Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve

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.