KANHA TIGER RESERVE

Description

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Context

A 15-year-old tiger T30 was found dead
He was lying injured in a pond at Kohka village near Kanha Tiger Reserve.

Other details

Tiger was old and weak and is suspected to death is suspected sustain due to injuries it had during a fight with another feline or animal.
Madhya Pradesh has a number of tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and Panna.

Kanha Tiger Reserve

Kanha Tiger reserve is, one of first nine Tiger Reserves launched during 1973-74, spreading in an 2051.791 Sq Km area of Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh.
It is nested in the Maikal range which is in the easternmost part of the Satpura mountain system.
This reserve consists of a series of plateaus on the main ridge and slopes are steep in upper reaches.
Halon, Banjar and Surpan comprises the main drainage system. The entire area is a part of Narmada Catchment.

Flora and Fauna

home to about 300 species of Birds, 43 species of Mammals, 26 species of Reptiles and more than 500 species of Insects.

Flora

The area represents typical deciduous forest of the tropical region. The Sal forests are found on the lower slopes and in the valleys, the mixed forests on the upper slopes and top of hills, and the grassland in the valleys and on plateaus
Majorly of evergreen Sal (Shorea Robusta) like Sal-bamboo and other mixed forest trees, supports the growth of rich and varied flora and fauna.

Fauna

Kanha Tiger Reserve is the exclusive home to the State animal of Madhya Pradesh - Hard Ground Barasingha
Other major species found are Tiger, Leopard, Langur, Spotted deer, Dhole, Bear, Gaur, Hyaena and Indian Python etc.

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a community of organisms and their physical environment interacting together.

It also refers to a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble of life.

Hence it is considered a system of various communities, their interactions (exchange of energy and recycling of the nutrients) and, the physical environment together.

Significance of saving tigers

Tigers have a crucial role to play in protecting the critically important ecosystem.
According to the Global Tiger Initiative, tigers are indicators of the ecological wellness of planet earth.
They keep numbers of herbivores like deer in check thus maintaining the health of a forest hence preserving this earth.
Saving of forest enhances Carbon storage and help in reducing carbon emissions.
It helps in attracting tourists, which provide incomes for local communities.
It serves as a cultural icon for millions.

What more could be done

Curb on poaching of tigers, which are hunted for decorative and medicinal purposes.
A monitoring mechanism should be in place to provide them the timely medical facility to avoid unfortunate incidents of death.
Mitigate tiger human conflict.

Carbon Sequestration

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a way of reducing carbon emissions, which could be key to helping to tackle global warming. Carbon sequestration, biological and geological, involves capturing of carbon, transporting and storing it deep underground.

Biological carbon sequestration is the storage of carbon dioxide in vegetation such as grasslands or forests, soil and oceans.

Geological carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon dioxide in underground geologic formations, or rocks.

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PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the below statements about Kanha Tiger reserve in India:

1. It is nested in westernmost part of the Satpura mountain system

2. It is a home to the State animal of Madhya Pradesh - Hard Ground Barasingha

Which of the above statements is/are true?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both