BIODIVERSITY AND ENVIRONMENT Flashcards
Nandankanan Zoological Park
- It is situated near Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- It was inaugurated in 1960.
- It is the first zoo in India to become a member of the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA).
- It is recognized as a leading zoo for the breeding of the Indian pangolin and white tiger.
Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales die
- Over 450 long-finned pilot whales have died in Australia’s largest recorded mass-stranding event.
- The whales were beached at a remote beach in Tasmania’s west coast.
Beaching
- It refers to the phenomenon of dolphins and whales stranding themselves on beaches.
- There are around 2,000 strandings each year worldwide, with most resulting in the death of the animal.
- Whales strand themselves on beaches either singularly or in groups.
African Elephant dying due to Cyanobacteria
Recently, neuro-toxins in water produced by cyanobacteria killed more than 300 African elephants in the Okavango delta region, Botswana, South Africa.
Leuser Ecosystem
- It is among the most ancient and life-rich ecosystems ever documented by science.
- It is a world-class hotspot of biodiversity.
- An investigation by the global watchdog Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has shown that various food, cosmetics and finance companies have links with companies which are responsible for the destruction of the Leuser Ecosystem.
- It is a forest area on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Phytoplankton Biomass in Bay of Bengal
A team of scientists from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) have discovered a way to measure the quantity of chlorophyll-a that indicates abundance of phytoplanktons in the Bay of Bengal in real-time.
Morphological Phenotypic Plasticity in Kalinga Frog
- Recently, Indian scientists from the Zoological Survey of India, Pune have reported a first-of-its-kind discovery of morphological phenotypic plasticity (MPP) in the Kalinga cricket frog.
- Phenotypic plasticity refers to some of the changes in an organism’s behaviour, morphology and physiology in response to a unique environment.
Net Present Value of Forests
- It is a mandatory one-time payment that a user has to make for diverting forestland for non-forest use, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
- This is calculated on the basis of the services and ecological value of the forests.
- It depends on the location and nature of the forest and the type of industrial enterprise that will replace a particular parcel of forest.
India’s own eco-label BEAMS launched
- India’s own eco-label Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS) was recently launched.
- Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- The flag #IAMSAVINGMYBEACH was e-hoisted simultaneously at the eight beaches recently recognized as blue flag beaches.
Indian Beaches for Blue Flag certification recommended
- For the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.
- Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The eight beaches are: (1) Shivrajpur (Gujarat); (2) Ghoghla (Daman & Diu); (3) Kasarkod and (4) Padubidri (Karnataka); (5) Kappad (Kerala); (6) Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh); (7) Golden beach (Odisha); (8) Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar).
Blue Flag certification
- The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator.
- It serves as an eco-label.
- The certification is known as an indication of high environmental and quality standards.
- Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the worl
Wetlands being identified in Rajasthan to protect biodiversity
play an important role in the storage of sediment and nutrients, are being identified in Rajasthan for ensuring their utilisation and enabling the local authorities to maintain them.
* Wetlands would be strengthened for increasing vegetation of aquatic plants and protecting biodiversity.
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No waste would be allowed to be dumped at the wetlands and effective steps would be taken for water conservation
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Strict action would be taken against those running submersible pump sets for illegal salt mining in the Sambhar Lake.
Wetlands
- They are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two-thirds of its fish harvest.
- They play an integral role in the ecology of the watershed.
- They provide an ideal environment for organisms that form the base of the food web and feed many species of aquatic animals.
- They help in carbon sequestration (removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere).
- They provide habitat for animals and plants and support plants and animals that are found nowhere else.
- They are also an important source of ground water recharge.
Zombie Fire becoming more frequent
- According to a new study, the fire regimes in the Arctic are changing rapidly, with zombie fires becoming more frequent
- Fires occurring in the once-frozen tundra are also becoming frequent.
- The fires in the Arctic spreading to areas which were formerly fire-resistant is a more worrying feature.
PEATLAND
- Peatlands are wetlands that contain ancient, decomposed and partially decomposed organic matter.
- Nearly half the world’s peatland-stored carbon lies between 60 and 70 degrees north, along the Arctic Circle.
- Zombie Fire is a fire from a previous growing season that can burn slowly without smoke under the ground which is made up of carbon-rich peat.
- When the weather warms, the fire can reignite.
- These are also known as holdover fires.
