Discover the Natural Beauty of Panna Biosphere Reserve: Home to Majestic Tigers [Map 2023]

There are a total of 3 Biosphere Reserves in Madhya Pradesh which are Panna Biosphere Reserve, Panchmari Biosphere Reserve and Achanakmar Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. This article is about Panna Biosphere Reserve. Learn about the other two Biosphere reserves of Madhya Pradesh by following these links.

Panchmari Biosphere Reserve and Achanakmar Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.

The Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific programme launched by UNESCO in 1971. The programme’s primary objective is to promote the conservation of biodiversity, the resolution of man-animal conflicts, and the sustainable use of natural resources while enhancing human livelihoods and equitable sharing of benefits. In this context, Panna Biosphere Reserve was included in the list of designated biosphere reserves by UNESCO.

Panna Biosphere Reserve is a critical habitat for the Bengal tiger, and MAB aims to promote the conservation of biodiversity by creating a balance between conservation and development activities in the region. The reserve’s inclusion in the MAB list aimed to help in resolving man-animal conflicts and promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and environmentally sustainable and culturally appropriate, thus ensuring the equitable sharing of benefits among all stakeholders.

Geographical Information of Panna Biosphere Reserve

Tiger Conservation in Panna Biosphere Reserve

Area and Zones of Panna Biosphere Reserve

Environmental Information of Panna Biosphere Reserve

Cultural and Historical Information of Panna Biosphere Reserve

Panna Biosphere Reserve

• Designation date as Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO: 2020
  • Core area(s) : 792.53 sq. Km.
  • Buffer zone(s) : 98720 sq. Km.
  • Tansition zone(s): 1219.25 sq. Km.
• The Panna Biosphere Reserve in India encompasses
  • Panna National Park, 
  • Three sections of the Gangau wildlife Sanctuary (I, III and IV). 
  • The Reserved Forests of the North Panna Forest Division.
• Panna National Park is also declared as Panna Tiger Reserve, on top of this, the entire area of Panna National Park and 3 parts of Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary have also been notified as Critical Tiger Habitat Area.
• Panna Biosphere Reserve located in
  • Bio-geographic zones of Deccan Peninsula and, 
  • Biotic Province of Central highlands. 
• This land is full of plateaus and gorges.
• Ken river flows through this terrain.
• Vindhyas hill runs in North-East to South-West Direction through Panna national park.
• Ken Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the northern side of it.

Flora and Fauna of Panna Biosphere Reserve

Flora

• Panna Biosphere Reserve is surrounded by natural boundaries like in the north, it is surrounded by teak forest & in the east, it is surrounded by Teak-Kardhai mixed forest.
• This area is the northernmost tip of the natural teak forests and the easternmost tip of the natural ‘Kardhai’ Anogeissus pendula forests.
• Dry and hot climate, combined with shallow Vindhyan soils has produced dry Teak and dry mixed forest in the Biosphere Reserve. 
• The dominating vegetation in Reserve is Dry Deciduous forest interspersed with grasslands. 
• Other major forest types in the Biosphere Reserve are Riverine and open woodlands with tall grasses and thorny woodlands. 

Fauna

• The NE-SW running Vindhya Hill ranges through Panna Biosphere Reserve creates a link between the eastern and the western population of wild animals.
• The Panna Tiger Reserve of the Panna Biosphere Reserve is one of the most critical habitats in North Central Highlands for protecting the Bengal Tiger. 
• Two Other species of cats claim this region as their home;
  • the Siyah Gosh (Felis caracal) and 
  • Jungle cat (Felis chaus). 
• The avifauna in Panna Biosphere Reserve is rich with over 280 species recorded. 
• The Ken River flowing through the reserve is a beautiful location to witness the beautiful songster that is the Indian Paradise Flycatcher. 
• Major animal species found here are
  • Tiger, 
  • Leopard,
  • Hyaena,
  • wild dog, 
  • Sloth bear, 
  • White-necked stork,
  • Chital 
  • Chowsingha,
  • Sambar the largest of Indian deers, 
  • Blue Bull and chinkara,
  • 5 species of Vultures
  • Bar-headed goose

Human Population

• The major ethnic category in Panna Biosphere Reserve is Gond, Khairuas, and Yadavas. 
• The Panna Biosphere Reserve encompasses about 300 villages in it.
• The diversity of the forest helps in the livelihood of the inhabitants of the Reserve with medicinal plants, and forest produces such as Kattha, Gum and resins that are collected from the forest.

Learn about all National Parks in Madhya pradesh with Map.

Link of Forest Department of Madhya pradesh