Protected areas play a vital role in conservation and management of biodiversity. The newly formed state of Uttarakhand has six National Parks, six Sanctuaries, two Conservation Reserves and one Biosphere Reserve with a high diversity of flora and fauna. Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) is India's first and one of the finest National Parks, spreading along Ramganga River, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Because of its varied topography comprising hilly and riverine areas, temporary marshy depressions to plateaus, and diverse habitats – ranging from grasslands or Chaurs to perennial water bodies, to pure strands of Sal trees and mixed forests, the CTR provides an unforgettable experience to a nature lover. It is a natural haven for the flora and fauna of the plains, the sub-mountainous regions and the high altitudes.
It is famous for its wild population of tigers, leopards and elephants. The Project Tiger was launched in India, in 1972, in the Corbett National Park to save the Indian Tiger Population. The Zoological Survey of India had inventoried the faunal diversity of the area during 1976-1979 and recently repeated the studies during the years 2002-2005. This, together with the other available literature, documents 1013 species of fauna belonging to 15 animal groups.
Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Fauna of Corbett tiger reserve: an overview/Vinod Khanna, P.C. Tak and P.T. Bhutia. 2. Habitat preference assessment of the tiger and its prey ungulates in the corbett tiger reserve/S.P.S. Kushwaha, Arshia Quadri, Aditya Singh and Afifullah Khan. 3. Mammalia/J.P. Sati and P.C. Tak. 4. Aves/P.C. Tak and J.P. Sati. 5. Reptilia/Archana Bahuguna. 6. Amphibia/H.S. Mehta. 7. Pisces/D.P. Uniyal. 8. Plant and soil nematodes/A.N. Rizvi. 9. Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha/Vinod Khanna. 10. Insecta (Various orders)/Vinod Khanna. 11. Insecta : Plalepidoptera/Parmod Kumar. 12. Bibliography on the corbett tiger reserve/Vinod Khanna, P.C. Tak and P.T. Bhutia.