Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve
| Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chhattisgarh, India; Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Nearest city | Bilaspur |
| Coordinates | 22°06′31″N 81°44′53″E / 22.10861°N 81.74806°ECoordinates: 22°06′31″N 81°44′53″E / 22.10861°N 81.74806°E |
| Area | 383,551 ha (1,480.90 sq mi) |
| Established | 2012 |
The Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India that extends across the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, covering a total area of 383,551 hectares (3835.51 km2).
The reserve is located in the northern part of Bio-Geographic zone 6 and Bio-Geographic province 6 A (Deccan peninsula and Central highlands). About 68.1% of this reserve lies in the Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh. The other major portions of the reserve are in the Anuppur (16.20%) and Dindori (15.70%) districts of Madhya Pradesh. The protected area of the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Bilaspur district within the Biosphere Reserve.
The sanctuary has a total geographical area of 551.15 km2. The Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve has been divided into core and buffer zones. The Achanakmar Sanctuary is designated as the core zone of the reserve, and the rest of the 3284.36 km2 serves as the buffer zone of the reserve. The buffer zone is spread across 2 states; an area of 1224.98 km2 lies in the Madhya Pradesh and the remaining area of 2059.38 km2 is in Chhattisgarh. The topography of the biosphere reserve varies from the lowland rice fields in Bilaspur and Anuppur and the wheat fields in Dindori to the hills of the Maikal range of Satpuras. The topography of the soil in the Amarkantak plateau is bauxite rocks. Several streams and Nallas flow through the reserve, many of which are perennial. The area of the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is considered to be one of the major watersheds of peninsular India. It separates the rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The reserve is also the source of three major river systems: the Narmada, the Johilla and the Son River. Maikal hill ranges together with Vindhya and Satpura lie within the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.
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