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Karnataka get four more areas as biodiversity heritage sites
What are the biodiversity heritage sites?
“Biodiversity Heritage Sites” (BHS) are well-defined areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems – terrestrial, coastal and inland waters and, marine having rich biodiversity comprising of any one or more of the following components:
- The richness of wild as well as domesticated species or intra-specific categories
- High endemism
- Presence of rare and threatened species
- Keystone species
- Species of evolutionary significance
- Wild ancestors of domestic/ cultivated species or their varieties
- Past pre-eminence of biological components represented by fossil beds and having significant cultural
- Ethical or aesthetic values and are important for the maintenance of cultural diversity
- With or without a long history of human association with them
New sites
Following are the four new areas that Karnataka Biodiversity Board has decided to declare as biodiversity heritage sites:
- Antaragange Betta in Kolar district:
- Aadi Narayana Swamy Betta in Chickballapur district
- Mahima Ranga Betta in Nelamangala, Bengaluru district
- The Urumbi area on the Kumaradhara river basin in Dakshina Kannada district
Source: The Hindu & WII
