Faunal Diversity of Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve

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The Andaman and Nicobar are the mountain chain of 572 oceanic islands located (Lat. 00-14°N and Long 92-94'E) between Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in Indian Ocean at a length of 800 km with a coast line of 1962 km. These islands have a continuation with the Arakan Yoma of Burma in the north and Achin Head of Sumatra in the south. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are once a part of Asian mainland but got detached some 100 million years ago during Upper Mesozoic Period due to geographical upheaval, These two groups of islands are separated by Ten-Degree Channel which is about 150 km wide and 400 fathom deep (Tikadar and Das, 1985), Nicobar group is comprised of 24 islands. Being the southernmost landmass with an area of 1044 sq. km, the Great Nicobar Island is Nicobar group. The Great Nicobar Island is separated from rest of the islands bar group by Saint George Channel in the north and Great Channel in the south. The quantum of lives with its natural habitat and phenomenon, wild beauties of nature, pristine beaches of the islands, presence of several ecosystems such as grass land to evergreen forest, mangrove to deciduous forest and faunal components of coral reef ecosystem contributed to make this island as incredible part of biodiversity.

Substantial contributions of India's rich biodiversity - listed as one of the 17 mega. Biodiversity countries of the world - may arise from many biodiversity rich areas in the country, which also include in themselves the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These islands are characterized by a genetically distinctive terrestrial flora and fauna with a high degree of endemism, and duly find a place in the list of World's terrestrial biodiversity hotspots: Indo-Burma (including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Bhutan) and Sunderland (including Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia) global biodiversity hotspot areas for Andaman Islands and Nicobar group of islands respectively. Aimed at safeguarding several of these globally significant areas and their fauna and flora, the Government of India, under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, has so far established a network of 699 protected areas as 103National Parks, 528 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 4 Community Reserves and 64 Conservation Reserves. The area covered under protected area network is 159817.05 sq. km., accounting for 4.86% of the total geographical area of the country; of which a total of 106 National parks and Sanctuaries exists in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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