Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve:
A comprehensive checklist compiled by researchers documented 3,261 flowering plant species in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR).
- A contiguous, protected biosphere reserve spanning the southern extremity of the Western Ghats, functioning as one of South India’s four designated biosphere reserves (alongside Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, and Seshachalam Hills).
- Located in Geographical Span: Straddles the inter-state border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Covers approximately 3,500 square kilometres (350,000 hectares), with rugged mountainous terrain rising to 1,868 metres above sea level at the Agasthyamala (Agasthyarkoodam) peak.
- Formally established by the Government of India in 2001.
- Inscribed into the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 2016.
- Encompasses contiguous wildlife reserves including the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in Tamil Nadu, and the Shendurney, Peppara, and Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuaries alongside the Agasthyavanam Biological Park in Kerala.
