Andaman booklet aw.FH10 - Zoological Survey of India

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identifiable groups. Of these, only thirteen are inhabited. The northern section has two islands: Car Nicobar and to its south, the small island of Battimalv. Car Nicobar is the headquarters of Nicobar district. The middle section of the group is made up of nine islands, with Chowra, Teressa, Bompoka and Katchall to the west, and Nancowry, Camorta, and Trinket to the east. Tillangchong and the Isle of Man lie slightly to the northeast. The southern section consists of two large islands, Little and Great Nicobar, together with the eight smaller islands of Meroe, Trak, Treis, Pulo Milo, Kabra, Menchal, Kondul and Megapode which are smaller islands (Saldhana, 1989). Table 1. Geographical and physical profile of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Total Area 8,249 km 2 Area of Andaman District 6,408 km 2 Area of Nicobar District 1,841 km 2 Latitude 6°45' N to 13°41' N Longitude 92°12' E to 93°57' E Mean annual rainfall 3180.5 mm Average relative humidity 77% Coastline 1,962 km Exclusive Economic Zone 600,000 km 2 Ecosystems An extraordinary variety of habitat types, ranging from sandy beaches to coral reefs, mangroves, and mountains with dense forests, characterize the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are located in the equatorial belt and have been endowed with an abundance of flora and fauna. A number of species are endemic and restricted to small areas because of the islands' geographic isolation. The land area of the island chain is restricted but the diversity of forest types, each with its own distinctive floral and faunal composition, is staggering. Some of the larger islands display a veritable mosaic of forest types. The tropical forest ecosystem continuously recycles water. Since most of the islands have very few perennial rivers and streams, the inland wetlands are restricted. Basically, small ponds formed by rainwater accumulate inside the forests. The ponds are valuable sources of freshwater for wildlife and they also serve as a refuge for endangered species, such as the 04 Source: Pande et al. (1991)
Andaman teal, and several endemic amphibians that are habitat specialists. The least disturbed and the best preserved, mangroves in India can be found on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Along with the inland forests, the mangroves are the predominant terrestrial ecosystem of the islands. Their value in conserving soil and protecting creeks and harbours from siltation and erosion cannot be overemphasised, particularly in the small islands. These mangroves support a rich diversity of fauna and in particular provide breeding and spawning habitats for many aquatic species (Rao and Khan, 1990) and to the saltwater crocodile and several species of birds and reptiles. Grasslands, on the other hand, are an unusual feature found only in a few islands of the Nicobar group. They occur as patches on low hillsides, surrounded by good forest growth, on the islands of Bompoka, Teressa, Katchall and Camorta. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a significant marine ecosystem. Although the land area is only 8,249 km 2 , the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the islands extending to 200 nautical miles from the shoreline is 75 times larger, approximately 6 lakh (0.6 05
Page 1: Fauna of Protected Areas of Andaman
Page 4 and 5: CITATION Sivaperuman, C. and Raghun
Page 6 and 7: Saddle Peak in North Andaman and 64
Page 10 and 11: million) km2 (Saldanha, 1989). The
Page 12 and 13: Dermochelys coriacea, Reticulated P
Page 14 and 15: 36. Jungle Island Wildlife Sanctuar
Page 16 and 17: Fauna of Andaman and Nicobar Island
Page 18 and 19: diversity of reef fish. These brigh
Page 20 and 21: Some important animals in the prote
Page 22 and 23: Dugong Dugong dugon: The Dugong dug
Page 24 and 25: Andaman Wood Pigeon Columba palumbo
Page 26 and 27: Nicobar Scops-Owl Otus alius: The N
Page 28 and 29: Studies conducted by Zoological Sur
Page 30: Biodiversity Conservation Prioritie

Andaman booklet aw.FH10 - Zoological Survey of India

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