UPSC Articles
Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve
Part of: Prelims and GS-III -Environment
Context There are plans to uproot lantana spread over 70,000 hectares of forests in BRT Tiger Reserve and Bandipur during the course of next five years.
- But there are concerns that uprooting it on such a scale will entail disturbance to the forest.
What is Lantana?
- Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants.
- They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa.
- They exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region, South and Northeastern part of India.
Why is lantana a problem?
- It is a serious economic pest to the citrus industry.
- In many frost-free regions it has become an invasive nuisance, crowding out grazing lands and agricultural areas.
- Lantana is toxic for most livestock to graze
About BRT Tiger Reserve
- Situated between the Western and Eastern Ghats the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve is based in south eastern Karnataka, at the border of Tamil Nadu.
- It has been named after the Rangaswamy temple that is embellished with a whitish rock at the helms of the sanctuary.
- It was declared as a protected reserve in the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
- This unique sanctuary exhibits scrub, dry deciduous, moist deciduous, evergreen, semi evergreen and shola forests.
- It is widely known for its many endemic species of plants including valuable medicinal ones.
