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park
- C.Loktak Lake and Sambhar Lake
- D.Bhitarkanika and Point Calimere
Show answer
Both were placed on the Ramsar list in 1981 and were the first Indian wetlands to be so recognised.
Read the full explanation →