Nokrek National Park
Encyclopedia
Nokrek National Park, or Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, is a national park
located Approximately 12 km from Tura Peak in West Garo Hills district
of Meghalaya
, India
. UNESCO
added this National park to its list of Biosphere Reserve
s in May 2009.Along with Balpakram, Nokrek is a hotspot of biodiversity in Meghalaya.
Nokrek has a remnant population of the Red panda that has generated curiosity across the world. One was accidentally shot by Dr J. Lao in 1960s. Nokrek is also an important habitat of the Asian elephants. The park had eight species of cats, ranging from Tiger to Marbled cat but the current status of the former is uncertain.
There are seven species of primates in Nokrek. The rare Stump-tailed macaque is frequently seen near the main trek to the peak. The Pig-tailed macaque also occurs.Hoolocks are common and their calls could be heard all over Nokrek.
Nokrek is also an Important Bird Area.
There is a vast range of plant
s found in the park. A virgin canopy of thick, tall and lush green forests cover Nokrek and its environs. The mother germo plasm of Citrus-indica have been discovered by science researchers within Nokrek Range. This discovery led to the establishment of the National Citrus Gene Sanctuary-cum-Biosphere Reserve covering an area of forty-seven square kilometres.The area is noted for its wild varieties of citrus fruits that provide a gene-pool for commercially produced citrus.
The entire Biosphere Reserve is hilly. The rock is mainly gneisses, granulites, migmatites, amphibolites and banded iron formation, intruded by basis and ultra-basic bodies. In most of the Biosphere Reserve area the soil is red loam. But sometimes it varies from clayey to sandy loam. The soils in the Biosphere Reserve are rich in organic matter and nitrogen but deficient in phosphate and potash. The area consists of patchy sedimentary rock composed of pebble bed, sand stone, and carbonaceous shales.
All important rivers and streams of the Garo Hills region rise from the Nokrek Range, of which the river Simsang, known as Someshwari when it emerges into Bangladesh at Baghmara, is the most prominent.
Famous sites in the park include the famous Nokrek Peak, Rongbang Dare Water Fall.
Balpakram National Park and the famous Siju Cave is located very close to the Napak Lake near the Simsang River game reserve which is south east to Nokrek National Park. The Cave is filled with water and is miles long.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
located Approximately 12 km from Tura Peak in West Garo Hills district
West Garo Hills district
West Garo Hills is an administrative district in Garo Hills of the state of Meghalaya in India. Tura town is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district occupies an area of 3714 km² and has a population of 515,813...
of Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
added this National park to its list of Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
s in May 2009.Along with Balpakram, Nokrek is a hotspot of biodiversity in Meghalaya.
Nokrek has a remnant population of the Red panda that has generated curiosity across the world. One was accidentally shot by Dr J. Lao in 1960s. Nokrek is also an important habitat of the Asian elephants. The park had eight species of cats, ranging from Tiger to Marbled cat but the current status of the former is uncertain.
There are seven species of primates in Nokrek. The rare Stump-tailed macaque is frequently seen near the main trek to the peak. The Pig-tailed macaque also occurs.Hoolocks are common and their calls could be heard all over Nokrek.
Nokrek is also an Important Bird Area.
There is a vast range of plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s found in the park. A virgin canopy of thick, tall and lush green forests cover Nokrek and its environs. The mother germo plasm of Citrus-indica have been discovered by science researchers within Nokrek Range. This discovery led to the establishment of the National Citrus Gene Sanctuary-cum-Biosphere Reserve covering an area of forty-seven square kilometres.The area is noted for its wild varieties of citrus fruits that provide a gene-pool for commercially produced citrus.
The entire Biosphere Reserve is hilly. The rock is mainly gneisses, granulites, migmatites, amphibolites and banded iron formation, intruded by basis and ultra-basic bodies. In most of the Biosphere Reserve area the soil is red loam. But sometimes it varies from clayey to sandy loam. The soils in the Biosphere Reserve are rich in organic matter and nitrogen but deficient in phosphate and potash. The area consists of patchy sedimentary rock composed of pebble bed, sand stone, and carbonaceous shales.
All important rivers and streams of the Garo Hills region rise from the Nokrek Range, of which the river Simsang, known as Someshwari when it emerges into Bangladesh at Baghmara, is the most prominent.
Famous sites in the park include the famous Nokrek Peak, Rongbang Dare Water Fall.
Balpakram National Park and the famous Siju Cave is located very close to the Napak Lake near the Simsang River game reserve which is south east to Nokrek National Park. The Cave is filled with water and is miles long.