Question map
Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
Explanation
The correct answer is option A. The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve includes Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife Sanctuaries and their adjoining areas in Kerala[1], and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve[2]. This combination precisely matches option A.
Option B is incorrect because while Mudumalai is mentioned in the context of other biosphere reserves like Nilgiri, it is not part of Agasthyamala. Similarly, Wayanad and Silent Valley National Park are separate protected areas in Kerala but not components of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Options C and D list wildlife sanctuaries and reserves from other regions of India that have no connection to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, which is specifically located in the Western Ghats region covering parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Sources- [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > 5. Biosphere > p. 433
- [2] https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/agasthyamala
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Cluster Memory' question. UPSC demands you know the exact 'Parent-Child' relationship between the 18 Biosphere Reserves and their constituent National Parks/Sanctuaries. Relying on vague location awareness is insufficient; you must memorize the specific groupings found in standard texts like Shankar IAS or the UNESCO MAB list.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Are Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve included in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
- Statement 2: Are Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaries and Silent Valley National Park included in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
- Statement 3: Are Kaundinya, Gundla Brahmeswaram and Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuaries and Mukurthi National Park included in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
- Statement 4: Are Kawal and Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuaries and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve included in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
- Authoritative source (UNESCO) explicitly names the three wildlife sanctuaries and the tiger reserve as located in the site.
- Directly ties Neyyar (spelled 'Neyyar'), Peppara and Shendurney to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve and also names Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve.
- Confirms inclusion using similar wording on the same UNESCO page content.
- Lists the three sanctuaries (Shendurney, Peppara and Nayar) and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve as part of the reserve.
- Independent article corroborates the inclusion, naming Shendurney and Peppara and parts of Neyyar, along with Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
- Provides regional context (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) while reaffirming which protected areas are included.
Gives a named composition for the Agasthyamalai (Agasthyamala) Biosphere Reserve listing Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife sanctuaries and adjoining areas.
A student could treat this as a specific partial membership list and check maps or other sources to see if Kalakad Mundanthurai lies contiguous or administratively included with those sanctuaries in the same reserve.
Explains the general rule that Biosphere Reserves are created by UNESCO and often incorporate protected areas (national parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves) under national norms.
Using this rule, a student can plausibly expect tiger reserves like Kalakad Mundanthurai to be incorporated into a biosphere reserve if geographically adjacent, so they can check adjacency on a map or official listings.
Mentions 'Munda Thurai' (Mundanthurai) tiger reserve in the southern Western Ghats (Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts), placing it geographically near Agasthyamala's southern Western Ghats context.
A student can use this geographic proximity plus maps of the southern Western Ghats to judge whether Kalakad Mundanthurai is contiguous with the sanctuaries named for Agasthyamalai.
Describes the Western Ghats as having many protected areas and biosphere reserves, implying that biosphere reserves in this region commonly group multiple protected units.
Apply this pattern to suspect that Agasthyamalai (in southern Western Ghats) could encompass multiple nearby sanctuaries and a tiger reserve; verify by checking regional protected-area maps or official biosphere boundaries.
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