Kachchh Biosphere Reserve

Geography glossary

Also called: Great Rann of Kutch Biosphere Reserve · Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Natural Vegetation"

Meaning

Kachchh Biosphere Reserve was set up in 2008 in the Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat. The Rann is a flat salt desert that floods in the monsoon and dries into white salt crust. It is India's largest biosphere reserve. A biosphere reserve has a protected core, a buffer zone and a transition zone where people live. It shelters the Indian wild ass and the breeding grounds of flamingos. It is not on UNESCO's World Network.

Example

In the Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat, herds of Indian wild ass live on the salt flats, and flamingos breed in the shallow seasonal water.

Don't confuse with

  • Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve: Dibru-Saikhowa in Assam is the smallest biosphere reserve. Kachchh is the largest.
  • Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve: Cold Desert is a high Himalayan desert in Himachal Pradesh, and it is on UNESCO's list. Kachchh is a hot salt desert, and it is not.

Related concepts

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