Where is Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve situated?
Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve is a protected area and tiger reserve along the Western Ghats in Erode District of Tamil Nadu.
First declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 2008 , it covers a forest area of 1,411.6 km2 and is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
Name the five tiger reserves of Tamil Nadu.
In 2013, Sathyamangalam became a tiger reserve as a part of Project Tiger. The other tiger reserves of Tamil Nadu are Mudumalai, Anamalai , Kalakkad-Mundanthurai and Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve.
For tiger reserves of India visit https://fotisedu.com/project-tiger-an-assessment/
Why Sathyamangalam is regarded as a significant ecosystem?
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, the Gateway to Eastern Ghats, is a significant ecosystem and a wildlife corridor in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve between the Western Ghats and the rest of the Eastern Ghats.
It is a genetic link between the five other protected areas which it adjoins, including the Billigiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Sigur Plateau, Mudumalai National Park, Bandipur National Park and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
The wildlife sanctuary is also part of Project Elephant conservation programmes.
Name the indigenous tribes of Sathyamangalam.
These forests are home to indigenous tribal people belonging largely to the Irula tribe (also known as the Urali) and Soliga communities
What are the important forest types found in Sathyamangalam ?
The Sathyamangalam forest is mostly tropical dry forest, part of the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
There are five distinct forest types: tropical evergreen (Shola), semi-evergreen, mixed-deciduous, dry deciduous and thorn forests.
Mention about the important fauna of Sathyamangalam forests.
The Sathyamangalam forests link the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats allowing gene flow between diverse fauna populations of the two eco-regions.
Important fauna include- Bengal tigers, Indian elephants, gaurs, leopards ,spotted deer, blackbucks, sambar deer, barking deer ,four-horned antelopes, wild boars, sloth bears , striped hyenas and feral buffaloes .
Mention about the important birds of Sathyamangalam forests.
Many bird species including treepies, bulbuls, babblers, mynahs , crows and critically endangered Indian vulture (Gyps indicus)are noted.
For more information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathyamangalam_Tiger_Reserve
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES 1 . From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats? UPSC 2017
(a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
(b) Nallamala Forest
(c) Nagarhole National Park
(d) Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve
Answer – (a)
