Manas National Park

Introduction

Manas National Park is a globally significant protected landscape in Assam, where Himalayan foothills, alluvial grasslands and forests support exceptional biodiversity and numerous threatened species.

Location

1. Manas is located in western Assam along the Bhutan border, forming a transboundary ecological landscape with Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan.
2. The 500 sq km national park forms the core of the larger Manas Tiger Reserve, while the UNESCO World Heritage property covers 39,100 hectares.
3. The Manas-Beki river system drains the landscape into the Brahmaputra, creating shifting channels, alluvial terraces, marshes and floodplain habitats. U

Distinctive Features

1. Manas represents a rare combination of Bhabar savannah, Terai, marshland and riverine habitats, generated by Himalayan sediment deposition and seasonal flooding.
2. Its vegetation comprises alluvial grasslands, mixed moist and dry deciduous forests and semi-evergreen forests, reflecting different stages of ecological succession.
3. UNESCO records nearly 60 mammal, 42 reptile, 7 amphibian and about 500 bird species, demonstrating its exceptional species diversity.

Ecological Significance and Wildlife

1. Manas supports over 20 highly threatened mammals, including tiger, greater one-horned rhinoceros, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo, pygmy hog, hispid hare and golden langur.
2. The park is globally important for grassland specialists, particularly the pygmy hog and Bengal florican, whose survival depends upon maintaining suitable alluvial grasslands. Centre
3. Its wild water buffalo population is particularly significant, with UNESCO noting that Manas probably retains the only pure strain of this species in India.
4. Its flora includes 89 tree species, 49 shrubs, 172 herbs, 36 climbers, 15 orchids, 18 ferns and 43 grasses, supporting diverse herbivore and predator communities.

Conservation and Legislative Framework

1. Manas became a Tiger Reserve in 1974, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, a Biosphere Reserve in 1989 and a National Park in 1990, creating multiple layers of conservation protection.
2. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides the principal statutory framework, supplemented by the Forest-related legal framework and protected-area management by the Assam Forest Department.
3. Manas also forms part of the Elephant Reserve and Important Bird Area network, strengthening landscape-level conservation of migratory corridors and threatened species. Centre+1
4. Anti-poaching efforts, long-term species monitoring and reintroduction programmes, including rhinoceros and pygmy hog recovery, have contributed to ecological restoration. UNESCO reported continuing pygmy-hog recovery and increasing tiger numbers in its 2024 assessment.

Conclusion

Manas exemplifies ecosystem-based conservation, where rivers, grasslands and forests sustain interconnected wildlife communities; protecting its ecological processes and transboundary connectivity is vital for long-term biodiversity security.

This Concept Has Been Mentioned In The Article: Pygmy Hog Conservation: From Species Recovery to Alluvial Grassland Restoration