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Tag Wise Current Affairs
Tag: Biodiversity
Climate change may make species infertile: Study
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 05 February 2019
Punjab declares Indus River Dolphin as State aquatic animal
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 06 February 2019
Crying keelback: New snake species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 13 February 2019
India, China leading global greening effort: NASA study
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 13 February 2019
Dolphin population declines in Odisha: 2019 Census
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 18 February 2019
Crop residue burning is major contributor to air pollution in Delhi: Study
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 02 March 2019
World losing fish to eat due to ocean warming: Study
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 02 March 2019
Monkey declared Vermin in Himachal Pradesh
Tags: Biodiversity, Forests
Published on: 25 February 2019
Bramble Cay Melomys: First mammal to extinct due to climate change
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 21 February 2019
Scientists rediscover wood snake species in Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 12 March 2019
Astrobatrachus kurichiyana: New frog species discovered in West Ghats
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 13 March 2019
India ranks 16th in terms of highest number of impacted species in hotspots
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 13 March 2019
Environment damage behind premature deaths, diseases: UN report
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 14 March 2019
Uttar Pradesh to conduct first census of Otters
Tags: National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Biodiversity
Published on: 16 March 2019
Climate vulnerability assessment extended to all states
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 16 March 2019
Island Protection Zone, 2019 notified for Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 29 March 2019
IUCN classify Hump-Backed Mahseer as Critically Endangered
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 30 March 2019
Jerzego sunillimaye: New jumping spider species discovered in Aarey Colony
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 02 April 2019
Phayeng Village: India’s first carbon-positive settlement
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 04 April 2019
Wildfire may threaten endangered Neelakurinji blossoms
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 08 April 2019
NGT constitutes Central Monitoring Committee to check river pollution
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 17 April 2019
150 Great Indian Bustards in Desert National Park: Report
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 17 April 2019
Bajirao: Mumbai’s last captive white tiger dies
Tags: National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Biodiversity
Published on: 06 May 2019
Grizzled Giant Squirrel for first time nests in Eastern Ghats
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 07 May 2019
Purple Frog to be designated state amphibian of Kerala
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 08 May 2019
Bengal Tiger may not survive climate change: UN Report
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 10 May 2019
Smithophis Atemporalis: Rain-Loving Snake Species Discovered In Mizoram
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 13 May 2019
Herbivores Census conducted in Gir Forest
Tags: National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Biodiversity
Published on: 15 May 2019
Kudakrumia rangnekari: New wasp species discovered in Goa
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 31 May 2019
Enoplotrupes tawangensis: New species of dung beetle discovered in Tawang
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 03 June 2019
Rice Genes mapped to understand rice blast disease resistance
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 03 June 2019
Six different Colour morphs of Asiatic golden cat discovered in Arunachal
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 14 June 2019
Aishani: New paddy frog species discovered in North-East
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 13 June 2019
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone to be largest in history
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change
Published on: 18 June 2019
Government launches Flagship project under Bonn Challenge
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 18 June 2019
Declining biodiversity threatens food supply: UN FAO Report
Tags: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Organizations
Published on: 23 February 2019
New Delhi Declaration signed for trans-boundary conservation of Rhinos
Tags: National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Biodiversity, Conventions
Published on: 01 March 2019
Measures to protect Ganges River Dolphin
Tags: National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Biodiversity
Published on: 15 July 2019
Tigers under high stress levels induced by tourism: Study
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 16 July 2019
SC forms committee to frame emergency plan Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 17 July 2019
Five Gharials released in Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi River
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 23 July 2019
Scaly foot snail: 1st to be declared endangered by deep-sea mining
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 24 July 2019
Dracaena Cambodiana: India’s first dragon tree species discovered in Assam
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 25 July 2019
ED attaches Chimpanzees and Marmosets in money laundering probe
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 22 September 2019
Meghalayan rainforests similar to equatorial rainforests
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 11 November 2019
Great Indian Bustard habitats to be declared conservation reserves
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 22 November 2019
Avian botulism, the reason for deaths of migratory birds
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 23 November 2019
Stress in adult female elephants influenced by number of calves
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 05 December 2019
Musth does not give edge to younger Asian elephants
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 29 December 2019
Climatic fluctuation affects climatic niches of Owlets
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 24 January 2020
India to include Elephant and Bustard in global conservation list
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 11 February 2020
Human elephant conflict more accute in west Bengal and Odisha
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 16 February 2020
Asian elephants modulate their vocalisation when disturbed
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 26 February 2020
Calculating age of Whale sharks using Atomic bomb dating
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 12 April 2020
Gujarat Lion population estimation without conducting census
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 12 June 2020
Great Barrier Reef loses more than half of its corals in last 3 decades
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 17 October 2020
Coral reef taller than Eiffel Tower discovered in Australia
Tags: Biodiversity
Published on: 30 October 2020
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'title' => 'Climate change may make species infertile: Study',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to recent Study, rising temperatures due to climate change could drive some species to become sterile (infertile). It will be serious issue for many organisms and certain groups are thought to be most vulnerable to climate-induced fertility loss are cold-blooded animals and aquatic species. Based on this, researchers are trying to predict places where species will be lost, so that suitable reserves could be built for their relocation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This study was carried out in collaboration with scientists from University of Leeds (UK), University of Melbourne (Australia) and Stockholm University and was funded by UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Key Findings of Study</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Organisms will lose fertility at lower temperatures than their <em>critical thermal limit (CTL)</em>, temperature at which they collapse, stop moving or die. This may make these species succumb to effects of climate change earlier than thought.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It also proposes another measure of how organisms function at extreme temperatures that focuses on fertility and has termed it <em>thermal fertility limit or 'TFL'</em>.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It calls for correlated study of TFLs as well as CTLs to identify <em>effects of fertility losses due to climate change</em>, <em>which organisms are particularly vulnerable to these thermal fertility losses</em> and <em>design conservation programmers that for these species to survive in changing climate</em>.</span></span></li>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Punjab Government has declared Indus River Dolphins as its State aquatic animal. This decision was taken in the Punjab State Wildlife Board presided over by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. At present, <strong>Black Buck</strong> is<strong> official state animal</strong> of Punjab and <strong>Baaj,</strong> also known as <strong>northern goshawk (accipiter gentilis)</strong> is its <strong>official state bird.</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Significance </strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This coveted distinction Indus River Dolphin to will give much needed boost to conserve this endangered species and one of world's rarest mammals.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With this, State Wildlife Department will also initiate further steps to safeguard this species facing threat of extinction in Punjab.</span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Note: </strong>Ganges river dolphin is <strong><em>National Aquatic Animal of India</em></strong> and is <strong><em>official animal of Guwahati city</em></strong> of Assam.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Indus River Dolphin</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is one of only four freshwater river dolphin species and subspecies (which also includes Ganges River dolphin) in the world. It is found only in India and Pakistan in Beas river, tributary of Indus.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is <em>functionally blind and relies on echolocation</em> to navigate, communicate and hunt prey in muddy river water.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Habitat: </strong>Traditionally, it was found in mainstream Indus and its five tributaries Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum flowing through India and Pakistan.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">But now its range has been reduced by almost 80% compared to late 1800s and Indian population is <strong>limited only to Beas River</strong>. It has extinct in river Sutlej mainly because of river pollution.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Threats: </strong>Hunting for meat, entanglement in fishing nets, poisoning of water supply of river from industrial and agricultural chemicals.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are facing most significant threat from building of dams and barrages along course of their habitable rivers. It causing segregation of populations and narrowed its gene pool affecting its genetic diversity.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Protection Status: </strong>It is a key indicator species of river’s health. Its presence is considered as river is healthy. It listed as <strong><em>endangered</em></strong> on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. It is placed in <strong><em>Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972</em></strong>. It is national mammal of Pakistan.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Present Population:</strong> Only 1,816 Indus dolphins are reported to exist presently in lower parts of Indus River. In first organised census conducted in May 2018 by Punjab Forest Department and WWF-India has estimated population of Indus River Dolphins to about five to 11 dolphins living in small 185-km stretch of Beas that flows through Punjab.</span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">Indian Birding Fair</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It is dedicated to conservation of waders, which are tiny birds mostly confined to edges of water and are observed feeding across moist surfaces. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">On this occasion, wading birds such as little stint, green sandpiper, small pratincole, pied avocet, Jerdon’s courser, black winged stilt and many more species were spotted.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">Indian subcontinent hosts 84 species of wading birds, 64 of which are migratory. Migratory birds, many of which travel annually to India and spend winter at Man Sagar and go back to their native places in Russia, Mongolia and China to breed.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">Man Sagar Lake</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It is artificial lake named after Man Singh, the then ruler of Amber and trusted general of Mughal Emperor Akba. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">He had built this lake it in 1610 AD by damming Dravyavati river. Palace called Jal Mahal is situated in the middle of the lake.</span></span></span></li>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Scientists have discovered new species of non-venomous snake named Crying keelback in Lepa-Rada district of Arunachal Pradesh. Its zoological name <em>Hebius lacrima.</em> Lacrima in Latin means tear. Globally snakes are represented by 3,709 species. The northeast is home to some 110 species and Arunachal Pradesh accounting for 55 species.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Crying keelback</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has been named so because of dark spot under its eyes looking like black tear that interrupts white stripe running along t upper jaw to back of its head and beyond. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It belongs to genus <em>Hebius, </em>which has total 44 species of snakes worldwide. It lives near streams along paddy fields and feeds on small fish, tadpole, frogs and geckos.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has combination of a distinctive broad, white, interrupted stripe along its body, three rows of irregular dark blotches (not vertically aligned) on each side, six cream, elongated spots on its anterior part and smooth dorsal scale row. This characteristic differentiates it from other snakes in <em>Hebius genus.</em></span></span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Background</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Several animals, birds, amphibians and insects have been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh in more than two decades in recent past.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Arunachal macaque</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> (Macaca munzala) was discovered in 1997 and was recognised as new primate species in 2004. <strong>White-cheeked macaque</strong> (Macaca leucogenys), another primate species was discovered in 2015.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Leaf deer</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> (Muntiacus putaoensis) was discovered in 2002. <strong>Himalayan forest thrush</strong> was discovered in 2016 and it was given scientific name <em>Zoothera salimalii</em> after legendary ornithologist Salim Ali.</span></span></span></li>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">According to recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) study, India and China are leading global greening effort on land. It also observed that world is greener place than it was 20 years ago. NASA study was based on two-decade-long data record data received and analysed using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Findings of Study</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Greening in China is from forests (42%) and croplands (32%) and in India it is mostly from croplands (82%) with minor contribution from forests (4.4%).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Both countries account for one-third of greening but contain only 9% of planet’s land area covered in vegetation. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">China: </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It alone accounts for 25% of global net increase in leaf area with only 6.6% of global vegetated area. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">China is engineering ambitious programmes to conserve and expand forests with the goal of mitigating land degradation, air pollution and climate change.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Croplands: </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Greening pattern prominent in China and India and overlaps with croplands worldwide. It is contrary to earlier belief that land degradation in populous countries from over exploitation.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Food production in both countries has increased by over 35% since 2000 mostly owing to increase in harvested area through multiple cropping facilitated by fertiliser use and surface and groundwater irrigation.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Future Trend</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">: Greening trend in future may change depending on numerous factors. For example, increased food production in India is facilitated by groundwater irrigation. If groundwater is depletes, this trend may change.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Offset loss of natural vegetation:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> Gain in greenness around world does not necessarily offset loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions such as Brazil and Indonesia. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Thus, there are consequences for sustainability and biodiversity in those ecosystems beyond simple greenness of landscape. </span></span></span></li>
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(int) 5 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 189,
'title' => 'Dolphin population declines in Odisha: 2019 Census',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">According to 2019 dolphin census report of Odisha, population of dolphins in the state has declined from 469 in 2018 to 259 in 2019. The census was conducted by state’s forest and environment department.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">About Dolphin Census</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It covered important aquatic ecosystems in state including Chilika lake, India’s largest brackish water lagoon, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park and mouth of Rushukulya river.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was covered in the sea at distance of only 10 kilometres from coast as it is not possible to count dolphins in the deep sea.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Census Findings</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Dolphin species sighted during state-wide census included <em>Irrawaddy, Bottle Nose and Humpback</em>. The sighting of dolphins depended on weather condition of the day the census was carried out.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Gahirmatha is home to state’s largest dolphin population, having 126 animals. It is smaller number as compared to 307 dolphins sighted in 2018.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Chilika had next largest population at 113, followed by Rushukulya river with 15 dolphins and finally, Balasore with 5 individuals. More dolphins were seen in Gahirmatha than Chilika due to its bigger area.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Species distribution:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> Across Odisha, 130 Irrawaddy dolphins were sighted. Irrawaddy dolphin is not true river dolphin, but oceanic one and it lives in brackish water near coasts river mouths and in estuaries. 16 Bottle Nose dolphins were seen in Odisha. 113 Humpback were sighted.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Reasons for reduction in number of dolphins: </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">This could be due to migration of species from water bodies of state to the deep sea.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Climate change and bad weather may be also reasons for dolphins to migrate towards deep sea. <em>Death is not the reason behind the decline in numbers.</em></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Protection Status of Dolphins</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Dolphins are categorised as <strong>‘Endangered’</strong> on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">They have been included in <strong>Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972</strong>, giving them highest degree of protection, similar to tigers. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">They are also included in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in Appendix II of Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 6 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 317,
'title' => 'World Wildlife Day: 3 March',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">World Wildlife Day (WWD) is observed every year across the world on 3rd March to celebrate and raise awareness about conservation of world’s wild fauna and flora. It is celebrated to mark signing of landmark Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on 3rd March 1973.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">2019 Theme is “Life Below Water: For people and planet”. It is closely aligned with Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG14) which aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” The theme gives specific focus on conservation and sustainable use of marine wildlife.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Background</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">This day was officially designated by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 68th session on 20 December 2013. Observance of this day aims to create awareness and encourages people across the globe to protect endangered species. It also seeks to bring all stakeholders together to take urgent steps to fight wildlife crime which has wide-ranging environmental, economic and social impacts.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is international agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its main objective is to ensure that international trade does not threaten survival of species in wild. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was drafted as result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It entered into force in July 1975.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is administered through United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It classifies plants and animals according to three categories (appendices I, II, III), based on degree of threat to these species. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Based on this classification, it restricts trade in items made from such plants and animals, such as food, clothing, medicine, and souvenirs.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is legally binding on state parties to it, which are obliged to adopt their own domestic legislation to implement its goals.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 7 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 311,
'title' => 'Crop residue burning is major contributor to air pollution in Delhi: Study',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">According to recent study, biomass burning is major source of air pollution in national capital Delhi especially in winters as it results in emission of larger concentration of black carbon (BC) aerosols due to incomplete combustion. The study was conducted by scientists at Stockholm University, Sweden and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (regional centre, New Delhi).</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Key Findings of Study</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Sources of the high biomass emissions were regional rather than local and urban. BC entering Delhi from neighbouring states is around 42% in winter and 36% in autumn. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Burning of crop residue or wood and vehicular emissions, both contribute around 40% each to pollution in Delhi.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">There is seasonal trend of variation of organic carbon and BC in particulate matter. It suggests that to efficiently combat severe air pollution, it is necessary to not only mitigate urban emissions, but also regional-scale biomass emissions, including agricultural crop residue burning.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Responsible neighboring states:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> Phenomenon of crop residue burning in Delhi’s neighboring states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh contributes to national capital’s winter pollution.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">In these crop residue burning occurs after harvest which typically occurs in October/November for wheat and in April/May for rice.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Summer months in Delhi see pollution majorly owing to local sources, winter and autumn particulate matter (PM) has large footprint of biomass burning.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Weather conditions:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> Wind direction in winter (northwesterly), as opposed to southwesterly in summer and monsoon, brings biomass burning load to Delhi during winder. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Besides, weather conditions ensure that atmospheric boundary layer height in winters is lower, which means that atmospheric transport occurs closer to the surface in winter and autumn.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Impact: </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Atmospheric pollution due black carbon is pronounced problem not only in Delhi but in other cities that fall in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). It not only affects health adversely but also contributes significantly to global warming.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 8 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 314,
'title' => 'World losing fish to eat due to ocean warming: Study',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">According to recent study, fish populations are declining as oceans warm, putting key source of food and income at risk for millions of people around the world. It has found that amount of seafood that humans could sustainably harvest from wide range of species shrank by 4.1% from 1930 to 2010 mainly due to human-caused (induced) climate change.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Key Findings of Study</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">The 4% decline in range of fish species equals to 1.4 million metric tons of fish from 1930 to 2010. Global warming will put pressure on world’s food supplies in coming decades. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It separate effects of ocean warming due to climate change from other factors, like overfishing. It suggests that climate change is already having a serious impact on seafood.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Marine life has been subjected to some of most drastic effects of climate change. The oceans have absorbed 93% of heat that is trapped by greenhouse gases (GHGs) that humans pump into the atmosphere.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Protecting fish form overfishing and improving overall management of fisheries can help in short term. But ultimate solution lies in slowing or halting climate change.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Background</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Fish make up 17% of global population’s intake of animal protein, and as much as 70% for people living in some coastal and island countries. Fish provide vital source of protein for over half of global population, and some 56 million people worldwide are supported in some way by marine fisheries</span></span></span></p>
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(int) 9 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 246,
'title' => ' Monkey declared Vermin in Himachal Pradesh',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has declared Monkey (<em>Rhesus macaque</em>) as Vermin for period of one year in 11 districts of Himachal Pradesh. It comes after request of state government to centre as monkeys were adversely affecting crops and causing harm to humans in the state.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">This is second time monkey has been declared as vermin in Himachal Pradesh. For first time it was declared vermin in 2016 in 38 tehsils and sub-tehsils of 10 districts of state. The period of this notification was extended for one year in December 2017.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">What this decision means?</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It allows state forest authorities and people to carry out an extermination (hunting/poaching) of monkeys outside reserve forest on large scale. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">To do so, they will no longer require permission from forest/wildlife officials and thus their actions cannot attract penal provisions of Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It will help to balance local population of monkeys to mitigate damage to human life, crops and other properties in state for ensuring conservation of wildlife in forests.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Vermin</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Vermin means wild animals and birds which are harmful to crops, farm animals or which carry disease. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Section 62 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 empowers Centre (Environment Ministry) to declare through notification wild animals as vermin for selective slaughter on request of State Government </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Under it, wild animal can be declared as vermin <em>if they have become dangerous to human life or property, including standing crops on any land </em>and <em>become disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery</em>.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Central Government through notification declares any wild animal other than those specified in <em>Schedule I of WPA </em>vermin for any area for specific period by listing it in Schedule V.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">For such period of notification, wild animal placed in Schedule V of WPA is deprived of any protection under legal provision of WPA. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It also provides reprieve for those who kill this vermin animal from jail terms and fines that hunting these animals typically invite under WPA. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">The hunted vermin wildlife is declared as government property and Government imposes restrictions on disposal of carcasses of these animals. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Monkey declared Vermin in Himachal Pradesh',
'metakeyword' => 'In Environment Current Affairs, Environment Ministry, declares, Monkey, Rhesus macaque, Vermin, Himachal Pradesh',
'metadescription' => 'Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has declared Monkey (Rhesus macaque) as Vermin for period of one year in 11 districts of Himachal Pradesh',
'author' => 'Nikhil Paigude',
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(int) 10 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 221,
'title' => 'Bramble Cay Melomys: First mammal to extinct due to climate change',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Australia has officially declared rat-like Melomys rubicola (Great Barrier Reef rodent) extinct after it was not spotted in decade. This makes it <strong>first mammal to extinct due to human induced (anthropogenic) ‘climate change’</strong>. The species was not seen since 2009. It was only endemic mammal species of Bramble Cay Island in Great Barrier Reef.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Reasons for Extinction</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was revealed after researchers in extensive surveys and searches failed to find single specimen from its only known habitat.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Habitat loss due to repeated ocean inundation (due to sea level rise) of its only habitat in Bramble Cay over the last decade. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Sea-level rise and weather events in Torres Strait region due to human-induced climate change being root cause of the loss of the Bramble Cay Melomys.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">About Bramble Cay melomys </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was small rat-like (rodent) animal species in family <em>Muridae</em>. It was <em>Great Barrier Reef’s only endemic mammal species</em>.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was only found in small coral cay (a low-lying island on a coral reef) called Bramble Cay located off north coast of Queensland in Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its coral cay habitat was only 340m long and 150m wide and was 3m above sea level. It was first discovered in 1845 on cay by Europeans who shot large rats for sport. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 403,
'title' => 'Erode turmeric accorded GI Tag',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Geographical Indication Registry of India has accorded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to famous 'Erode turmeric' grown mainly in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Erode Turmeric is famous across the globe. Its two important varieties are- Chinna Nadan and Perum Nadan. Erode farmers raise Chinna Nadan. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has grown as important commercial spice crop in Erode and bordering areas in Coimbatore district.<strong> </strong>Erode is one of the largest market for turmeric in India.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Thousands of small and marginal farmers are involved in its cultivation. Its prominent areas of cultivation are in Erode District are Kodumudi, Sivagiri, Havani, Gobichettipalayam, Anthiyur, Chennampatti, Sathyamangalam and Thalavady.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> <strong>Turmeric </strong></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is one of the oldest spices used in India since time immemorial. IT has been extensively mentioned in Ayurveda for its medicinal uses.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Earliest reference about turmeric was in Atharvaveda (6000 BC), in which turmeric was prescribed to cure jaundice. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">During Sangam era of Tamils, around 2000 BCE, peasants grew turmeric plants in front of their houses. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">There is also evidence that turmeric was one of commodities traded during Chera, Chola and Pandian kingdoms. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has assumed greater importance in religious and socio-cultural traditions as it is considered as auspicious and holy herb.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has multifaceted utility in food, medicine and cosmetics considering its unique aroma and color to the food items.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Geographical Indication (GI) </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is name or sign used on certain products which correspond to specific geographical location or origin. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is covered as element of <em>intellectual property rights (IPRs) under Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property.</em></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is accorded to natural, agricultural and manufactured goods (commodity) having special quality and established reputation. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is awarded especially to goods and products which recognised for their origin, quality and reputation and gives it required edge in global market. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It also gives these products complete exclusivity, ensuring that no one can use their name. In India, GI recognition is valid for 10 years after which it needs to be renewed. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It enables stakeholders to authenticate their production while earning premium and derive improved livelihood. Its violation is punishable offence under law. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">At international level, it is governed and regulated by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">In India, it is governed and regulated Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999 governs it. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">This Act is administered by Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also Registrar of GI and is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 12 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 434,
'title' => 'Scientists rediscover wood snake species in Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Scientists have rediscovered species of wood snake (<em>Xylophis indicus</em>) inMeghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary after 140 years. It was last seen in 1878 and was discovered in same region by British military officer and naturalist Colonel Richard Henry Beddome.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Wood snake</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It endemic (found only) in Meghamalai forests and Periyar Tiger Reserve. Recently snake discovered was 235 mm long and uniformly dark brown. It was female specimen. Its rediscovery needs to be validated by both morphological and genetic data.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Significance:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> Rediscovery of snake indicated that the quality of the habitat was good. It will aid in both management and conservation of biodiversity in this region.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary</span></span></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is located in Megamalai Wildlife Division near Megamalai Mountain Range situated in Western Ghats in Theni district.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It spreads over 636 square kilometers in Theni district in Tamil Nadu and borders Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is important buffer zone for tiger population in addition to being an important elephant corridor.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is home to 10 % overall population of lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri tahr (state animal of Tamil Nadu). Great Indian Hornbill is also found in this sanctuary.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Scientists rediscover wood snake species',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Astrobatrachus kurichiyana: New frog species discovered in West Ghats',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Scientists have discovered new starry dwarf frog species named Astrobatrachus kurichiyana in Western Ghats in Wayanad district of Kerala. Genetic analysis of this frog species has revealed that is at least 60 million years old. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Astrobatrachus kurichiyana</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has been named Astrobatrachus kurichiyana (genus <em>Astrobatrachus</em>) after its starry spots and kurichiyana in honour of Kurichiya tribe that live in the area. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is nocturnal amphibian and lives under leaf litter on mountaintop in Wayanad district of Kerala.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is just 2 cm long and sports pale blue spots and brilliant orange thighs. It has triangular finger- and toe tips.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has different orphological characters, shape and colour patterns as compared to other frogs seen Western Ghats. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 14 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'India ranks 16th in terms of highest number of impacted species in hotspots',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">In recently published study, India was ranked 16th in the world in terms of highest number of impacted species in biodiversity-rich zones (hotspots) due to human actions. In India, 35 species affected on an average in in biodiversity-rich zones.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Study </span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was recently published study in PLOS Biology, an international journal dedicated to biological science. It had mapped impact mainly due to eight human activities — including hunting and conversion of natural habitats for agriculture — in areas occupied by 5,457 threatened birds, mammals and amphibians worldwide. It had </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Findings of Study</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Human impacts on species occur across 84% of earth’s surface. Malaysia ranks first among countries with highest number of impacted species (on an average 125 spices).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Southeast Asian tropical forests — including India’s biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, Himalaya and north-east — also fall in this category.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">1,237 species are impacted by threats in more than 90% of their habitat; 395 species are affected by threats across their entire range. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Impact of roads is highest (affecting 72% of terrestrial areas), crop lands affect highest number of threatened species: 3,834.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Cool spots:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> These affected areas are also ‘cool-spots’ (the world’s last refuges where high numbers of threatened species still persist). They could be result of protection or because of intact habitat. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">India related facts:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> On average number of species impacted in South Western Ghats montane rainforests is 60 and in Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests it is 53. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Roads and croplands are extensive and conversion of habitat for such activities in India are main threat to biodiversity.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">India still has crucial refuges for threaten species that needs protection. The main priority should be identifying such areas to aid conservation. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">These refuge areas do not necessarily have to be protected from human development, but need to be freed of actions that directly threaten species there.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'India ranks 16th in terms impacted species in hotspots',
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'metadescription' => 'In recently published study, India was ranked 16th in the world in terms of highest number of impacted species in biodiversity-rich zones (hotspots)',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 463,
'title' => 'Environment damage behind premature deaths, diseases: UN report',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">According to recently released UN Environment’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO) 2019, quarter of all premature deaths and diseases worldwide are due to manmade pollution and environmental damage. It calls for immediate changes in the way the world eats, generates energy and handles its waste. It is overall sixth GEO in the series.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Findings of report</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Deadly emissions, chemicals polluting drinking water and accelerating destruction of ecosystems crucial to livelihoods of billions of people are driving worldwide epidemics and diseases that hampers the global economy.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">There is growing chasm between rich and poor countries as rampant overconsumption, pollution and food waste in developed world leads to hunger, poverty and disease elsewhere.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) continue to rise amid preponderance of droughts, floods and superstorms made worse by climbing sea levels. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">There is growing political consensus that climate change poses future risk to billions. But there is no consensus on meeting set targets of 2015 Paris accord.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Health impacts of pollution, deforestation and mechanised food-chain are less well understood.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Poor environmental conditions cause around 25% of global disease and mortality (around 9 million deaths in 2015 alone).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Due to lack of access to clean drinking supplies, 1.4 million people die each year from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea and parasites linked to pathogen-contaminated water and poor sanitation.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Chemicals pumped into seas are potentially causing multi-generational adverse health effects.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Land degradation through deforestation and mega-farming occurs in areas of earth home to 3.2 billion people.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Air pollution causes 6 to 7 million early deaths annually. There is rapid drawdown in GHGs and pesticide use to improve air and water quality.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It calls root-and-branch detoxification of human behaviour while insisting that the situation is not unassailable.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Global Environment Outlook (GEO)</span></span></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is series of reports on environment periodically published by UN Environmental Programme (UNEP).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is also referred to as UN Environment’s flagship environmental assessment. It was released for first time in 1997. It is prepared by consultative and participatory process.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is independent assessment of state of environment, effectiveness of policy response to tackle environmental challenges and possible pathways to achieve various internationally agreed environmental goals. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">So far, five GEO reports have been published to date UNEP vz. GEO-1 (1997), GEO-2000 (1999), GEO-3 (2002), GEO-4 (2007), GEO-5 (2012) and GEO-6 (2019).</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Environment damage behind premature deaths, diseases: UN report',
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'metadescription' => 'According to recently released UN Environment’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO) 2019, quarter of all premature deaths and diseases worldwide are due to manmade pollution and environmental damage',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 477,
'title' => 'Uttar Pradesh to conduct first census of Otters',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Uttar Pradesh for the first time has undertaken census of otters in protected areas of the state. The census exercise was started from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and will be completed by end of March 2019 covering all protected areas of state.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Otter </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is important part species (mammal) of forest ecosystem. It spends much of its time in or close to water bodies. It lives on fish. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its den is known as holt and it is close to water bodies. <em>Its thriving population indicates healthy river ecosystem and water bodies are pollution-free. </em></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><em><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Three species of otters are found in India. </span></em><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is classified as <strong>vulnerable species</strong> on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR)</span></span></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is located in foothills of Himalayas, south of Nepal. It covers area of approximately 800 square kilometres. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It covers parts of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts of Uttar Pradesh. It is rich in water bodies as its considerable area is encircled by Sharda and Ghaghara rivers.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is home to tigers, leopards, elephants, different species of deer and monkeys and reptiles like snakes, mugger crocodiles and gharials.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 472,
'title' => 'Climate vulnerability assessment extended to all states',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Department of Science and Technology (DST) has decided to carry out climate vulnerability assessment of all states and union territories (UTs) to assess the climate risks faced by States in India. It comes after first-ever successful vulnerability assessment undertaken by DST of 12 Himalayan states to climate risks.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Need for assessment</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">India is among most vulnerable to climate change. Such assessment will help government to assess which states or districts need more resource allocation for adaptation and mitigation of climate change, depending on how vulnerable they are,</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Pan India Climate vulnerability assessment</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It will be based on global methodological framework of 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It defines vulnerability by how ‘sensitive’ a specific eco-system is to climate change risks and what is the current adaptive capacity to mitigate the risks.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It will be first-such climate vulnerability index for all states, as there is no such national rating at present to determine which states are more vulnerable to climate risks. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It will be based on common set of indicators — socio-economic, demographic, health, sensitivity of agricultural production, forest-dependent livelihood and access to information.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">12 Himalayan States Climate vulnerability assessment</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was conducted in 2018 by Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) at Mandi and Guwahati, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It covered 12 Himalayan states viz. Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, hill districts of West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its aim was to evolve common methodology, and determine how districts there are equipped to deal with the vagaries of climate change.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Based on climate vulnerability index of each of these States was prepared based on district-level data. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">The index was measure of inherent risks district faces, primarily by virtue of its geography and socio-economic situation. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It ranked states on scale of 0 (least vulnerable) to 1 (most vulnerable). It was measused based on eight key parameters.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">These 8 parameters included (i) percentage of area in districts under forests, (ii) population density, (iii) yield variability of food grain, (iv) infant mortality rate, (v) percentage of population below poverty line (BPL), (vi) female literacy rate, (vii) average man-days under MGNREGA and (viii) area under slope > 30%.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Top venerable states were Assam (index score of 0.72), Mizoram (0.71). Sikkim, was relatively less vulnerable with an index score of 0.42. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Scores of other states: J&K (0.62), Manipur (0.59), Meghalaya (0.58), West Bengal (0.58), Nagaland (0.57), Himachal Pradesh (0.51), Tripura (0.51 both), Arunachal Pradesh (0.47) and Uttarakhand (0.45).</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Island Protection Zone, 2019 notified for Andaman and Nicobar Islands',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified Island Protection Zone (IPZ) 2019 for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It replaces IPZ notification of 2011. It relaxes development norms in islands compared to IPZ notification of 2011. It brings norms for Andaman and Nicobar at par with coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms for other islands close to mainland and backwater islands where No Development Zone (NDZ) is only 20 metres from High Tide Line (HTL).</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Key Features of IPZ, 2019</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Eco-tourism projects:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> They are now allowed 20 metres from HTL in smaller islands like Havelock, Baratang and Car Nicobar and at 50 metres in larger ones. It allows for eco-tourism activities like nature trails, mangrove walks and tree huts in island coastal regulation zone IA. Zone IA is the most eco-sensitive region of Andaman & Nicobar Islands which includes turtle nesting grounds, marshes, coral reefs etc.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Development Activities:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> It allows construction of roads and also roads on stilts by reclaiming land in exceptional cases for public utilities, strategic purposes or defence installations in eco-sensitive zones. It makes mandatory compensatory plantation of mangroves minimum three times the mangrove area destroyed during construction of such roads.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It also allows new activities ininter-tidal zone between HTL and low tide line. This includes land reclamation and bunding for foreshore facilities like harbours, ports, jetties, quays, wharves, sea links etc.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It also allows transfer of hazardous substances from ships to ports, mining of sand for construction purposes, manual mining of atomic minerals with permission from local authorities in non-eco-sensitive sites.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Background</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">The legal changes in IPZ for for Andaman and Nicobar are aligned with NITI Ayog’s proposal for holistic development in islands which is being taken forward under guidance of Island Development Agency. Union cabinet had approved CRZ notification December 2018, which relaxed number of provisions in CRZ 2011 to facilitate infrastructure development and construction on coast, including easing floor area ratio (FAR) in coastal urban areas and slashed NDZ in densely populated coastal rural areas to 50m from HTL as compared to 200m earlier.</span></span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'Island Protection Zone, 2019 notified for Andaman Nicobar Islands',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 585,
'title' => 'IUCN classify Hump-Backed Mahseer as Critically Endangered',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has added Hump-Backed Mahseer as “Critically Endangered” in its Red List of Threatened Species. It is now more threatened than the tiger.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Hump-Backed Mahseer</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is species of freshwater ray-finned fish endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is also called the tiger of water as it one of the largest, hardest fighting and most iconic freshwater game fish in the world.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It can grow up to 1.5 metres in length and weigh about 55 kg. It has an omnivorous diet and feeds on fish, crustaceans, molluscs, frogs, fruits and algae.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is found only in Cauvery river basin (including Kerala’s Pambar, Kabini and Bhavani rivers. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is facing threat of extinction due to construction of dams on course of its river habitat which has limited place to migrate and inhibited its growth, pollution of river from industrial waste, deforestation, sedimentation, drought etc.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is an international organisation working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable use of natural resources.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was founded in 1948 and is world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization. It is headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is involved in research, field projects, data gathering and analysis, advocacy, lobbying and education. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">In recent times it has widened its focus beyond conservation of ecology and now incorporates issues related to gender equality, poverty alleviation and sustainable development.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has membership of over 1400 governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has observer and consultative status at United Nations, and plays key role in the implementation of several international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was involved in establishing World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and World Conservation Monitoring Centre. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It compiles and publishes IUCN Red List, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide. It is used as standard to understand the conservation status of species.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'IUCN classify Hump-Backed Mahseer as Critically Endangered',
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(int) 20 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 665,
'title' => 'Jerzego sunillimaye: New jumping spider species discovered in Aarey Colony',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">New species of jumping spider named <strong>Jerzego sunillimaye </strong>was<strong> </strong>discovered in Aarey Colony, Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has been named to honour Sunil Limaye, additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife east), Maharashtra forest department. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Jerzego sunillimaye </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is the fourth spider species under genus <em>Jerzego</em> in the world and the second from India. It is also first species of this genus whose taxonomic details, mating behaviour, and egg development have been documented. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was seen for the first time in 2016 in eco-sensitive, dry-deciduous habitat of Aarey Colony. It was identified new spider species recently after its detail study.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has large eyes, dark grey body colouration, and distinctly coloured abdomen with a crescent shaped golden-yellow stripe in its latter half. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Length of the male species is 5.52mm and female is almost twice size at 10.3mm. It is hunter and usually hunts during the day. It possesses brilliant vision and swift reflexes. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Jumping spiders comprise 13% of global spider diversity and family Salticidae under which they are classified is the largest family of spiders. Of the earlier known three species in the world from <em>Jerzego</em> genus, only one species is known from the Indian subcontinent. Two other species are known from Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia. Aarey colonoy is also home to other jumping spiders such as <em>Langelurillus onyx </em>and <em>Langelurillus lacteus</em>.</span></span></span></p>
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(int) 21 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
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'title' => 'Phayeng Village: India’s first carbon-positive settlement',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Phayeng Village in in Imphal West district of Manipur has becomes India’s first carbon-positive settlement. A village is given carbon-positive tag if it sequesters more carbon than it emits, slowing accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and mitigating effects of climate change.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Phayeng Village </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is scheduled caste village of the Chakpa community. It is surrounded by three densely community-managed forested hillocks and stream flowing through it.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was resurrected from dry and denuded village it was in 1970s and 80s by its residents under carbon-positive village project and funding under National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its conservation efforts are mainly linked to belief that the forest is sacred grove, but idea has changed over the years.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its villagers have completely banned hunting. Besides, there is restriction on outsiders’ entry into forest without permission. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is Central Sector Scheme launched un 2015-16 to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It provides 100% funding to activities under it which are implemented in project mode. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) nodal implementation agency for these projects.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It provides assistance to states/UTs that are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It aims to fulfill objectives of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and operationalize State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs).</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 22 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 712,
'title' => 'Wildfire may threaten endangered Neelakurinji blossoms',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">According to experts, recent large-scale manmade wildfires could have wiped out all seeds of the endemic Neelakurinji plant (Strobilanthes kunthiiana) endemic to Western Ghats. It had seen flowering blossom after gap of 12 years last year. This could threaten its next season flowering blossoms which gives ravishing purple colour to western side of Western Ghats. Its seeds are sensitive without hard cover and are unlikely to survive massive fire. There are many rare plants in the Western Ghats and massive wild fire could wipe out entire habitat. All these and insects endemic to the area might face extinction in a massive fire.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Neelakurinji plant </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is a tropical plant species native to Shola forests in Western Ghats. It is rarest of rare plant species that grows in (endemic to) Western Ghats and do not grow anywhere else in the world.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is also found in Shevroys Hills in Eastern Ghats, Anamalai hills and Agali hills in Kerala and Sanduru hills in Karnataka. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It grows on hills slopes at altitude of 1300 to 2400 meters where there is no tree forest. Its height ranges from 30 to 60 cm</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its flowers are purple-blue in colour and blooms once in 12 years. These flowers have no smell or any medicinal value. It is because of these blom of these flowers, Nilgiri hills in southern tip of Western Ghats are called blue mountains.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has been categorized as endangered species. In ancient Tamil literature (Sangam), these flowers symbolize love. Tamil Nadu’s Paliyan tribal people use this flower bloom as reference to calculate their age.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 23 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 777,
'title' => 'NGT constitutes Central Monitoring Committee to check river pollution',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed Central Monitoring Committee to prepare and enforce national plan to make over 350 river stretches across the country pollution free.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Central Monitoring Committee</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Objective of committee:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> It will monitor pollution of rivers and coordinate with River Rejuvenation Committees of states. It will also oversee execution of action plans, taking into account timelines, budgetary mechanism and other factors. It may also consider identifying experts, best practices and models for use of treated water, including plan to supply untreated sewage for price or otherwise so that the concerned needy party can treat and utilise such water.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Composition of committee:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> It will comprise representative of NITI Aayog, secretaries of Union Ministries of Water Resources, Urban Development and Environment, Director General (DG) of National Mission for Clean Ganga and Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Chairman of CPCB will be nodal authority for coordination of this committee. Chief secretaries of states will act as nodal officers at state level.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">National Green Tribunal</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is quasi-judicial body established under National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases (litigations) related to protection pf environment and conservation of forests and other natural resources.</span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 24 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 825,
'title' => 'Scientists launch Global Deal for Nature',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Scientists have outlined set of specific targets & milestones and guiding principles under Global Deal for Nature (GDN) to avoid the sixth mass extinction. It has been published in the journal Science Advances and scientists have laid out set of specific targets and milestones under GDN.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Global Deal for Nature (GDN)</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is time-bound, science-based plan to protect and save diversity abundance of life on Earth by 2030 and prevent another mass extinction event on the planet.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Its objective is to tackle dangerous climate change or climate breakdown and safeguard biodiversity in order to avoid any worsening of sixth mass extinction which is very first human-made biodiversity catastrophe.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is driven by One Earth, an initiative of Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation that aims to gather support from international institutions, governments, and citizens of planet Earth to support ambitious conservation goals<strong>.</strong></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It sets out guiding principles, milestones and targets needed to avoid the extinction threats of a two degrees Celsius warming forecast.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Three overarching goals of GDN are </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Protect biodiversity by conserving at least 30% of the Earth's surface by 2030.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Mitigate climate change by conserving natural carbon storehouses of Earth.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Reduce major threats (such as meeting 2050 world food demand by directing cropland expansion to degraded lands and reducing food wastage, curbing industrial fishing or illegal hunting and poaching, reducing use of plastics or ecologically damaging toxins).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">The essence of implementing of GDN plan is to set up protected areas of land as natural ecosystems.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Key highlights of GDN</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Around 30 % of the planet is to be fully protected under United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity by 2030.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Another 20 % of planet would be protected under GDN as Climate Stabilization Areas (CSAs). CSAs will meet the definition of “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures” (OECMs) adopted by Parties to Convention on Biological Diversity in 2018.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Governments should adopt it as companion pact alongside UN Paris Climate Agreement approved by nearly 200 countries in 2015.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It calls for societal investment for the first time and integrates and implements climate and nature deals on global scale to avoid human upheaval and biodiversity loss. Saving diversity and abundance of life on Earth may cost $100 billion a year.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Scientists launch Global Deal for Nature | Global Deal for Nature',
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(int) 25 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 807,
'title' => '150 Great Indian Bustards in Desert National Park: Report',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">There are 150 Great Indian Bustards (GIB) in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park (DNP), as per actual report submitted by the state forest department following the directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This claim is contrary to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) which had estimated total population of GIB at 150 for whole India.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Desert National Park (DNP) in Rajasthan is spread over Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner districts. It is main habitat of Great Indian Bustards, which is state bird of Rajasthan.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Great Indian Bustards</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is large bird with horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it ostrich like appearance. It is among the heaviest of the flying birds.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It habitat consists of large expanses of dry grassland and scrub and is often found associated in same habitat as blackbuck.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Once common it was common in dry plains of Indian subcontinent, now it found only in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is facing threat of extinction due to hunting and loss of its habitat.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Protection Status:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> It is <strong>critically endangered species</strong> listed in International Union for conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 and in the CMS Convention and in Appendix I of CITES.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Conservation Projects:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> It is one of the species identified for recovery programme under Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Rajasthan Government has launched <strong>Project Great Indian Bustard</strong> under which identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing protected areas is undertaken as well as secure breeding enclosures are provided in areas outside protected areas.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Nepal Launches Everest Cleaning Campaign',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Government of Nepal has launched 45-day 'Everest Cleaning Campaign', aimed at bringing back tonnes of trash from Mt. Everest, world's highest peak (8848 metres), left back by climbers. The goal of this campaign is to send the message to keep this mountain pollution free. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">This is for first time Nepal has launched such large scale campaign to clean up the world's highest peak. So far total of 3,000 kilogrammes of solid waste has been collected from Mt Everest since launch of the campaign on April 14, 2019. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Everest Cleaning Campaign</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is led by Solukhumbu district's Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality. It was launched on April 14 (Nepali New Year). It will conclude on May 29, 2019. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The month-and-a-half clean-up campaign aims to collect nearly 10,000 kilogrammes of garbage from Mt Everest. It is supported by number of governmental and non-governmental agencies. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The collected waste will be showcased in Namche town and later in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on World Environment Day (June 5) to send message to keep this mountain pollution free. After that it will finally be sent out for recycling.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Note:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> May 29 is marked every year to commemorate the first summit of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Garbage Problem</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Every year, hundreds of climbers, Sherpas and high altitude porters make their way to Mt Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali), highest peak in the world. During this course, they leave behind tonnes of both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste - including kitchen waste, bottles, empty oxygen canisters and faecal matter - on the highest peak. This has led environmentalists to dub Mt Everest as "world's highest garbage dump". There were also attempts in past to clean up Mt. Everest, including 2014 Nepal Government’s mandated provision of making it mandatory for every climber to come down peak with at least 8 kgs of garbage i.e. the amount of trash estimated to be produced by one climber.</span></span></span></p>
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'title' => 'New bird species spotted in Andaman And Nicobar',
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<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">New species of East Asian bird-‘Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo’ (Chalcites basalis) was been spotted at Andaman And Nicobar Islands. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">This species of bird is native to Australia and New Guine. It is small in size, measuring roughly about 15 cm and weighs 22 g. It has green and black feathers at their back.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Sighting of this bird species has increased on A&N Island since 2004 Indonesian tsunami. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'New bird species spotted in Andaman And Nicobar',
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(int) 28 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Bajirao: Mumbai’s last captive white tiger dies',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Mumbai’s last captive white tiger named Bajirao died recently at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali (Mumbai suburb), Maharashtra. He was 18 years and died due to old age related issues. He was suffering from chronic ankyloses (fusion of bones leads to abnormal stiffening and immobility of joint) on left shoulder and chronic senile generalised arthritis from past four years. He was born at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in 2001.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About White tigers</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">They are also called Bleached Tiger and are not separate sub-species of tiger. They have white to almost cream colored fur, pink nose, black/grey/chocolate colored stripes and blue.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">They are basically white in colour i.e. they pigmentation variant of Bengal Tiger. Their white colour is due to lack of pheomelanin pigment which gives Bengal tigers their red-yellow or amber colour.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The white tigers are found only among Indian tigers. The last wild white tiger reported in India was captured in forests of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. They now only can be found in captivity.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Sanjay Gandhi National Park </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is a protected area in Borivali suburb in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was earlier known as Borivali National Park. It encloses two lakes namely Vihar Lake and Tulsi Lake and has a protected archaeological site, called ‘Kanheri Caves’ in its centre.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is part of Western Ghats biodiversity and forms roughly 205 of Mumbai’s geographical area. It is home to more than 35 species of mammals, 274 species of birds, 170 species of butterflies, 78 species of reptiles and amphibians and over 1,300 species of plants. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It encloses two lakes namely Tulsi Lake and Vihar Lake.</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is notable as one of the major national parks existing within metropolis limit and is one of the most visited parks in the world. It is spread over are of 103 sq.km in heart of Mumbai city and surrounded by population of 20 million people. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">2000 year old complex of some 160 rock-cut caves named Kanheri Caves, which were important Buddhist learning centre are situated within this national park and are protected archeological site.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Bajirao: Mumbai’s last captive white tiger dies',
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(int) 29 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
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'title' => 'Grizzled Giant Squirrel for first time nests in Eastern Ghats',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Researchers for the first time have sighted over 300nests of endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel at Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near Gingee in Eastern Ghats. The sighting of this squirrel species in Eastern Ghats is surprising as it was previously not been recorded and it is usually known to nest in the Western Ghats in Southern India.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Grizzled Giant Squirrel</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is a large tree squirrel in the genus <em>Ratufa</em>. Its scientific name is <em>Ratufa macroura</em>.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Distribution:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It usually known to nest in Western Ghats in Southern India ranging from Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary (Kerala to Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Palani hills in Tamil Nadu. Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary dedicated for it is located in Shenbagathoppu, Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu. It is also found in Sri Lanka.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Threats:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Habitat loss and poaching.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Conservation status:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It listed under Schedule I (endangered) of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It has been categorised as near threatened by IUCN Red List. It is also listed under Schedule II of CITES.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Purple Frog to be designated state amphibian of Kerala',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Leading Herpetologists have floated proposal to designate endangered Purple frog as Kerala’s state amphibian. This coveted designation will go long way in protecting this frog species and its fragile habitat (Over 50</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">% </span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">of which lies outside the protected areas). This proposal will soon come up on agenda of committee of State Wildlife Advisory Board meets later.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Purple Frog </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is also known as Purple Frog, Maveli frog or Pignose Frog. It belongs to frog species of family <em>Sooglossidae</em>. Its scientific name is <em>Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis</em>. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It lives almost its entire life in underground tunnels, comes out to the surface for a single day in a year to breed. Once it lays its eggs, it returns to the earth’s deepest layers.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Taxonomical Characteristics:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Its body is robust and bloated. It is relatively rounded compared to other flattened frogs. Compared to other frogs, it has small head and unusual pointed protruding snout and powerful hind legs. Its adults are typically dark purplish-grey in color. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Distribution</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: It is endemic to Western Ghats and cannot be found anywhere else. It is widely distributed in the biodiverse region of Western Ghats. Earlier it was thought to be restricted to south of Palghat Gap in Western Ghats.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Breading Cycle</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: The male and female frogs of this species mate underground and once in year and they come out on surface to lay thousands of eggs near seasonal streams in the months of May-June.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The tadpoles that emerge out of these eggs look identical to sucker fish and are found clinging onto rocks and boulders alongside these seasonal, fast-flowing streams where they feed on algae. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">These tadpoles are known to spend up to 120 days in open before they metamorphose into frogs and make their journey into subterranean soil where they will live almost permanently.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Threats:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Loss of its habitat due to rampant construction of unauthorised check dams, submerging of perennial breeding grounds of this frog species. Additionally, road networks also lie close to their breeding grounds, killing them while crossing.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Conservation Status:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It listed as endangered on red data list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Historical Significance:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Herpetologists believe that this frog species is ‘living fossil’ as it’s evolutionary roots suggest it could have shared space with dinosaurs going back almost 70 million years ago. Besides, its closest relatives were found in Seychelles. This discovery shows that this species could indeed be living proof of Theory of Gondwanaland.</span></span></span></span></li>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1041,
'title' => 'Million species at risk of extinction: IPBES Report',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">According to recent released <strong>Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services </strong>, 40</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">% </span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">of amphibian species and more than a third of all marine mammals are threatened. This loss is direct result of intrusive human activity and constitutes direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Report</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It was released by UN backed <strong>Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)</strong> and was compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries. It was endorsed by 130 countries, including US, Russia and China. It contained litany of estimates made after three-year review of some 15,000 scientific papers.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Key Highlights of Report</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Up to 1 million of estimated eight million plants, insect and animal species on Earth are at risk of extinction, many within decades. Moreover, 40</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">%</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> of amphibian species and more than third of all marine mammals are threatened by risk of extinctions. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Reasons:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> The loss in species is because of relentless pursuit of economic growth, twinned with the impact of climate change. It shows that profound impact of rise of globalised industrial society on planet over the past half century</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Industrial farming and commercial fishing are major drivers for species extinction, which is tens to hundreds of times higher than average over the last 10 million years. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Climate change caused by burning of oil, gas and coal produced by fossil fuel industry is exacerbating the losses,</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Suggestions:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Only wide-ranging transformation of the global economic and financial system could pull ecosystems back from the brink of collapse.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">World needs to embrace new <em>post-growth form of economics</em> if it is to avert existential risks posed by mutually-reinforcing consequences of pollution, habitat destruction and carbon emissions.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Comment </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The report’s message has been echoed similarly to United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which had highlighted the need for profound economic and social changes to curb greenhouse gases quickly enough to avert most devastating consequences of a warming world. The findings will also add to pressure for countries to agree bold action to protect wildlife at major conference on biodiversity due to take place in China towards the end of next year.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is the intergovernmental body which assesses the state of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services it provides to society, in response to requests from decision makers.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It was established in 2012 by member states of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its secretariat (Headquarters) is located in Bonn, Germany. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Currently over 130 governments are its member States. India is its founding member.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its objective is to strengthen science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Bengal Tiger may not survive climate change: UN Report',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">According to recent United Nations (UN) report, Climate change and rising sea levels eventually may wipe out Sundarbans, one of world’s last and largest habitat of Bengal tiger. Bengal tigers are among 500,000 land species whose survival is in question because of threats to their natural habitats. The report was based on climate scenarios developed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for its simulation models and adds to existing studies that offered similarly grim predictions for wildlife in the Sundarbans.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Key findings of UN report</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Sunderbans, 10,000 square kilometres of marshy land in India and Bangladesh, hosts the world’s largest mangrove forest and rich ecosystem.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It supports several hundred animal species, including Bengal tiger. But 70</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">%</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> of Sunderbans is just few feet above sea level, and faces threat of grave climate changes.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Changes brought by global warming will decimate the few hundred or so Bengal tigers remaining there. By 2070, there will be no suitable tiger habitats remaining in Bangladesh Sundarbans. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">In 2010, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) had projected that sea level rise of 11 inches will reduce number of tigers in Sundarbans by 96%within a few decades.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Since early 1900s, hunting, habitat loss and illegal trade of tiger parts have decimated its global population from around 100,000 to fewer than 4,000.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Bengal Tiger may not survive climate change: UN Report',
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(int) 33 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Smithophis Atemporalis: Rain-Loving Snake Species Discovered In Mizoram',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Herpetologists have discovered new ‘Rain-loving’ snake species named Smithophis atemporalis in Mizoram. Its common name is <strong>Mizo rain snake</strong> and locally is called <strong><em>Ruahlawmrul or rain-loving snake</em></strong>.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Mizo rain snake</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It has been named <strong><em>Smithophis atemporalis </em></strong><em>(scientific name)</em> after eminent British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith for his immense contribution to Indian herpetology. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It belongs to new genus-Smithophis and species of the natricine. It took seven-member team of herpetologists 12 years to document it.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is a predominantly aquatic species and is a non-venomous snake. It is commonly seen in human dominated landscapes after rains. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its maximum recorded size is 655 mm. It lacks specific enlarged scales in temporal region of its head. This character is extremely rare in snakes of this snake family. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Note:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is the latest reptile to be discovered in the Northeast in recent time. It comes after most recent discovery of reddish-brown pit viper in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier in December 2018, Crying Keelback, a non-venomous snake species was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lepa-Rada district.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'title' => 'Genome of Asiatic Lion sequenced for first time',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad for the first time have sequenced entire genome of Asiatic lion. This firsthand information will help scientists to better understand evolution of Asiatic lions and also make possible comparative analysis with other big cats whose genetic information is available such as such as royal Bengal tiger, African Cheetah and Jaguars.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance of genome sequencing </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It will enable scientists in better understanding evolution of Asiatic lions, develop specific markers to study population genetics i.e. differences at gene level within a population and provide newer insights into its population status and subsequent management. It will also allow comparative genomics between African and Asiatic lions. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The evaluation of genetic diversity of Asiatic lion also places it in lowest bracket of genomic diversity index highlighting the gravity of its conservation status. It will also help to adopt multi-pronged approach and enable better disease and population management of this endangered big cat by identifying characteristics which are specific to Asiatic lions.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Asiatic Lion</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its scientific name is <em>Panthera Leo Persica</em>. It is cousin of African lion and is believed to have split away 100,000 years ago. It is slightly smaller than African lion. It has distinctive fold of skin along its belly which is not seen in African lion. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Habitat and Distribution:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is only place in the world with wild population of Asiatic lion. Its Gir habitat is compact tract of dry deciduous forest and open grassy scrublands in southwestern part of Saurashtra region of Gujarat. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Major threats:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It currently exists as single subpopulation in Gir habitat has very small genetic pool, making it vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as epidemic or large forest fire. Destruction of habitat, poaching are other threats. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Protection Status:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is listed as Endangered on IUCN Red List, Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and in Appendix I of CITES.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Asiatic Lion Conservation Project:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It was launched by Union Ministry of Environment in February 2019 for conservation of Asiatic Lion for three years (FY 2018-21). </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Genome of Asiatic Lion sequenced for first time',
'metakeyword' => 'Scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad for the first time have sequenced entire genome of Asiatic lion',
'metadescription' => 'Scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad for the first time have sequenced entire genome of Asiatic lion',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1094,
'title' => 'Lecanorchis Taiwaniana orchid discovered in Assam',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Recently Lecanorchis taiwaniana, one of its smallest orchids in terms of size and duration of bloom was discovered in Assam. It was discovered by Assamese forest officer Jatindra Sarma in Assam. This discovery makes it one of the smallest orchids in India in terms of size and duration of bloom to be recorded botanically.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Lecanorchis taiwaniana</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is a variant of a Japanese orchid. It was discovered earlier in Japan, Taiwan, and Laos. It is a mycoheterotroph, one of two types of parasitic plants that have abandoned photosynthesis. It derives its energy and nutrients from fungus. It has maximum height of 40 cm and a blossoming period of five-six days. It may be of herbal importance.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Lecanorchis taiwaniana adds to orchid wealth of northeast India, which has 800 of total 1,300 orchid species in the country. Around 300 orchid species are found in the Western Ghats and 200 in the northwestern Himalayas.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'Lecanorchis Taiwaniana orchid discovered in Assam',
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(int) 36 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Herbivores Census conducted in Gir Forest',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Gujarat forest department is conducting census of herbivores in Gir forest and other protected areas, the last abode in the world of Asiatic lions. The purpose of this census is to count herbivores and check availability of prey-base for top predator lions as well as other predators like leopards, hyenas, wolves etc.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Herbivores Census</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is conducted every year by forest department of Gujarat during summer to count herbivores in Gir forest and other protected areas. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is conducted mainly during summer, to spot maximum number of wild animals in the forest as foliage is reduced to its minimum levels in dry and deciduous tropical forests like Gir in this dry season. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The census covers wild ungulates like spotted deer, sambars, blue bulls (nilgais), Indian gazelles (chinkaras), wild boars, four-horned antelopes (choshinga), Indian langurs and peafowl. Wild ungulates and langurs are main prey of Asiatic lions.</span></span></span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It gives the forest department an idea of availability of prey-base for the top predator lions as well as other predators like leopards, hyenas, wolves etc. It helps forest department to notice any changes in food availability for lions and also indicates the health of the forest in general and of fauna in particular.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1177,
'title' => 'Compendium on Ongole breed of cattle released',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Vice President Venkaiah Naidu recently released 1200-page Compendium on indigenous Ongole breed of cattle at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. During this released he called for protecting this indegenous cattle breed and also stressed that cattle wealth was national wealth. The compendium traces history of this cattle breed from 1885 to 2016 by providing information from 13 books and 80 research findings on Ongole Cattle.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Ongole cattle breed</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is indigenous cattle breed that originates from Prakasam District in Andhra Pradesh. It derives its name from place name, Ongole (Ongole occupy a small area between the Gundlakamma and Musi rivers in Andhra Pradesh). </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its scientific name is <em>Bos Indicus</em>. This breed is also referred by some as Nelore cattle as its origin area was once part of the Nellore area. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is one of the heaviest breeds of cattle and weighs approximately half ton. It is 1.7 meters in height and have body length of 1.6 meters and girth measuring 2 meters.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It known for its toughness, rapid growth rate and has natural tolerance to both foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Ongole bull is are great demand all over the world and are used in bull fights in Mexico and some parts of East Africa due to their strength and aggressiveness. They also used in traditional bull fights in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The famous Santa Gertrudis breed developed in Texas, US has Ongole blood. </span></span></span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'Compendium on Ongole breed of cattle released',
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(int) 38 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1200,
'title' => 'Ourasphaira Giraldae: Oldest-known Fossils of fungus',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Scientists have discovered oldest-known Fossils of fungus named Ourasphaira giraldae. Its microfossils were recently excavated in an Arctic region of north-western Canada. The discovery sheds light on the origins of an important branch in earth’s tree of life.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Ourasphaira giraldae </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It was a multicellular fungus. It lived in an estuary environment about 900 million to 1 billion years ago. It is forerunner to immensely diverse group that today includes likes of mushrooms, yeasts and molds.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The microscopic fossils of Ourasphaira giraldae contained in shale rock dates back to Proterozoic era, before the advent of complex life forms and thus making it oldest-known fungus species. Until now, oldest-known fungus fossil was one about 410 million years old from Scotland.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Fungi</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It belongs to broad group of organisms, called eukaryotes, that possesses clearly defined nucleus and also includes animals and plants. The fundamental difference between fungi and plants is that fungi are incapable of photosynthesis i.e. can’t harness sunlight to synthesize nutrients. It plays important role in ecosystems such as in organic decomposition process.</span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 39 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1294,
'title' => 'Kudakrumia rangnekari: New wasp species discovered in Goa',
'description' => '<h2 style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">A new species of wasp named Kudakrumia rangnekari was discovered recently in Goa. It was discovered in the forests of Western Ghats forests from Cotigao Wildlife sanctuary (located in South Goa district).</span></span></span></span></h2>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Wasp</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is member of group of insects in the order Hymenoptera, suborder Apocrita. It is neither a bee nor an ant. It is distinguished from ants and bees by various behavioral and physical characteristics. It has slender, smooth body and legs with relatively few hairs. It generally predatory or parasitic and has stingers with few barbs. It is proficient in controlling pest populations and is deployed to protect crops. It also play important role in pollination of plants.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Kudakrumia rangnekari</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It belongs to genus <em>Kudakrumia (</em>It is genus of primitive wasps that previously was known only from Sri Lanka<em>)</em>. It has been named after Goa-based researcher Parag Rangnekar. It is fund from Kotigao Wildlife Sanctuary of Goa of northern Western Ghats and its paratype is from Ranipuram hill of Kerala of southern Western Ghats.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Parag Rangnekar</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">He is the author of a book “Butterflies of Goa”, which is first field guide with photographs of species found in this region. It has documented record of 220 butterfly species in Western Ghats region near Goa, of which 13 species had not been described before. He is the founder-president of Goa Bird Conservation Network. </span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 40 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1317,
'title' => 'Enoplotrupes tawangensis: New species of dung beetle discovered in Tawang',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">A new species of dung beetle named as Enoplotrupes tawangensis was recently discovered in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It has shining dark blue in colour and measurs up to 27 mm. It is relatively bigger than most of the dung beetles.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Dung beetles</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Dung beetles belong to super family scarabaeoidea, having clubbed antennae and pro-tibiae (pro-legs) modified for burrowing dung inside the soil. They have ability to bury dung deep in the soil and are indicators of the ecological health of an ecosystem. They are relatively large size and distinct blue colour. They exhibit strong sexual dimorphism characteristics, with the fronto-clypeal horn shorter in females than males.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Environmental Significance: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Dung beetles are considered beneficial to environment as they help in nutrient cycling of soil. They are often referred to as little recyclers as these scavenger beetles require mammalian dung to survive.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'Enoplotrupes tawangensis: New species of dung beetle discovered',
'metakeyword' => 'In Environment Current Affairs, new species, dung beetle, Enoplotrupes tawangensis, discovered, Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Rice Genes mapped to understand rice blast disease resistance',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Researchers from ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Odisha have mapped out diverse genes in rice to understand disease resistance that lead to rice blast disease. They had characterized over 150 rice varieties from nine States across the country. They also have identified new markers associated with blast resistance.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Need for such research</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Rice blast causes economically significant crop losses annually. Each year, it destroys enough rice to feed more than 60 million people. Fungicides are very expensive, harmful for environment and inappropriate application can cause health issues. So researchers across globe are researching to find out resistant (R) genes against pathogen. So far, more than 100 R genes in rice genome have been identified. Seven blast endemics have occurred in India from 1980-1987 that has caused severe economic losses. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Rice Blast Disease</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is caused by plant pathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. It is one of the major diseases of the rice crop because of its extensive distribution and destructiveness under favourable conditions. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It can affect most of the rice plant with the exception of the roots. It can infect plants at any growth stage. It has been found in more than 85 countries across the world</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Symptoms:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It includes lesions or spots on leaves, steam and other parts. The shape, colour and size of this pathogenic fungus vary depending on varietal resistance, environmental conditions and the age of the lesions.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Control Measures:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> The most effective way control the infection is integrated management. It will avoid overuse of single control method and fight against genetic resistance. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Threat:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> The rapid changes in pathogen virulence of this pathogenic fungus poses constant challenge to success of existing blast-resistant rice varieties. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Rice Genes mapped to understand rice blast disease resistance',
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'title' => 'India’s first Orchidarium opened in Meghalaya',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">India’s first Orchidarium was opened for tourists at Upper Shillong in Meghalaya. It was made functional by Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) within a record time of 3 months.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Features:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is unique state of the art orchidarium spread over area of 6000 square feet. It has climate controlled system. It displays several species of orchids in one place including from countries like Thailand, Singapore, Japan, England and many other countries</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">North-east India houses about 900 species of orchids while Meghalaya houses 439 species. Many species are little known and are facing various threats both natural and anthropogenic. Unregulated wild collection of many species with ornamental values poses a big threat to their existence. IBSD is promoting orchid based bio-entrepreneurship to strengthen the bio-economy of the region as a major flagship programme. It seeks to encourage students and citizens of India to develop love and care for nature and also generate employment opportunities for many farmers and unemployed youth in the region.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD)</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is an autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology</span></span></span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'India’s first Orchidarium opened in Meghalaya',
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(int) 43 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1448,
'title' => 'Six different Colour morphs of Asiatic golden cat discovered in Arunachal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Scientists from Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have discovered six colour morphs of the golden cat in Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. It shows that golden is no longer the only colour elusive Asiatic golden cat can be associated with. It is claimed to be first case of world’s greatest number of different-colored wild cat species ever reported in one area.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Colour morphs:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> They are basically occurrence of two or more discrete colour forms of animal within population, due to genetic mutation. For example- Black panther is color morph of common leopard.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Six Colour Coats</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its coat comes in six colour in Arunachal Pradesh viz. <strong>cinnamon, gray, melanistic, ocelot and tightly rosetted</strong> apart from regular golden colour.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">These six colour morphs are thought to arise from random genetic mutations in Asiatic Golden Cats and take hold in population through natural selection. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The variation in coat colour provides it with several ecological benefits such as occupying different habitats at different elevations and providing camouflage while preying. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Asiatic golden cat</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is medium-sized wild cat native to the northeastern Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its scientific name is <em>Catopuma temminckii.</em> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Distribution:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is found across eastern Nepal through north-eastern India to Indonesia. Bhutan and China are known to have two morphs of golden cat — cinnamon and other with markings similar to the ocelot, a small wild cat found in the Americas. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Conservation Status</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: It is listed as <strong>near threatened</strong> on Red List of threatened species of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => '6 different colour morphs of Asiatic golden cat ',
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(int) 44 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Aishani: New paddy frog species discovered in North-East',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Researchers have discovered a new species of paddy frog in Assam. It has been named Aishani derived from Sanskrit word which means North East. It was discovered based on specimens collected from degraded forest area in Cachar district of Assam.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Aishani</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It belongs to genus Micryletta which is group of narrow-mouthed frogs primarily and widely distributed in Southeast Asia and more commonly known as paddy frogs.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is endemic to Northeast India, particularly Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot region lying south of River Brahmaputra. It is also found in Tripura and Manipur.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It breeds before the onset of monsoon and then go into hiding for the rest of the year. It is generally found very close to human settlements.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It differs from other paddy frogs in basic physical characteristics such as reddish-brown colouration on back, ash-grey mottling on the lateral sides and prominent dark streaks, shape of the snout and absence of web on its feet.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is likely to be more widely distributed in Northeast India, particularly the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot region that lies south of River Brahmaputra.</span></span></span></span></li>
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'metatitle' => ' New paddy frog species discovered in North-East',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone to be largest in history',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Scientists have claimed that this year’s oceanic ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico will be one of the largest ever to be recorded in history. This oxygen-starved and virtually lifeless zone is expected to grow to over 8,000 sq. miles. Scientists predict it will severely harm to marine habitat, impacting fish harvests.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Dead zone</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is also called as Hypoxic zones. It is basically area in the ocean having low oxygen concentration, resulting in suffocation and death of marine animal life.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">In this area, oxygen concentration usually falls to such low levels that most marine life cannot survive. Hypoxic zone is reversible i.e. it can be eliminated if their causes are reduced or stopped.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Occurrence:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It can occur naturally. However, manmade activities causing nutrient pollution from sources such as agriculture and sewage also can lead to creation of dead zone.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Rising sea temperatures</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: It also exacerbates regional oxygen depletion (as for each degree of ocean warming, oxygen concentration goes down by 2</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">%)</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">. It causes layers of ocean water to stratify so more oxygen-rich surface waters are less able to mix with oxygen-poor waters from the deeper ocean.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Gulf of Mexico dead Zone</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is the world's second largest dead zone (world's largest dead zone is in the Baltic Sea.).. It forms in the Gulf of Mexico every spring. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Reasons:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Each spring as farmers fertilize their lands preparing for crop season, rain washes fertilizer off land and into streams and rivers. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The mighty Mississippi River which drains into Gulf of Mexico is responsible for collecting and depositing tons of nutrients from agricultural and urban runoff from cities through its course in Gulf of Mexico.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone to be largest in history',
'metakeyword' => 'Scientists have claimed that this year’s oceanic ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico will be one of the largest ever to be recorded in history.',
'metadescription' => 'Scientists have claimed that this year’s oceanic ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico will be one of the largest ever to be recorded in history.',
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(int) 46 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1479,
'title' => 'Government launches Flagship project under Bonn Challenge',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a flagship project, part of larger international initiative called Bonn Challenge to enhance India’s capacity for forest landscape restoration (FLR). It was launched by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (observed every year on June 17).</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Flagship project </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Implementation: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It will be implemented during pilot phase of three-and-a-half years in the five pilot states of Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland and Karnataka. This will eventually be scaled up across the country.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Objective:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It will aim to develop and adapt the best practices and monitoring protocols for the country, and build capacity within the five pilot States.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Bonn Challenge </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It was launched in 2011 by Government of Germany and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It was later endorsed and extended to 2030 by New York Declaration on Forests at 2014 United Nations Climate Summit. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: It is underlying aspect of Bonn Challenge which aims to restore ecological integrity at same time as improving human well-being through multifunctional landscapes.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It serves as implementation vehicle for national priorities such as water and food security and rural development, while simultaneously seeks to help countries to contribute to achievement of international climate change, biodiversity and land degradation commitments.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">India’s commitment:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> India had joined voluntary Bonn Challenge pledge at UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP-13) 2015 in Paris, France. It has committed towards restoring 13 million hectares (MH) of degraded and deforested land by year 2020, and additional 8 million hectares (MH) by 2030. India’s pledge is one of the largest in Asia.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Note:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Bonn Challenge is not new global commitment but rather practical means of realizing many existing international commitments, including Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Target 15, UNFCCC REDD+ goal, andRio+20 land degradation neutrality goal.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Impressed tortoise discovered in Arunachal Pradesh',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Team of herpetologists from Arunachal Forest Department and two NGOs — Help Earth and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) have discovered <strong>Impressed Tortoise (<em>Manouria impressa)</em></strong> in Yazali area of the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. This is first record of tortoise in India, taking count to five and non-marine chelonian count to 29. Chelonian is order of reptile that includes turtles, terrapins and tortoises.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Note:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> India was earlier known to be home of only Asian Forest Tortoise (Manouria emys) until the discovery of the Impressed Tortoise. Asian Forest Tortoise is largest in mainland Asia and is found only in the northeast..</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Impressed Tortoise</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its scientific name is <strong>Manouria Impressa</strong>. It is mainly found in mountainous forest areas in Southeast Asia in Burma, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. Now it has been found in India. It has golden brown shell and skin. Its male is smaller than the female which is 30 cm in length. Moreover, adults of this species are much smaller than their relatives Asian forest tortoise (<em>Manouria emys</em>).</span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 48 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1614,
'title' => 'Tamil Yeoman declared State Butterfly of Tamil Nadu',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Tamil Nadu Government has declared Tamil Yeoman (<em>Cirrochroa thais</em>) as the state butterfly of the state based on the recommendation of state forest department. With this, Tamil Nadu became the fifth state in the country to announce its state butterfly. Maharashtra was the first to declare Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as its state butterfly, followed by Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern bird wings) and Kerala (Malabar banded peacock).</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Tamil Yeoman</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its scientific name is <em>Cirrochroa thais</em>. It is also known as Tamil Maravan, which means warrior.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Habitat:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is endemic to Western Ghats. It occurs in moist deciduous, evergreen forests and along streams. It can be found in groups in large numbers at a few places</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Features:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is tawny-coloured with a dark brown outer ring. Its size is 60-75mm. It is fast and fly straight with few wing beats and long glide.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Larva:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It lays eggs in vertical chain of 8-10. Larva initially stay in group below leaf and often in shady areas. They eat edges of soft tender trees. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">With such declaration, butterfly becomes pride of the state after. It also helps conserve its ecosystem and paves the way for eco-tourism. It also helps people to recognize the importance of butterflies which subsequently helps in its conservation. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Other State Species of Tamil Nadu</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">State animal:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Nilgiri Tahr.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">State bird: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Emerald Dove.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">State Tree:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Palm Tree.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">State flower:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Gloriosa.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">State fruit:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> jack fruit.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 49 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1658,
'title' => 'Government launches Immunocontraception Project',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has launched project for undertaking immunocontraceptive measures for population management of four species of wild animals. Wild Animals covered under this project are <strong><em>elephant, wild boar, monkey and blue bull (Nilgai).</em></strong></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About immunocontraception Project</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Immunocontraception: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is technology that uses a female animal’s immune system to build a protein around the egg that prevents it from fertilising.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Bodies involved:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It has been launched by MoEFCC. The protocol for immunocontraception has been developed by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and National the Institute of Immunology (NII). </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Regions covered:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> The pilot project will begin in Uttarakhand and then will be implemented in rest of the country.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Need of Project</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Human-animal conflict has emerged as major challenge in managing wildlife in the country. In this scenario, human-elephant conflict causes maximum number of causalities every year. According to Government data, between 2014 and March 2019, 2,398 people have died in elephant attack in the country, with West Bengal accounting for maximum number of such deaths. The birth-control method has been successfully tried in Africa in areas like Kruger National Park.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'Government launches Immunocontraception Project',
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(int) 50 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 239,
'title' => 'Declining biodiversity threatens food supply: UN FAO Report',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its first-of-its-kind report has warned that declining biodiversity may threaten future of the world’s food production and food supply. It has analysed data from 91 countries and found that loss of biodiversity for food and agriculture is seriously undermining ability to feed and nourish an ever-growing global population.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Highlights of report</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">World's biodiversity is under severe threat due to pollution, badly managed land and water use, poor policies, over-harvesting and climate change.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Future of food supplies is under severe threat because of number of animal and plant species fast disappearing.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">People are depending on fewer species for food, leaving production systems susceptible to shocks such as pests or disease, droughts and other extreme weather events due to climate change.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Although about 6,000 plant species can be used for food, less than 200 varieties are widely eaten, and only 9 make up most of the world's total crop production.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Nearly 4,000 wild food species including insects, seagrass, crustaceans and fungi are in decline, with hardest hit regions being Asia, Africa and Latin America.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Climate change will become steadily bigger threat to biodiversity by 2050, adding to damage from pollution and forest clearance to make way for crops.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Global food production must become more diverse and include species that are not widely eaten but could be better equipped to withstand hostile climates and disease.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Diversification can help fight malnutrition globally by bringing little-known but highly nutritious foods into mainstream (like fonio, a small grain that is well-suited to hot climates with unpredictable weather patterns).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Countries must double farm productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers by 2030 to eliminate hunger and ensure all people have access to food.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It is specialised agency of United Nations (UN) that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was established in October 1945. It is headquartered in Rome, Italy. Its motto is “Let there be bread”.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">UN Economic and Social Council (UNESC) is its parent organisation. It has 197 member states, including European Union (member organization).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It serves both developed and developing countries, thus, acts as neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate arguments and debate policy. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It helps developing countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Declining biodiversity threatens food supply: UN FAO',
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'New Delhi Declaration signed for trans-boundary conservation of Rhinos',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Five Asian rhino range countries- <strong>India, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal</strong> have adopted <strong>New Delhi Declaration</strong> to strengthen trans-boundary collaboration among India, Nepal and Bhutan to secure future of Asian rhino species. It was adopted at 2nd Asian Rhino Range States meeting held in New Delhi.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">2nd Asian Rhino Range States meeting</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It was organised by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change (MoEFCC), and International Union for Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission (IUCN), Asian Rhino Specialist Group along with WWF-India, International Rhino Foundation and Aaranyak, an NGO</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Outcomes of this meeting</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Five Asian rhino range countries agree to review the population of three Asian rhino species (greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatra) in every four years to secure its future. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">They also agreed to strengthen protection regimes, intelligence gathering and real time sharing of intelligence information on rhino crime and its horn trade to secure rhino population.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">They will also initiate research on various habitat parameters, including invasive species threatening the suitable habitats of Asian rhinos and take optimally manage the habitats. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It has also decided to explore possibilities of expanding rhino ranges within country or between rhino range countries for optimal population management.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">They also decided to identify connectivity and corridors across international boundaries and keep them functional, safe and secure for free movement of Asian rhinos and other wildlife.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">New Delhi Declaration </span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It underscores trans-boundary collaboration among India, Nepal, and Bhutan for conservation and protection of the greater one-horned rhino. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">It gives emphasis on expanding rhino domains within country or between rhino range countries. Indonesia and Malaysia are the other Asian countries where the last of the rhinos live.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Asian rhino range countries will make best use of all available individuals and technologies to accelerate natural and conservation breeding of the critically endangered Sumatran rhino.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Replicate or develop upon Kaziranga rhino conservation success story for Sumatran as well as Javan rhino. Kaziranga had less than 10 rhinos when it was declared protected area for this spieces in 1905.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">National Rhino Conservation Strategy for India</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">: It calls for active engagement between India and Nepal to protect species. </span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Single population of rhinos in Sukla-Phanta (Nepal), Valmiki Tiger Reserve (India) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal) and Dudhwa (India) is separated by political boundary between two countries.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Background</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Indian one-horned rhinoceros:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> Its current global population is 3,584. Assam’s Kaziranga National Park has largest with 2,938 rhinos and Nepal has 646. There are no rhinos in Bhutan, but some from Manas National Park in adjoining Assam or Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal are known to cross over occasionally.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif">Javan and Sumatran rhinos:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Quicksand",serif"> It was once ranging from China to Bangladesh, but now are nearing extinction. Sumatran rhino is smallest of all rhino species and only Asian rhino with two horns. It has become extinct in wild in Malaysia. Only one is found now in Sabah island of Malaysia and Indonesia has few.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 52 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1712,
'title' => 'Measures to protect Ganges River Dolphin',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Union Ministry of Shipping has informed parliament that it is plannig to safeguard population of Ganges River Dolphin along National Waterway-1 </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">stretch </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) by restricting speeds of vessels and blowing sirens and horns. It has suggested various mitigation measures based on Comprehensive Environmental and Social lmpact Assessment (ESIA) study on National Waterway-I including on stretches falling within VGDS. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Measures taken by Ministry of Shipping are</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Vessel speed restricted to 2.7 knots in VGDS area to reduce the noise generation from propeller. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">lf any aquatic mammal/dolphin is spotted, then sirens/signals will be given to push it away dolphins from ship.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Vessels will be fitted with propeller guards and dolphin deflectors to minimise dolphin accidents. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Non-toxic paints will be used for painting vessels. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS)</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is the only dolphin sanctuary in the country. Itis located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar. It stretches around 50km from Sultanganj to Kahalganj on River Ganga in Bihar. It was designated in 1991. The population of Ganges dolphin in VGDS is peggedfrom 150 to 200. National Waterway-1 connecting Haldia to Varanasi passes through the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS). This sanctuary also contains rich diversity of other threatened aquatic wildlife, including gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), Indian smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and 135 species of waterfowl</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Note:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Ganges river dolphin is National Aquatic Animal of India. It is official animal of Guwahati city of Assam.</span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 53 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1713,
'title' => 'India is home to 1,256 species of orchid: BSI report',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">According to recently released orchid census titled ‘Orchids of India: A Pictorial Guide’, India is home to 1,256 species of orchid. It is first comprehensive census of orchids of India. It was published recently by Botanical Survey of India (BSI).</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Key highlights of Census</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">1,256 species or taxa of orchids are found in India belonging to 155 genera and 388 species are endemic to India (one-third or 128 arew endemic species are found in Western Ghats).</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Categories of Orchids:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> They are broadly categorised into three life forms: (1) epiphytic, (2) terrestrial and (3) mycoheterotrophic.<strong> </strong>About 60% of all orchids found in India, which is 757 species, are epiphytic, 447 are terrestrial and 43 are mycoheterotrophic.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Distribution of orchid species</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: Himalayas, North-East parts of country and Western Ghats are hot-spots of orchids. North-east India rank at top in species concentration, the Western Ghats have high endemism of orchids (Kerala has 111 endemic species, Tamil Nadu has 92).</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Among 10 bio geographic zones of India:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Himalayan zone is the richest in terms of orchid species followed by Northeast, Western Ghats, Deccan plateau and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Highest number of orchid species (state wise)</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">: It is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh with 612 species, followed by Sikkim (560 species) and West Bengal-Darjeeling Himalayas (479 species).</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significant characteristics: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Orchids have complex floral structure that facilitates biotic cross-pollination and makes them evolutionarily superior to the other plant groups.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Conservation:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> The entire orchid family is listed under Appendix II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and hence any trade of wild orchid is banned globally.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 54 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1722,
'title' => 'Tigers under high stress levels induced by tourism: Study',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">A recent study conducted by Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has found that Tigers in Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Sariska Tiger Reserves are under tremendous stress induced by tourism and this is probably affecting their reproduction, a </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Study</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It examined relationship between anthropogenic disturbances and physiological stress levels in tiger populations in protected areas. It mainly assessed concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) — a stress marker among tigers. Total of 341 fecal samples were collected from Bandhavgarh and Kanha reserves during tourist and off-peak seasons, besides data on various anthropogenic disturbances, including tourism activities.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Findings of Study</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It suggests that unsustainable wildlife tourism causes distinct physiological stress in tigers in protected areas. The stress levels of tigers during 8-9 month tourism period were very, very high. It was known that females undergo more stress, but it was also found that males were also under tremendous stress. The correlation of stress levels depending on the number of vehicles entering tiger reserves was found.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Solution:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It recommends strict regulation of vehicular traffic, and reducing other anthropogenic disturbances.</span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 55 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1728,
'title' => 'SC forms committee to frame emergency plan Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican',
'description' => '<h2 style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Supreme Court by taking serious note of alarming extinction of two Indian birds -- Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican has constituted high powered committee to urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of these species. It also sought responses from the Centre and state governments, where these two species of birds are prominently found.</span></span></span></span></h2>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Composition of committee:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS); Dr Asad R Rahmani former Director of BNHS and member of governing body of Wetlands International South Asia and Dr Dhananjai Mohan, Chief Conservator of Forests of Uttarakhand.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The committee was formed by apex court on plea of wildlife activists. The plea has contended that over the last 50 years population of Great Indian Bustard has recorded decline of over 82</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">%,</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">, falling from an estimated 1260 in 1969, to 100-150 in 2018. Whereas, population of Lesser Florican has seen a sharp decline of 80</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">% </span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">over past few decades. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">These two critically endangered bird species are facing threats of mortality by collision with infrastructure, particularly powerlines and wind turbines, depletion of grasslands, hunting, development of mines and human habitation in and around their habitats and ingestion of pesticides. Both birds are protected under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 but despite being accorded highest level of protection under national law, these birds are facing threat of imminent extinction.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Lesser florican</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is also known as likh or kharmore. Its scientific name is Sypheotides indicus and is only member of the genus Sypheotides. It is the smallest in bustard family, barely weighing 500-750 gms.<strong> </strong>It is endemic to India. It has been listed endangered in IUCN Red List.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Great Indian Bustard</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its scientific name is <em>Ardeotis nigriceps</em>. It is large bird with horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it ostrich like appearance.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is among heaviest of the flying birds. Its habitat consists of large expanses of dry grassland and scrub and is often found associated in same habitat as blackbuck.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Once it was common in dry plains of Indian subcontinent, now it only found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh<strong>.</strong> It is facing threat of extinction due to hunting and loss of its habitat. It is the State bird of Rajasthan</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Protection Status: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is critically endangered species listed in International Union for conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 and in the CMS Convention and in Appendix I of CITES.</span></span></span></span></p>
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(int) 56 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Five Gharials released in Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi River',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Odisha State Forest Department released five Gharials (three females and two males), fitted with radio transmitters, into Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi River. They were released as part of Forest Department’s renewed effort to revive population of gharials in their natural habitat. These five gharials were bred at Nandankanan Zoological Park. In future course in a year, 10 more gharials will be released in a phased manner.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Purpose of fitting with Radio transmitters: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It will help for future identification and tracking of their migration routes of these Ghairals. This will help in gathering information on migration and factors affecting their survival,</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Note:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Three Species of crocodilians are found in India: (i) Mugger crocodile (ii) Gharial (Or freshwater crocodile), and (iii) Saltwater crocodile. Odisha is the only Indian state having all three species — gharial, mugger and saltwater crocodile. Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi River is southernmost limit of gharials’ home range in India.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Gharials</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is a fish-eating crocodile and belongs to one of the three crocodilian species found in Indian Sub-Continent. Its scientific name is <em>Gavialis Gangeticu</em>. Compared to alligators and crocodiles, it has a very long and narrow snout (instead of a broad snout). </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Habitat:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is fresh-water crocodile and lives in deep fast-flowing rivers. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Distribution:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Once, it was abundant in main rivers and tributaries of Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi-Brahmani. Now it is limited to only 14 widely spaced and restricted locations in <strong><em>India and Nepal</em></strong>. In India its major ‘breeding’ populations are confined to two rivers only: (i) Girwa River: It originates in Nepal and runs through Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. (ii) Chambal River: It supports world’s largest population of Gharials in the wild. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance in Hindu Culture:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is considered as vahana (vehicle) of River Goddess Ma Ganga. Some also revere it as vahana of water (rain) god Varuna.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Protection Status: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is listed in Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is also listed as Critically Endangered in International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 57 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1775,
'title' => 'Scaly foot snail: 1st to be declared endangered by deep-sea mining',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently added ocean-floor-dwelling <strong>Scaly- Foot Snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum)</strong> as endangered species in its updated Red List (IUCN Red List or Red Data List). This makes Scaly- Foot Snail the <strong><em>first species to be officially declared threatened due to deep-sea mining. </em></strong></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Scaly- Foot Snail</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is a species of deep-sea hydrothermal-vent snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Peltospiridae.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its scientific name is <em>Chrysomallon squamiferum. </em>It is found 2,400-2,900 metres deep in ocean.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Habitat:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is only found at three hydrothermal vents on deep-ocean ridges in Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar at depths of up to 2,900 metres.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Threat:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is facing threat due its habitat destruction by deepsea mining. Two of its habituated hydrothermal vents are currently under mining exploration licences. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance of IUCN conservation status:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It will help to protect them from the surging interest in seafloor mining in the oceans. It will dissuade investors from funding deep-sea mining projects that could harm the species.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Scaly foot snail: 1st to be declared endangered by deep-sea',
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(int) 58 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 1776,
'title' => 'International Shark Meet 2019 held in Kochi',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The International shark meet 2019 was held in Kochi, Kerala to set up a platform for researchers from across the globe working on shark and ray trade to share their experience in the field. It was first-of-its-kind event held in India. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About International shark meet</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It was jointly organized by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) under the collaborative research project of the two entities on sharks and rays non-fin commodities. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Objectives:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> (i) To bring together scientific community in spectrum to describe various methodologies being transpired and adopted in research works on sharks and rays (ii) To define their strengths and weaknesses and develop practical but not rigid set of guidance. (iii) To discuss the priorities in monitoring shark and ray fisheries, trade and market chain assessment.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Participation:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It saw attendance of representatives from FAO and experts from various countries such as Australia, Mexico, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Italy, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Somalia, Myanmar and Namibia.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It will play major role in refining strategies to promote sustainable fishing and trade on this vulnerable marine resource group. It will also set of common guidelines that will be developed for all shark fishing countries during the discussions.</span></span></span></span></li>
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'metatitle' => 'International Shark Meet 2019 held in Kochi',
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(int) 59 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1786,
'title' => 'Dracaena Cambodiana: India’s first dragon tree species discovered in Assam',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">India’s first dragon tree species named Dracaena cambodiana was recently discovered in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong in Assam. It is for the first time that dragon tree species was reported from India. It is important medicinal plant as well as an ornamental tree<strong>. </strong>Its sap turns bright red after coming in contact with air, so it is called dragon’s blood.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Medicinal Properties:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is major source of dragon’s blood (a bright red resin) which is used traditional medicine in China since ancient times and also as body oil, varnish, incense and dye. Besides, several antifungal and antibacterial compounds, antioxidants, flavonoids, etc., have been extracted from various parts of the plant. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Threat: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Recent overexploitation to meet increasing demand for dragon’s blood has resulted in rapid depletion of this plant species. For this reason, it has been listed in the inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of China.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Dracaena genus</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Plants belonging Dracaena genus in India mainly belong to family<em> Asparagaceae</em> is represented by nine species and two varieties in the Himalayan region, northeast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dracaena cambodiana is the only true dragon tree species found in India.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => '22 species have gone extinct in India: Govt',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">According to the data tabled by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in Lok Sabha, 4 species of fauna and 18 species of flora have gone extinct in India in the past few centuries. It also informed that India is home to 6.49% of all the fauna species and 11.5% of all flora species in world. According to International Union for Conservation Of Nature (IUCN), a new study has shown that since 1750, more than double the number of plants have disappeared from the wild than birds, mammals and amphibians combined.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Fauna extinction in India: </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Four mammals have extinct in India:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> <em>Cheetah (Acionyx jubatus), Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensisi), Pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllaceai) </em>and <em> Himalayan quail (Ophrysia supercililios). </em>It should be noted that four these four animals can be found in other parts of the world. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Factors that led to these extinctions:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Competition, predation, natural selection, and human induced factors like hunting, habitat degradation.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Flora extinction in India</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">18 species of plants — 4 non-flowering and 14 flowering — have gone extinct in India. Notable among them are three species from genus Ophiorrhiza (Ophiorrhiza brunonis , Ophiorrhiza caudate and Ophiorrhiza radican ), all discovered from peninsular India and Lastreopsis wattii , a fern in Manipur discovered by George Watt in 1882, Corypha taliera Roxb, a palm species discovered in Myanmar and Bengal region by William Roxburgh. </span></span></span></span></p>
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'title' => 'International Tiger Day: 29 July',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The International Tiger Day (also known as Global Tiger Day) is celebrated every year on 29 July across the world to raise awareness about tiger conservation, protect their natural habitat and support tiger conservation issues.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About International Tiger Day </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Its goal is to promote global system for protectingnatural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues. It was instituted in 2010 at Saint Petersberg Tiger Summit in Russia to raise awareness regarding tiger conservation in view of alarming fall in the number of wild tigers. This summit had issued St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation where Governments of tiger range countries had vowed to double tiger population by the year 2020. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">According to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) there are only around 3,900 wild tigers left in the world, of them, India with more than 2800 tigers has the highest number. Since beginning of the 20th century, , 97% of world’s wild tiger population has disappeared due to many factors including hunting and poaching, habitat loss and climate change.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Causes of decline in their numbers </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Poaching and illegal trade:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Poaching is greatest, most immediate threat to the survival of wild tigers. Tigers face poaching for demand of theuir every body part from whiskers to tail for traditional Chinese medicines. Their body parts fetch high prices in the illegal wildlife trades.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Habitat loss:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Clearing of forests for various purposes for agriculture, timber, development activity etc has resulted in lost of 93% natural habitat of tigers across the world. It has lowered chances of survival and is also leading to conflict with humans, where both are competing for their own space. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Climate change:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> Rising sea level as result of climate change is also wiping out Sundarbans (in India and Bangladesh, one of the last remaining habitats of majestic Royal Bengal tigers.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'IIT-H, Harvard varsity study mercury',
'description' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white">Context: </span></strong><span style="background-color:white">A <strong>joint research</strong> by <strong>the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad</strong> (IIT-H), <strong>Harvard University</strong>, and <strong>Fisheries and Oceans Canada,</strong> a Canadian government agency, has found that <strong>though there has been a decrease in the levels of mercury pollution,</strong> the <strong>amount of mercury found in fish have been different in different species </strong>some types of fish have less mercury than before, and some, alarmingly more.</span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Highlights: </strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">There have been <strong>global efforts to reduce the amount of mercury entering the ocean</strong> <strong>to reduce</strong> the <strong>amount of mercury found in fish and other marine animals</strong>. </span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Working in this direction, <strong>the researchers focused on whether these and other environmental measures alleviated or exacerbated the problem</strong> of increased mercury levels in fish. </span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">For the study, they chose <strong>the Gulf of Maine,</strong> a well-studied but also exploited marginal sea <strong>in the Atlantic Ocean</strong>, to understand the trends in mercury accumulation in fish.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The researchers <strong>used three decades of data on ecosystem and mercury concentrations and</strong> developed a <strong>model for mercury bio-accumulation.</strong></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white">The research, published this month in the international peer-review journal Nature</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white">The research <strong>broadly studied how climate change impacts mercury accumulation in fish.</strong></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white">The variation in the accumulation of mercury in fish is</span></strong><span style="background-color:white"> the <strong>result of changes in sea temperature in the recent years and changes in the dietary pattern of fish due to overfishing.</strong></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white">How mercury accumulates in fishes: </span></strong><span style="background-color:white">There are <strong>three factors that result in mercury accumulation</strong> in fish</span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white">Overfishing: </span></strong><span style="background-color:white">It <strong>leads to dietary changes among marine animals</strong></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white">Variations in the temperature of the sea water: </span></strong><span style="background-color:white">Which <strong>leads to changes in fish metabolism</strong> that <strong>gears towards survival rather than growth</strong></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white">Changes in the amounts of mercury found in sea water</span></strong><span style="background-color:white">: This happens <strong>as a result of pollution</strong></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'id' => (int) 1948,
'title' => 'Tigers facing threats from virus',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issue</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Tigers in Indian forests are acing threats from viruses like <strong>Canine Distemper</strong> that are threatening their survival and numbers.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">Last year, over 20 lions from the Gir forest succumbed to the viral infection and now a guideline has been prepared by the National Tiger Conservation Authority to prevent the spreading of the disease to wild animals.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Details</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">A recent study published in <em>Threatened Taxa </em>notes that 86% of the tested dogs around Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan carried CDV antibodies in their bloodstream.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">The study was done around the <strong>Ranthambhore National Park</strong> and collected blood samples from over 100 dogs. The results showed that 86% of the studied dogs had CDV antibodies in their blood.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828"> These dogs wander into the forest along with the humans, and there have been cases where leopard have hunted these dogs and thus there are chances of leopards getting infected. Studies have shown that small, isolated wildlife populations are more susceptible and when the virus transmits from one species to another the disease impact is worse.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">This finding points out that there is an increased risk of disease transfer from the dogs to tigers and leopards that live in the park.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">Measures to handle threat</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">The main aim should be to vaccinate the free-ranging and domestic dogs in the area around national parks. A lot of NGOs have started started animal birth control program to control population of dogs near protected areas.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Other threats for Tigers</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#282828">The loss of habitat, decline of prey and poaching continues to be a threat to tigers’ survival.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'title' => 'Clouded Leopards in News',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issue</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">Research paper published by over 20 researchers from across the globe has helped understand habitats, migration corridors of clouded leopards and laid out the conservation strategies.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">The clouded leopard is a wild cat occurring from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China. Since 2008, it is listed as <strong>Vulnerable</strong> on the <strong>IUCN Red List</strong>.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">Clouded leopards are named after the cloud-shaped patterns on its skin, these medium-sized cats are typical rain-forest dwellers but can also be found in the drier forests of Southeast Asia.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Details</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">During research in nine countries (Bhutan, Nepal, India, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar) it was found that only 9.44% of the studied region was ‘highly’ suitable for clouded leopards (<em>Neofelis nebulosa</em>).</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">In India, the <strong>Dampa</strong> tiger reserve in </span></span></span><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/tag/174-81/mizoram/?utm=bodytag" target="_blank"><strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">Mizoram </span></span></span></strong></a><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">was chosen as the study site. Dampa has been much in the news lately as one of the tiger reserves where tigers were estimated to be zero as part of the latest all India tiger estimation exercise.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">India has added clouded leopards to its Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species to aid more research and strengthen conservation efforts.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">As forest cover declined by 35%, clouded leopard detection rate dropped to 25%. Deforestation and reduction in rainfall patterns as a result of climate change may negatively influence clouded leopard distributions.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Pallikaranai marshland, the only urban wetland of Chennai city, had miserably shrunk from its expanse of 5,500 hectares recorded in 1965 to just about 600 hectares in 2013.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The marshland is situated about 30 km inland of the Bay of Bengal. It was originally formed as a salt marsh created by the backwaters of Bay of Bengal but now receives freshwater through rains and surplus water from 31 sub-urban water tanks.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Details</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The marshland provides crucial eco system services such as flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, fishing and recreation.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It is also said that one of the main reasons for the 2015 Chennai floods was the sand bar formation near the canal mouth of estuaries, creeks and unchecked urban development that prevented exit of natural water run-off.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Further, due to destruction of natural recharge zones in the marsh, groundwater level in the localities nearby has gone down significantly.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Importance of Marshland</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The marshland forms part of the Central Asian flyway or migration route of water birds that link their northern most breeding grounds in Russia to the southernmost non breeding or wintering grounds in West and South Asia, the Maldives and the Indian Ocean Territory. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It is also an important stopover for the migratory species for resting and refuelling<span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="color:#282828">.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Threats faced by Marshland</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">IT parks and residential buildings have been constructed within Pallikaranai marshland. These structures in close proximity to the marshland pose risk to birds through collision. There have been no systematic studies of risk of such collision.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Central government buildings such as Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) and sewage treatment plants occupying certain area has posed another great threat to fragile ecosystem.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Due to dumbing of garbage, the marsh, in its current ecological conditions, emits more carbon dioxide and methane than it absorbs.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2069,
'title' => 'Jewar wetlands',
'description' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issue</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#333333">The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has roped in the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to study the ecology around the upcoming Jewar international airport. YEIDA wants WII to come up with a plan to conserve the environment that would be affected by the project.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A MoU between YEIDA and WII was signed and under the pact, a team of experts from WII will conduct the study and submit its plan, to protect the flora and fauna in the 10km radius around the upcoming airport.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Details</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">The Jewar airport will be a Greenfield airport which is being developed in Uttar Pradesh. The Jewar wetlands will be affected by this project.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">The WII experts will study the area for the number of trees to be cut and replanted, the number of wetlands that need to be restored, and the flora and fauna of the area. </span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="color:#222222">Jewar Wetlands</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The land at the project site is primarily agricultural in nature, with over 6,000 big trees made of <em>arjun</em> and <em>babool</em> and plenty of wetlands. </span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Jewar wetlands are home to Sarus cranes, peacocks and blackbucks. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Wetlands and their importance</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Wetlands are part of the hydrological cycle, which begins with the evaporation of water from the ocean. As moist air is lifted, it cools and condenses to form clouds and returns to the earth as precipitation. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Once the water reaches the ground, some of it evaporates back into the atmosphere and rest penetrates the surface and becomes groundwater. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wetlands are often primary sources of water for human and animal consumption and irrigation in rural areas. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">They provide rich biodiversity, control floods, maintain the groundwater table and are a source of recreation and livelihood to communities involved in boating, fishing, farming of water chestnut, fox-nut and lotus among others.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
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'title' => 'Assam rare temple turtles',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issue</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">About 70 hatchlings of the rare Black Softshell and Indian Softshell turtles bred in the ponds of two temples in </span><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/tag/100-81/assam/?utm=bodytag" target="_blank"><strong>Assam </strong></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">were on released in the <strong>Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary</strong>, about 50 km east of Guwahati.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Freshwater turtles are very important for maonitaining balance in the ecosystem. They are involved in seed dispersal, pest eradication and other activities that makes their role significant.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Details</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Pobitora sanctuary is often called ‘Mini Kaziranga’ because of similar landscape and a sizeable population of the one-horned rhino.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The “wild restocking” of the two turtle species was done under a joint programme of the management committees of two temples , Ugratara in Guwahati and Hayagriv Madhav in Hajo in Assam.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wild restocking programme is important for sustaining turtles in the Brahmaputra river system, especially the <strong>Black Softshell</strong> (</span><em>Nilssonia nigricans</em><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">) that is considered extinct in the wild.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Freshwater turtles </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Assam is the most species-rich State in India in terms of turtle diversity. It is home to 20 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises out of 29 species found in India. But, 80% of these species are threatened with extinction</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Black softshell turtles are classified as endangered in India. They are declared as extinct in wild.</span></span></span></p>
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(int) 68 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2112,
'title' => 'Giraffes soon to be critically endangered',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Issue</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Giraffes are in serious trouble. The population overall has declined 40 percent in 30 years, and there are now approximately 68,000 left in the wild. This may make them critically endangered in the future.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Background</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the gold standard for assessing endangerment, has found that giraffes are “vulnerable,” meaning they face a “high risk” of extinction in the wild.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Reasons for decline</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Poaching, habitat destruction and conflict are the main drivers blamed for thinning herds of these gentle creatures.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A primary contributor to the giraffes’ loss of habitat is conversion of woodlands into farms and ranches.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Charcoal is another challenge: Africa’s <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/charcoal-africa-power-good-bad/">charcoal industry</a> is booming, with many Africans making their living harvesting trees and burning the wood to form the lumpy black fuel. While this cottage industry is a boon to many low-income workers, it’s a problem for giraffes, which rely on those trees for sustenance. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Civil wars are a further challenge In the face of ever-growing pressure on their livelihoods and some people have also turned to giraffe bush meat as a means of survival.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Giraffes are also threatened by the proliferation of disease, including a lesion-inducing skin disease that is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as inbreeding and the increased frequency and magnitude of droughts associated with climate change.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Steps to Protect</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) would also go a long way toward helping to save giraffes. When CITES confers conservation status on a species, it restricts the international trade in that creature.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The biggest effect of giraffes’ listing under the ESA would be a <a href="https://www.fws.gov/endangered/permits/faq.html">severe curtailing</a> of importation and trade within the country. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">ESA listing would also shine a much needed spotlight on the plight of giraffes and attract international pressure for protection.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Giraffes soon to be critically endangered',
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'metadescription' => 'Giraffes are in serious trouble. The population overall has declined 40 percent in 30 years, and there are now approximately 68,000 left in the wild.',
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(int) 69 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2123,
'title' => 'Protection for Great Indian Bustard',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Noting the high mortality rate of the Great Indian Bustard, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Centre to prepare a time-bound action plan within two months for protection of the birds.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The great Indian bustard, that narrowly missed being christened India’s national bird, is now teetering on its last legs. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Several threats are decimating bustard populations. India, effectively the only home of the bustards, now harbours less than 150 individuals in five States</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Great Indian bustard is one of the important flagship species of Indian grasslands ecosystem and their sustainance is very important for maintaining balance.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for their decline</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The untamed, arid grasslands that bustards thrive in are categorised as ‘wastelands’, like most grassland habitats in India. The push to make these areas more ‘productive’ has seen an increase in water availability in these parts, resulting in the spreading of agricultural land into bustard habitats.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers found that though they are predominantly insect-eaters. Bustardsfeed on arugula plants and eat cultivated Bengal gram and Ziziphus or ber berries.The decline in the production of these crops have affected their food habits.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These wide-ranging birds disperse to agricultural landscapes near Gujarat’s Kachchh during the non-breeding season. Intensification of agriculture, including more pesticides, barbed-wire fences and new crops could endanger the birds’ survival in this landscape.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remains of their grassland homes are now sites for renewable power projects. With new wind turbines, more power lines are constructed to take the ‘green’ energy to grids and homes. These wires are dangerous for these birds.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Protection Measures</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A landscape-level approach can incentivise people to take up less intensive agriculture.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bustard conservation breeding centre in states like Rajasthan will help in conserving their population and keep them away from extinction.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 70 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2152,
'title' => 'Nilgiri Tahr population increases',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Nilgiri tahr’s sightings in the Mukurthi National Park have risen from 568 in 2018 to 612 this year. The population has risen by 132 which is 27% increase from 2016.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) known locally as the Nilgiri ibex or simply ibex, is a mammal that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Conservation status</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nilgiri Tahr is protected under schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act 1972.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is categorised as ‘Endangered’ under IUCN red list.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The 27% increase in the population of the tahr in the Nilgiris over the last three years showed that current conservation policies which is keeping the national park closed to tourists and free from poaching and fighting the spread of invasive flora , were bringing the desired results in terms of maintaining a healthy population of the tahr.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Efforts were being made to ensure that the 78-sq.km reserve, closed to tourists, remained relatively free of some of the species , such as Scotch broom and gorse .</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The move of preventing invasive species have ensured that the tahr have plenty of food and more room for the population to grow in the coming years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The habitat is linked with the <strong>Silent Valley National Park</strong> and the Mannarrkad forest division in Kerala, meaning they have a large habitat where they can keep expanding into</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 71 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2164,
'title' => 'New Species of ginger discovered',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have discovered two new species of Zingiber, commonly referred to as ginger, from <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/tag/176-81/nagaland/?utm=bodytag" target="_blank">Nagaland. </a></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">More than 20 species have been found in northeastern India. Over the past few years, more than half a dozen species have been discovered from different States of northeast India.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The genus <strong>Zingiber</strong> has 141 species distributed throughout Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, with its centre of diversity in Southeast Asia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><em>Zingiber perenense</em> has been discovered from the Peren district of Nagaland and <em>Zingiber dimapurense</em> was found in the Dimapur district of the State.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The plant are found growing in moist shady places on the bank of small steams in the hilly terrain forest.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The high diversity of ginger species in northeast India reveals that the climate is conducive for the growth and diversity of the genus.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Importance of Zingiber</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Most species of ginger have medicinal values. Further studies are required to ascertain the medicinal properties of the newly discovered species in modern or traditional medicine.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The rhizome of Zingiber officinale (common ginger) is used as a spice in kitchens across Asia<span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="background-color:whitesmoke"><span style="color:#282828">.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 72 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2175,
'title' => 'Cryodrakon boreas, the largest flying animal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Paleontologists have identified a new species of flying dinosauras, named it <strong>Cryodrakon boreas</strong>, and declared that it could be one of the largest flying animals.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists had uncovered remains of a flying reptile some time ago.The remains included a skeleton consisting of parts of the wings, legs, neck and a rib.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The reptile lived over 77 million years ago in what is western Canada today. Its remains were discovered 30 years ago from the Dinosaur Park Formation located in Alberta.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The paleontologists had assumed that it belonged to an already known species of pterosaur called Quetzalcoatlus.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new study by researchers has concluded that the remains belong to a new species, which is also the first pterosaur to be discovered in Canada.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Despite their large size and wide distribution across North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe , only little remains of Pterosaurs have been unearthed, making the new find especially important.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 73 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2226,
'title' => 'Vultures saved from extinction',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To study the cause of deaths of vultures, a Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was set up at Pinjore, Haryana. The different species of vultures have been brought to this facility and this has contributed towards increasing vulture population significantly.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the late 1990s, when the population of the vultures in the country had begun to decline sharply, vultures were rescued from various regions such as Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, where vultures were dying at an alarming rate. The population of vultures have declined from 40 million in 1980’s to few thousands in 2009 and require urgent addressal.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Vulture Care Centre (VCC), is one of the leading vulture protection centre, which aims to increase population of the species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">At present there are 9 such facilties in India out of which 3 are administered by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for declining population</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The major reason behind the vulture population getting nearly wiped out was the drug <strong>Diclofenac</strong>, found in the carcass of cattle the vultures fed on.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The drug, whose veterinary use was banned in 2008, was commonly administered to cattle to treat inflammation.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Current situation</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Estimation of the vulture population in the wild is said to have stabilised. The surveys in 2015 has revealed that there are about 6,000 White-backed vultures, 12,000 Long-billed vultures and 1,000 Slender-billed vultures in the wild.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>How can we preserve vulture population?</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Emphasis on creating awareness and on creating safe zones for vultures in places where there is an existing vulture population.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Manage our carcass dumps and making sure that poisoned carcasses are not dumped for the vultures to feed on.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Bombay Natural History Society</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> It supports many research efforts through grants and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Vulture species in India</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>White-rumped vulture</strong> (Gyps bengalensis)- <strong>Critically Endangered</strong></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Long-billed vulture</strong> (Gyps indicus)- <strong>Critically Endangered</strong></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Slender-billed vulture</strong> (Gyps tenuirostris)- <strong>Critically</strong> <strong>Endangered</strong></span></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Vultures saved from extinction',
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'metadescription' => 'In the late 1990s, when the population of the vultures in the country had begun to decline sharply, vultures were rescued from various regions such as Keoladeo ,',
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(int) 74 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2258,
'title' => 'Gharial Conservation',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The National Green Tribunal has directed the Madhya Pradesh<strong> </strong>government to submit within three weeks separate progress report on the steps taken according to an action plan to conserve gharial habitat along the Son river.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> According to the IUCN, the population of Gharial has declined by 96-98% since 1946, despite the Centre declaring it a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Gharials</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Gharials <em>(Gavialis gangeticus) </em>have been identified as the most Critically Endangered crocodilian species in the world. The geographical range of gharial distribution has dwindled throughout Pakistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The gharial is listed on <strong>CITES Appendix I. </strong>It is classified as a <strong>critically endangered </strong>species in IUCN list.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for populatiopn decline</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The increasing intensity of fishing using gill nets, and large-scale illegal and impermissible mining activity in the protected area .</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">construction of dams changes the river’s course and large sand banks are created, which are used by Gharials for Sun Basking. These sand banks are attractive for sand mining mafia.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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(int) 75 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2257,
'title' => 'Salamander declared world’s largest amphibian',
'description' => '<p><strong>Issue</strong></p>
<p>Researchers have identified two new species of giant salamander , one of which they suspect is the world's biggest amphibian.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
<p>The newly discovered South China giant salamander , which can reach nearly two metres , is the largest of the three and is therefore the largest of the 8,000 or so amphibian species alive today.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Details</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Giant salamanders once lived across central, southern and eastern China. The species <em>Andrias davidianus</em>, known as the Chinese giant salamander, reach a length of 3.7 feet and 110 pounds.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The research, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, found three distinct genetic lineages in salamanders from different river systems and mountain ranges across China.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Their research also divides the single species of giant salamanders into three: davidianus, sligoi and a third species that hasn't been named yet. The third species is known only from tissue samples.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Conservation</strong></p>
<p>The Chinese giant salamander has been listed as <strong>Critically Endangered</strong> by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</p>
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(int) 76 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2291,
'title' => 'ED attaches Chimpanzees and Marmosets in money laundering probe',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Enforcement Directorate has issued a provisional attachment order in respect of three chimpanzees and four marmosets in connection with a money laundering probe into a Wildlife<strong> </strong>(Protection) Act case.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Attachment is a legal process by which a court of law, at the request of a creditor, designates specific property owned by the debtor to be transferred to the creditor, or sold for the benefit of the creditor.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ED investigation is based on information received from the Wildlife Department of the West Bengal government regarding seizure of prohibited wildlife.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted by the government to prevent money-laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from money-laundering. The act was amended in the year 2005, 2009 and 2012.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The PMLA seeks to combat money laundering in India and has three main objectives:</span></span></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:circle">
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To prevent and control money laundering.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To confiscate and seize the property obtained from the laundered money.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To deal with any other issue connected with money laundering in India</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Wildlife Protection Act, 1972</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. The Act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong> Schedule I</strong> and part II of<strong> Schedule II</strong> provide absolute protection - offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties. Species listed in <strong>Schedule III</strong> and <strong>Schedule IV</strong> is also protected, but the penalties are much lower. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><strong>Schedule V</strong> includes the animals which may be hunted. The specified endemic plants in <strong>Schedule VI</strong> are prohibited from cultivation and planting. </span></span></p>
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(int) 77 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2306,
'title' => 'Evolution of blackbuck and Chinkara found out',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, studied four genera of ‘true antelopes’, <em>Gazella, Nanger, Eudorcas </em>and <em>Antelopes </em>and found that the blackbuck’s <em>(Antilope cervicapra) </em>ancestors came into India from the Saharo-Arabian region about two million years ago and then evolved to its current form.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers usually use mitochondrial DNA for genetic analysis. However, the research team used nuclear DNA, which has genetic material from both parents. They used 12 different nuclear markers for the study.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The paper states that the lack of blackbuck fossils outside India leads to the speculation that they diverged from their ancestors only after reaching India when intensification of arid conditions in India occurred.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The expansion of grasslands opened up new niches, which allowed the taxa to evolve into its current form.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The very recent formation of the Thar desert could have been a barrier for Blackbuck species to move backwards.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Blackbucks have been confined to the scrubland regions of India, currently seen in most states, except for the Terai region, northeast and the Western Ghats. In the south, blackbucks can be seen in Tamil Nadu too.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was also observed that <em>Antelope</em> was not a sister of <em>Gazella,</em> as was previously believed, but was within the same genera. This would call for reclassifying the genus.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The chinkara<em> (Gazella bennetti),</em> another ‘true antelope’ of India, evolved much more recently about 7, 00,000 years ago, after the establishment of the Thar desert.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These are also found in the hilly terrains of Iran, and are known as Iranian Gazelle. They are better adapted to the drier, semi-arid region because of their water drinking habits.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Genetics has now helped researchers to provide two different evolution theories. Though the blackbucks and chinkara look like sisters they actually may have very different evolutionary histories.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Blackbuck</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The blackbuck, also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope found in India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The blackbuck is the sole extant member of the genus Antelope.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Currently they are classified as <strong>near threatened</strong> species under IUCN.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Chinkara</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The chinkara, also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Its conservation status is <strong>Least concerned</strong> under IUCN.</span></span></p>
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(int) 78 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2320,
'title' => 'Giant earthworm discovered near western ghats',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers have accidently discovered a giant eartworm, size of a snake at the foothills of the western ghats in the coastal belt of Karnataka.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The giant earthworm, measuring over three feet in length, has not been reported in the Western Ghats and the coastal belt of Karnataka<strong> </strong>so far. Its the first time this kind of species has been discovered.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Morphological study of the newly discovered earthworm has tentatively indicated that it belongs to the genus of Moniligaster.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The giant earthworms begin migrating at night during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In India the largest earthworm is <em>Drawida nilamburensis</em> which belongs to the Moniligastridae family. That specimen, from the Nilgiris, measured up to 1,000 mm in length.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The migration of earth worm is a great indicator of soil health and quality. The earthworm also prevent events like landslides etc by keeping soil particles bound.</span></span></p>
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(int) 79 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2360,
'title' => 'Dolphins found dead in west African coast',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Authorities at Cape Verde islands off West Africa are trying to determine why more than 100 dolphins died on a local beach.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Around 200 melon-headed dolphins were found on a beach on Boa Vista island on September 24. Officials, residents and tourists managed to drag some of them back out to sea, but many returned.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for stranding</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Changing tides</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are many instances when a single or group of dolphin are pushed onto the shore due to tide patterns that disrupt their movement.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Prey</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dolphins chase their prey and wander onto the shallow waters and are unable to get back to safety of deep seas.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Pollution</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is also alleged that sea pollution in form of oil spilling disrupt the dolphins from their usual path. This forces them to wander away from their herd and get stranded.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Naval sonar</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dolphins rely on sonar technology to navigate their way through deep waters. The artificial sonar used by naval ships can interrupt their natural frequency forcing them to wander.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Parasitic activity</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Parasites present in the body of the dolphins can affect their functions including brain activity. This can force them to migrate land wards.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Seismic activities</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under water earthquakes can also force the dolphins to abandon their sea abode and get stranded on the beach.</span></span></p>
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(int) 80 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2362,
'title' => 'India-Bhutan high altitude tiger survey',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government of India along with that of Nepal and Bhutan will conduct a detailed survey to determine tiger habitat in the high altitude region of Himalayas.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Earlier studies conducted by the authorities had found out that there were tiger habitats in the high altitude areas of Himalayas including Bhutan, Nepal and India. A detailed study will be taken up to assess the exact number of tigers present.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A study jointly conducted by experts from three countries had, in a report this month, established that there were potentially 52,671 square kilometres of tiger habitat in high altitudes or Himalayan habitats of India, Nepal<strong> </strong>and Bhutan out of which 38,915 square kilometres of this habitat lay in India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While India is home to the most number of tigers in the world, most of them are focussed in Central India and the Western Ghats. The latest tiger survey, made public earlier this year estimated 2,967 tigers all over India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In previous years, tigers have been reported in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal at elevations of 1765m, 3274 m and 2400 m respectively. Bhutan had recorded the presence of a tiger at 4,210 m.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Potential high altitude tiger landscapes include the <strong>Valmiki-Chitwan-Annapurna</strong> (India-Nepal<strong>), Manas-Royal Manas-Jigme Dorji</strong> (India-Bhutan), <strong>Neora Valley-Torsa-Buxa-Phibsu</strong> (India-Bhutan), <strong>Askot-Pithoragarh-Nandhaur-Suklaphanta </strong>(India-Nepal) and <strong>Arunachal-Sikkim-bordering Bhutan</strong> (India-Bhutan).</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Importance</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Recording the presence of tigers in high altitudes is important to judge the health of the species, as poaching and fragmented habitat is serious challenges to their population growth.</span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2378,
'title' => 'Scientific way to revive rainforests',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A two-decade long study carried out by ecologists from Nature Conservation Foundation and University of Columbia finds that active restoration can promote recovery of tropical rainforest fragments with seven to 15 years of effort.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Degraded forest areas studied in <strong>Anamalai Hills</strong> recovered significantly in terms of numbers of trees and species. The recovery included improvement in forest structure and composition as well as carbon storage.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study, which began in 2002, focused on rainforests fragments in Anamalai Hills, in the Western Ghats, and the ecological restoration involved clearing the chosen areas of invasive weeds and planting a diverse mix of native species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers planted more than 150 native rainforest tree species overall. Depending on size of the plot, native species carefully selected as appropriate for the site were planted.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group studied 25 pairs of plots within degraded forest fragments. In one of the pair of plots, they carried out active restoration which included first removing non-native weeds and then planting saplings belonging to a variety of native tree species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The other plot was left to regenerate naturally. Finally, the results of the effort on the two sets of plots were compared with 17 benchmark areas that were relatively free of human disturbance in a few decades.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The team found that the actively restored areas improved in comparison with the passively restored ones in a way that matched the benchmarks to a good percentage. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From seven to 15 years after restoration, these degraded forests recovered significantly in terms of numbers of trees, 49% in the number of tree species and 47% in the amount of carbon stored for a given area, compared to degraded forests left to recover naturally.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The best way to go about ecological restoration would be to identify critical areas that would benefit from restoration effort as this would include sites far away from larger, contiguous tracts of forests or those that would be critical as animal or plant movement corridors.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Anamalai Hills</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Anaimalai or Anamala Hills, also known as the Elephant Mountains, are the range of mountains that form the southern portion of the Western Ghats and span the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamudi" title="Anamudi"><strong>Anamudi</strong></a><strong> Peak</strong> (8,842 feet [2,695 metres]) lies at the extreme southwestern end of the range and is the <strong>highest peak</strong> in <strong>southern India</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palakkad_Gap" title="Palakkad Gap">Palakkad Gap</a> divides the Western Ghats to the north. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The lower slopes of the hills now have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_bean" title="Coffee bean">coffee</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_plantation" title="Tea plantation">tea plantations</a> as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teak" title="Teak">teak</a> forests of great economic value.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dense monsoon forests including rosewood, sandalwood, teak, and sago palms cover most of the region, which helps the coffee and tea plantations and teak plantations grow.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 82 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2455,
'title' => 'Aarey colony protest',
'description' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A special Bench of the Supreme Court will Monday hear a plea seeking stay on the cutting of over 2,600 trees in a portion of land in Mumbai’s Aarey for the construction of a Metro Rail car shed.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bombay High Court had dismissed a petition seeking stay on cutting of trees for the construction project. The court rejected a plea to declare Aarey as a forest and extend protection.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Aarey</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Aarey used to be about 3,000 acres of forest land in North Mumbai but has been reduced to just 1,300 acres after being converted into agricultural land.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was once a part of a deciduous stretch of forests, now restricted to the adjacent Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the hillocks. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The forest shelters several species of birds, insects, and leopards. The residents of Aarey, who mainly comprise of Warli tribe, are Mumbai's oldest residents, and are on the edge of being affected by the decision of the government.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Arguments in favour of protection</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The proposed land at Aare is on the banks of the ‘Mithi River’, which has channels and tributaries flowing to it and emptying into the river. Its absence can flood Mumbai due to water clogging.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The trees on the land are great carbon sequesters, which absorb the carbon emitted from Mumbai city.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2448,
'title' => 'Asia’s oldest bamboo in India',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A new fossil record has shown that India is the birthplace of Asian bamboo, and they were formed about 25 million years ago in the north-eastern part of the country.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bamboo fossils are not very common in India as they are known only from the Siwalik sediments.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This finding further strengthens the theory that bamboo came to Asia from India and not from Europe.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An international team of researchers found two fossil impressions of bamboo culms (stems) and after further study noted them to be new species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They were named<em> Bambusiculmus tirapensis </em>and <em>B. makumensis </em>- as they were found in the Tirap mine of Makum Coalfield in Assam. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These belonged to the late Oligocene period of about 25 million years ago. They also found two impressions of bamboo leaves belonging to new species <em>Bambusium deomarense,</em> and <em>B. arunachalense,</em> named after the Doimara region of Arunachal Pradesh where it was discovered. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These leaves were found in the late Miocene to Pliocene sediments, indicating that they were between 11 and three million years old.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Importance</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Yunnan Province in China now has the highest diversity of bamboo, but the oldest fossil in that region is less than 20 million years old, clearly indicating that Asian bamboo was born in India and then migrated there.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The scientists will be able to study what made bamboo develop such a wide environmental niche so that it can survive in such wide range of temperature and geographic condition.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bamboo braved these climatic and geographical changes making it the fittest in the survival race.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 84 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2437,
'title' => 'Global wildlife trade',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A new study has found that nearly one in every five species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles are bought and sold on the wildlife market globally.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trade of wildlife for luxury foods, medicinal parts and as pets are the key factors contributing to the extinction risk faced by of vertebrates globally. Over 45 per cent of bird species and 51 per cent of amphibian species were found to have been traded as pets.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The research predicts that future trade will impact over 3,000 additional species, taking the total to about 8,700 species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They said the wildlife trade industry generates between $8 billion and 21 billion, pushing some of these species closer to extinction.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The research also observed that the hotspots for mammal trade was in Africa and Southeast Asia, while Australia and Madagascar are the main trade hotspots for reptiles.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While wildlife pet trade flourishes in the tropics, product trade is concentrated in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia, including the Himalayas.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Preventing Wildlife trade</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>CITES</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multilateral_treaty" title="Multilateral treaty">multilateral treaty</a> to protect endangered plants and animals.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature" title="International Union for Conservation of Nature">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild, and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species" title="Species">species</a> of animals and plants.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Participation under CITES is voluntary, and countries that have agreed to be bound by the Convention are known as Parties.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not take the place of national laws. Rather it provides a framework respected by each Party, which must adopt their own domestic legislation to implement CITES at the national level.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
',
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(int) 85 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2497,
'title' => 'White winged wood ducks of Assam',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Measures to protect the white winged duck of Assam are going on. The white winged duck is one of the rarest bird species to be sighted and their numbers are dwindling.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The White Winged Wood Duck is no ordinary bird. Ornithologists consider sighting one to winning a lottery. These birds are currently found in <strong>Nameri National Park</strong> in Sonitpur district of Assam.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The white winged wood duck is currently the state bird of Assam. But their sightings have become rarer over the years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the <strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List</strong>, this duck has been categorised as <strong>endangered</strong> with its population showing a decreasing trend. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Earlier, the duck was extensively found in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh while also being sighted in Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Presently, their population is limited only to certain pockets of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Encroachment, deforestation and anthropogenic pressure have degraded their habitat.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Assam Forest Department (AFD) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with support from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) have launched ‘Project Deo Hanh’ to develop a long-term conservation strategy to revive its population.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
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(int) 86 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2587,
'title' => 'Tasmanian tiger',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Several people in Australia have reported seeing Tasmanian tigers, a large, carnivorous marsupial that went extinct about 80 years ago.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The <strong>thylacine</strong>, also known as the Tasmanian tiger bears some resemblance to a dog, with its distinguishing features being the dark stripes beginning at the rear of its body and extending into its tail, its stiff tail and abdominal pouch.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine (a dog headed pouched dog) was an exclusively carnivorous marsupial that is considered to be extinct. The last known thylacine died in captivity over 80 years ago, in Tasmania’s Hobart Zoo in 1936.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It may also be the only mammal to have become extinct in Tasmania since the European settlement.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The thylacine was widespread over continental Australia, extending North to New Guinea and south to Tasmania. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was confined to Tasmania in recent times and disappeared from mainland Australia over 2000 years ago, mainly because of over-hunting by humans, diseases and competition from the Dingo, a wild dog native to Australia. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Thylacine was also persecuted because it was believed to be a threat to sheep and in its latter years it was hunted for the purposes of collection by museums and zoos. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As per some accounts, the introduction of sheep in 1824 led to a conflict between the settlers and thylacine.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to IUCN, the species is specified as<strong> Extinct</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 87 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2623,
'title' => 'India’s 1st Snow leopard survey',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India will commission its first-ever survey<strong> </strong>to estimate the population and geographical range of the snow leopard.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The snow leopard is found along the upper reaches of the Himalayan range and, in India, it is reported to have a presence in Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The authorities are planning to use technology such as camera traps and scientific surveys to estimate the numbers. It will be coordinated by National Tiger Conservation Authority.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The snow leopard is found in 12 countries, namely India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government is planning to undertake capacity building, livelihood, green economy, and green pathway even in the snow leopard areas of the Himalayan range and cross-country cooperation.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Snow leopards</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The snow leopard, also known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is listed as <strong>Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List</strong> because the global population is estimated to number less than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is threatened by poaching and habitat destruction following infrastructural developments.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Snow leopards protected areas include <strong>Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park and Dachigam National Park in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Pin Valley National Park, Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh, Nanda Devi National Park, Gangotri National Park and Valley of Flowers National Park in Uttarakhand, Khangchendzonga National Park, Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'India’s 1st Snow leopard survey',
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(int) 88 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2630,
'title' => 'Saptaparni tree or Devil’s tree',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saptaparni tree flowers are synonymous with December weather, with large number of tree being found in the Capital region of Delhi.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saptaparni is a medium-sized evergreen tree from the very moist forests of the Himalayas.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The name comes from two Sanskrit words, Sapta meaning seven, and parni meaning leaves. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As the name suggests, the leaves, most often, are found in bunches of seven around the stem. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are blunt, glossy, and create starry symmetries. The leaves remain throughout the year with new flushes standing out against older leaves in March and April and again during the rainy season. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The tree’s fruit is bean-like and appears in pairs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The tree’s natural range shows a broad belt in the <strong>sub-Himalayan tract</strong> east of the Yamuna and is also found in the moist forests of the <strong>Western and Eastern Ghats</strong> in peninsular India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In addition to this it also grows naturally from Sri Lanka to Myanmar and South China, and from Malay Peninsula to Australia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is best suited to deep, moist soil and its tolerance to drier conditions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The bark is known as ditabark, used by Indians as traditional medicine to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, asthma, and a few types of fevers. It has also been used as an aphrodisiac.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The scientific name is <em>Alstonia scholaris</em>. The genus is named after professor C. Alston, a famous botanist of Edinburgh. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Students’ blackboards, writing tables and slates are made from the bark of the tree. Hence, the other name for the tree is the Blackboard Tree and also includes the word scholaris in its scientific name.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Saptaparni is of great cultural significance in the intellectual circle, as traditionally its leaves were awarded to scholars and teachers during convocation ceremonies by the Visva Bharati University, started by Rabindranath Tagore.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
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(int) 89 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2748,
'title' => 'Meghalayan rainforests similar to equatorial rainforests',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A new study discovers that the Meghalayan rainforest, the northernmost in the world, is similar in structure and diversity to the other rainforests found near the Equator.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The northeastern State of Meghalaya known for its wettest districts and living root bridges is also home to a lowland tropical rainforest north of the Tropic of Cancer.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tropical rainforests are the terrestrial areas on the earth teemed with enormous diversity of trees and other life-forms which make the largest sink of carbon.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although these forests cover just about 6% of the Earth's land surface, about four-fifth of world's documented species can be found in tropical rainforests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Characteristically, tropical rainforests occur in “hot and wet” habitats where all months receive precipitation and there is no dry season.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Rainforests usually occur near the Equator and about five degrees North and South latitudes from the Equator are considered the real home of the lowland tropical rainforest. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The extreme spread of tropical rainforests in northern limits in the world has been found in northeastern region of India where high rainfall-receiving habitats with hot and humid climate, especially in Meghalaya and Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh are now known to boast species-rich rainforests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The research team found that the climatic conditions in the region , high rainfall and humidity, and perfect annual mean temperature were conducive for the survival of the rainforests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Over 180 different taxa were identified of the total, and it was noted that tropical Asian species made up 95% of the abundance.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although these rainforests had fewer species and individuals of liana or woody climbing plants, the levels of beta diversity were high. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Also compared to Equatorial rainforests, they had a higher proportion of rare species and good representation of the members of families of <em>Fagaceae</em> and <em>Theaceae</em> in the Meghalayan rainforests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The researchers found that the Meghalayan rainforest trees showed short stature, while the trees in the Equatorial region are known to grow from 45 to 60 m in height. This indicated that in order to survive at such latitudes, trees have undergone some modifications.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The region had a high density of 467 trees per hectare. Though this is lower compared with equatorial rainforests, it fell in the intermediate category for rainforests around the Tropic of Cancer. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Also, the richness of species per hectare was the highest among all lowland rainforests near the Tropic of Cancer.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Studies revealed that the rainforests have remained free from grazing, fire and commercial logging because strong anecdotal religious beliefs and taboos continue to remain popular among the tribes, which have helped in their preservation.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Meghalayan rainforests similar to equatorial rainforests',
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'metadescription' => 'A new study discovers that the Meghalayan rainforest, the northernmost in the world, is similar in structure and diversity to the other rainforests found near the Equator.',
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(int) 90 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2766,
'title' => 'New signal fish discovered near Kerala coast',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists from the University of Kerala and the Ocean Science Foundation, USA have reported the discovery of the new species of signal fish, the first one of the genus recorded in Indian waters.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Signal fishes are tiny and fragile and are often found in waters below 50 m and according to the authors, is one of the distinctly larger species of signal fish.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The species named <em>Pteropsaron indicum </em>was collected by trawlers at a depth of 70 metres during a marine biodiversity survey.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Signal fishes are a poorly studied group of benthic species found in deep sandy habitats, usually close to coral reefs. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are known to flip up their extended dorsal fins to signal each other. The discovery of the species indicates the presence of patchy corals off the Kerala coast and therefore with a lot of conservation value.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Signal Fish </strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The discovered species is the world’s largest signal fish. It has thick yellow lines shining on the sides of the body. Small yellow marks can be seen on the sides of the head. They also have long spines on their dorsal fins.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">They flap their long fins as a sign of dominating their territory and attracting their mate. It is because of these characteristics they are called signal fish.</span></span></p>
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'metatitle' => 'New signal fish discovered near Kerala coast',
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(int) 91 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2767,
'title' => 'Surge in Kargil fish along Karnataka coast',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Changes in climatic conditions have affected the quantity of popular fish species, while giving way for the heavy occurance of trigger fish or Kargil fish that has meagre commercial value, along the Karnataka coast.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reseachers say that higher atmospheric temperature has also led to higher carbon dioxide concentration making water acidic with lower dissolved oxygen levels thereby affecting primary productivity in the coastal waters.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The conventional specifies such as Sardines and Mackerel are affected with non-availability of phytoplankton, zooplankton and other micro organism components and thus have shown decrease in numbers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trigger fish or <em>Odonus niger</em> is called Kargil fish and the species was largely observed in the coast from Kerala to Gujarat.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The red-toothed Kargil fish is normally found in the bottom region of the seas, occurring in enormous shoals and is caught in large quantities in trawl nets during the monsoon season as well as in other months.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These fish were found in areas where there are rocks and at 40- 60 fathom depth. At present, it is found even in shallow regions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The region is also experiencing high frequency of cyclonic conditions with higher intensity following climatic changes. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Cyclonic condition increases sea water turbulence leading to increased suspended solids in the sea water column thereby affecting primary production. Hence, there could be a shift in the fish population and diversity.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 92 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2859,
'title' => 'Great Indian Bustard habitats to be declared conservation reserves',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Ministry of Environment has decided to declare Great Indian Bustard (GIB) habitats as conservation reserves after there were widespread report of their deaths due to causes such as electric shocks.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ministry has also decided to have time bound action plan for the implementation of mitigation measures such as installation of bird diverters and their regular maintenance and monitoring by power agencies.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As per a report by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, only 150 GIBs are left in India, out of which around 90% are found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The GIBs are dying at the rate of 15% annually due to collision with high voltage power lines, the WII report had said, adding that their population has been reduced by 75% in the last 30 years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mortality of adult GIBs is high due to collision with power lines that criss-cross their flying path. All bustards are prone to collision due to their poor frontal vision and inability to see the power lines from a distance.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">WII’s research has shown that power lines, particularly high voltage (33-440 KV) transmission lines with vertical alignment are the biggest threat to GIB.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Great Indian Bustard </strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The GIB is one of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent and are primarily terrestrial.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Maximum number of GIBs are found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army-controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other areas where they are found in less than 10 in number are Kutch district in Gujarat, Nagpur, Amravati and Solapur districts in Maharashtra, Bellary and Koppal districts in Karnataka and Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Conservation status of GIB under IUCN is <strong>Critically Endangered</strong> and features in Appendix 1 of CITES.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Protection of GIB</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Rajasthan government has initiated Project Great Indian Bustard to protect habitats of the birds in the Desert National Park.</span></span></p>
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(int) 93 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2870,
'title' => 'Avian botulism, the reason for deaths of migratory birds',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The mass death of migratory birds at the Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan occurred due to avian botulism according to the report of Bareilly's Indian Veterinary Research Institute.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bird-watchers and other visitors to the lake discovered thousands of birds dead or dying around Sambhar Lake, which is India’s largest inland saltwater body.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><em>C. botulinum</em> produces the toxins in anoxic, i.e. low-oxygen, conditions, which effectively implies the state government will have to clean up Sambhar Lake.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Botulism outbreaks are likely to become more frequent as climate change alters wetland conditions to favour bacteria and pathogens.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Avian botulism</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Avian Botulism is a strain of botulism that usually affects wild and captive bird populations, most notably waterfowl. This is a paralytic disease brought on by the Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNt) of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Avian botulism is the result of deadly toxins secreted by <em>Clostridium botulinum</em> bacteria. Upon ingestion, they cause paralysis, which then interferes with critical functions and causes death.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><em>The bacteria is </em>commonly found in the soil, river, and sea water. There are around eight types A, B, C1, C2, D, E, F, and G of botulinum toxin and they are distinguishable when diagnosed. But all types of toxins attack the neurons, which leads to muscle paralysis.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Avian botulism is not contagious in that it is not spread from bird to bird. Instead it is spread to birds through their consumptions of maggots infected with the toxin.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When an infected bird dies the maggots that feed off of it become infected themselves. These maggots are in turn consumed by additional birds<span style="font-size:9.5pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="color:#222222">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 94 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2889,
'title' => 'Sumatran rhino gets extinct in Malaysia',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Sumatran rhinoceros has become extinct in Malaysia,<strong> </strong>after the last of the species in the country succumbed to cancer.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Efforts to breed Sumatran Rhinos have been futile but authorities have harvested their cells for possible reproduction in the future.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Sumatran rhino, the smallest of five rhinoceros species, once roamed across Asia as far as India, but its numbers have shrunk drastically due to deforestation and poaching. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The WWF conservation group estimates that there are only about 80 left, mostly living in the wild in Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The International Union for the Conservation of Nature identifies the Sumatran as well as the Black and Javan rhinoceros as being critically endangered. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Both African and Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the others have a single horn.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Rhinos are killed for their horns, which consist of keratin similar to human hair and nails and are used in traditional medicines in parts of Asia.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Rhino species</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>The White Rhino</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The white rhino is one of the two rhino species found in Africa. Despite its name the white rhino is not actually white at all, its skin is grey in colour.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Populations of white rhino have recovered from an all time low of around 100 in 1895 to the current wild population of around 20,170. However, an increase in rhino poaching since 2008 is once again threatening the total population.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">IUCN conservation status is <strong>near threatened</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Distribution: <strong>South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Black rhino</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The black rhino is one of the two rhino species found in Africa. The black rhino is also known as the hook lipped rhino.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Populations of black rhino have been decimated over recent years. It is thought that as recently as 1970 there were as many as 65,000 black rhinos in the wild. The estimated population today is less than 5,000.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">IUCN status is <strong>Critically endangered.</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Distribution: <strong>Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Great one horned Rhino</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Also known as the Indian rhino, the Greater One Horned rhino is one of the three rhino species found in Asia. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is estimated that as few as 200 individuals existed in the wild in the early 1900’s. Thanks to a concerted conservation effort their current population is thought to be around 3,333.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">IUCN status is <strong>Vulnerable</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Distribution: <strong>India and Nepal.</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Sumatran Rhinos</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Sumatran rhino is one of the three rhino species found in Asia. Their population is said to have declined by about 50% since the late 1990’s.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Sumatran is the smallest and hairiest of all the surviving rhinos. It is said to be the closest living relative to the now extinct woolly rhino.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">IUCN status is <strong>Critically Endangered.</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Distribution: <strong>Indonesia and Malaysia</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Javan Rhinos</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are the most endangered of all the five species of rhino with only as few 50 thought to still survive in the wild today. Extinction for the Javan rhino is a very real possibility.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last remaining rhinos are protected at Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">IUCN status: <strong>Critically Endangered</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Distribution: <strong>Indonesia</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 95 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2937,
'title' => 'UP’s first conservation centre for Vultures',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Uttar Pradesh government will set up state's first vulture conservation and breeding centre in farenda area of Maharajganj district.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There has been a sharp decline in the population of vultures in the country which has come down from 40 million to 19,000 in a span of over three decades. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The States' first vulture conservation and breeding centre of its kind will be set up on the lines of Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Haryana, which is also the first in the country. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new centre would be set up in association with <strong>Bombay Natural History Society</strong>, a wildlife research organization and It will be the first scientific assessment of vultures in the state to find out which species is most threatened and the locations where these natural scavengers are thriving.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Vultures in India</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nine species of vulture can be found living in India, but most are now in danger of extinction.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A major contributing factor in declining populations of vultures is believed to be widespread use of drugs such as <strong>diclofenac</strong>, once commonly used as a livestock anti-inflammatory drug. Use of diclofenac is still not banned in India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The sudden collapse of the natural animal disposal system in India has had multiple consequences. The carcasses formerly eaten by vultures rot in village fields leading to contaminated drinking water. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The mammals also carry diseases from rotting carcasses such as rabies, anthrax, plague etc. and are indirectly responsible for thousands of human deaths.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 96 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2955,
'title' => 'Gangetic river dolphins',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A report tabled by the government in Parliament says that the rivers of Assam and Uttar Pradesh respectively had 962 and 1,275 Gangetic dolphins, India’s national aquatic dolphin.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ganga river dolphin, also known as Souns or Susu, Sushuk or Seho, is found in the Ganga river system including its tributaries like Ghagra, Chambal, Gandak, and Kosi as well as in Brahmaputra river system.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In Assam, the assessment was carried out in three rivers, with the Brahmaputra accounting for 877 of the 962 dolphins.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In addition to the species being India’s national aquatic animal, the Gangetic dolphin has been notified by the Assam government as the state aquatic animal.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the Gangetic dolphin as an endangered species in India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the WWF, the main threat to the Gangetic dolphin is the creation of dams and irrigation projects.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Impact of river traffic, depletion of their prey-base and sand mining from river base are other reasons for its depleting population.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>River Dolphins</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Ganges river dolphin</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Ganges River dolphin, or susu, inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although the population size has decreased compared to historical levels, it is still considered to be large enough to sustain the species in the future if adequate conservation measures are taken soon. IUCN status is <strong>Endangered</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Irrawaddy dolphins</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Freshwater subpopulations occur in the river Mahakam of Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), the Ayeyarwady (formerly Irrawaddy) of Myanmar (formerly Burma), and the Mekong Delta of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are also reported in isolated brackish (saltwater and freshwater) water bodies, such as Chilka Lake in India and Songkhla Lake in Thailand. IUCN status is <strong>Vulnerable</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Indus river dolphins</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Indus River dolphin <em>(Platanista minor)</em> is one of the world's rarest mammals and the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. Approximately 1,100 specimens of this species exist today in a small fraction of their former range, the lower reaches of the Indus River in Pakistan. IUCN status is <strong>Endangered</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Amazon river dolphins</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Amazon river dolphin (<em>Inia geoffrensis</em>), known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin. The Amazon River dolphin inhabits the waterways of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South Amercia. It is the largest river dolphin species in the world. IUCN status <strong>Vulnerable</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 97 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 2987,
'title' => 'Stress in adult female elephants influenced by number of calves',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Stress in adult female Asian elephants is directly proportional to the number of calves and inversely proportional to the number of adult females in a herd, according to a study by scientists of IISc.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study states that physiological stress on female elephants is significantly influenced by the number of calves and adult females present in the herd, seasonality, and lactational status.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With a higher number of calves, there’s greater danger of predation, so female elephants have to be more vigilant.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A higher number of female elephants in a herd may mean better social bonds, as the presence of experienced adult females or the matriarch results in more effective competitive and defence behaviours to perceived threats.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The scientists recorded stress in female elephants by measuring their faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM). Glucocorticoids are hormones secreted by mammals during periods of stress.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The fGCM levels were negatively correlated with the number of adult females (herd size) and positively correlated with the number of calves in a herd and the active lactational status of an adult female.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The fGCM levels of adult female elephants were higher during the dry season (February to May) than the wet season (August to December).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Another observation made in the study was that the levels of fGCM were higher in lactating females than in non-lactating females.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Insights from such assessments could be used to evaluate the stress in elephants that are involved in direct conflict with humans to take steps for mitigating conflicts.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Management of elephant-human conflicts, such as through selective capture of elephants from herds or splitting herds through chase, could potentially increase stress levels directly as well as through disruption in the social structure of the herd.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 98 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3056,
'title' => 'Olive Ridley nesting in Rushikulya',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An olive ridley turtle has laid 149 eggs on a mass nesting beach at the Rushikulya rookery coast in Odisha, marking the start of the mass nesting season.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Forest Department has already set up with 11 artificial hatcheries on the beach as sporadic nesting is expected to rise. The olive ridleys arrive in batches to lay their eggs on the coast.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Rushikulya rookery coast is a major mass nesting site for the olive ridleys on the Indian coast. Despite a large congregation for the mass mating season, olive ridleys had not appeared for the mass nesting period on this coast in 2019.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The mass-nesting event when thousands of turtles come ashore is called as ‘<strong>Arribada</strong>’.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Olive Ridley turtles</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The olive ridley sea turtle, also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, are the second smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world; this species of sea turtle is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Their current protection status is <strong>vulnerable</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Gahirmatha</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the Indian Ocean, the majority of olive ridleys nest in two or three large groups near Gahirmatha in Odisha. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the olive ridley.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 99 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3091,
'title' => 'How Cheetah became extinct in India?',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">At the recent meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14), a researcher from the Indian delegation pronounced desertification as the primary cause of the extinction of the cheetah in India.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This generated great debate and critique, but also for many people a realisation that cheetahs indeed no longer existed in the country because the word <em>cheeta</em> is still used to refer to the leopard and is, therefore, confused with the rosetted cat.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Two idiosyncratic traits of the animal undeniably led to its end. One, the cat was very easy to tame: it was often trained to race down and hunt animals and was caught in large numbers for use in such hunts. Second, cheetahs were nearly impossible to breed in captivity.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The sport gained popularity across peninsular India during the medieval age. From this era emerged evidence of cheetah trained to hunt down black bucks (India’s second fastest mammal) for a legion of nobles and princes. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">But their inability to breed while in captivity meant that wild cheetahs needed to be constantly trapped from their natural habitats, especially cubs, to keep the sport alive over centuries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Eventually, somewhere around the early 18th century, the constant removal of cheetahs from the wild, especially cubs, reached a tipping point.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While their prey base and habitat survived till much later, the cheetahs were already very scarce by the time the British consolidated their hold over India and started recording the occurrence of cheetahs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The British government started classifying cheetahs as “vermin” and offered rewards for their destruction. This was the final nail in the coffin that sealed the fate of the species in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The cheetah’s erstwhile range included Bengal to the United Provinces, Punjab and Rajputana, Central India to the Deccan.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Outside India, the range of the Cheetah is said to extend northwards to Russian Turkestan and Trans-Caspia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> In South-Western Asia its range is believed to reach from the frontiers of Sind through parts of Afghanistan, Baluchistan and Persia and Mesopotamia to Syria and Palestine.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Unlike the popular visual depiction of African cheetahs, in India, the cheetah’s habitat was diverse: scrubs, bushlands, arid and semi-arid open lands.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Today, the animal is perilously close to being wiped out from Asia itself. The world’s last Asiatic cheetahs, barely numbering 50 individuals according to latest estimates , roam the cold, stony deserts and arid habitats of central Iran.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In recent years, India has showed interest in starting a project and looked towards Africa for re-introducing cheetahs into Indian forests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Cheetahs could become a flagship species for the revival of India’s critically imperilled grasslands, savannah and arid lands, often dismissed as ‘wastelands’ by policy makers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Currently, the project, proposed to be spearheaded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, awaits a green signal from the Supreme Court. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 100 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3098,
'title' => 'Project Dolphin in India',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The National Ganga Council (NGC), which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for the first time at Kanpur with the proposal to save and enhance the population of the Gangetic Dolphin, to discuss the concept of “River Cities” and an action plan to provide sewer connection to every household in towns along the Ganga and its tributaries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There is an expectation that at the meeting a programme called “Project Dolphin”, along the lines of “Project Tiger” will be cleared to enhance the population of these dolphins.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Gangetic river dolphins were officially discovered in 1801 and are one of the oldest creatures in the world along with some species of turtles, crocodiles and sharks, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, but are now mostly extinct from many of its early distribution ranges.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2009, the Gangetic dolphins were declared India’s National Aquatic animal during the first meeting of the erstwhile National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) and it is placed under the “endangered” category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Gangetic river dolphins can only live in freshwater, are blind and catch their prey in a unique manner, using ultrasonic sound waves. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These dolphins prefer deep waters and, as per WWF, they are distributed across seven states in India: Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Their numbers have dwindled in the last few decades mainly because of direct killing, habitat fragmentation by dams and barrages and indiscriminate fishing.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In Assam, the assessment was carried out in three rivers, with the Brahmaputra accounting for 877 of the 962 dolphins in the state. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In addition to the species being India’s national aquatic animal, the Gangetic dolphin has been notified by the Assam government as the state aquatic animal, too. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Silting and sand lifting from rivers in Assam has been stopped to maintain its population.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Protective measures</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some of the efforts made to preserve and increase the numbers of these dolphins include the setting up of the Conservation Action Plan for the Gangetic Dolphin (2010-2020), which has identified threats to Gangetic dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on dolphin populations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Additionally, the Gangetic dolphins have been included in Schedule -I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which means they have the highest degree of protection against hunting. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are also one among the 21 species identified under the centrally sponsored scheme, “Development of Wildlife Habitat”.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>National Ganga Council (NGC)</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The council consists of chief ministers from five states along the Ganga , Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand along with nine Union ministers and NITI Aayog vice-chairman. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The central objective of the council is to work on the “protection, prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in River Ganga and its rejuvenation to its natural and pristine condition and to ensure continuous adequate flow of water.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 101 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3145,
'title' => 'Houbara Bustard',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government of Pakistan has issued special permits to the Emir of Qatar and nine other members of the royal family to hunt the houbara bustard, an internationally protected bird species.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The houbara bustard, which lives in arid climates, comes in two distinct species as recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one residing in North Africa (Chlamydotis undulata) and the other in Asia (Chlamydotis macqueenii).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The population of the Asian houbara bustards extends from northeast Asia, across central Asia, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula to reach the Sinai desert. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), roughly 33,000 Asian houbara bustards and over 22,000 of the North African houbara bustards remain today. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After breeding in the spring, the Asian bustards migrate south to spend the winter in Pakistan, the Arabian Peninsula and nearby Southwest Asia. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some Asian houbara bustards live and breed in the southern part of their ranges including parts of Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to IFHC, the main reasons for the houbara’s decline are poaching, unregulated hunting, along with degradation of its natural habitat.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While Pakistanis are not allowed to hunt the bird, the government invites Arab royals to hunt it every year.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The latest person-specific permits will allow the individuals to hunt over 100 houbara bustards over a 10-day safari during the three month hunting season between November 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020. The hunting area is spread over the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Great Indian Bustard</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This species was formerly widespread in India and Pakistan. The bustard is critically endangered in Pakistan primarily due to lack of protection and rampant hunting.It is protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 of India. The IUCN status of the species in India is critically Endangered.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In India they are mainly found in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.</span></span></p>
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(int) 102 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3235,
'title' => 'Musth does not give edge to younger Asian elephants',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A seven-year study of Asian elephants from Nagarahole-Bandipur has yielded interesting patterns of male elephant behaviour when in musth.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Hormonal levels give musth males high energy and aggression levels and this state is often correlated with a propensity to mate. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When an elephant is in a musth state, its urine shows increased testosterone levels. Also, temporin, a thick secretion, flows from the temporal ducts situated midway between their eyes and ears.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They hardly feed during musth and are more focussed on finding fertile females. Males enter into musth (show signs of musth) when there are in good body condition, and lose body condition over the time they are in musth because they are hardly feeding.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Therefore, researchers have been interested in finding out how exactly musth helps as a reproductive strategy since it is a very expensive strategy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One way in which musth might give an advantage is that it allows for males to have greater energy and to rove (roam) over larger areas, which then gives males the opportunity to sample more females than nonmusth males.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The key findings of the group are that young (15-30 years old) males in musth did not have an advantage over older (over 30 years) non-musth males in terms of access to females. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Old musth males had an advantage over old non-musth males, and also showed a roving strategy which allows for searching for multiple females.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Therefore, musth seems to be a roving strategy that is primarily advantageous to old males and not to young males.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Female elephants have a four-month oestrous cycle in which they are ovulating for three or four days only. Therefore, females are a rare resource for males seeking to produce offspring and thus male mating strategies become very important in such a species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The research also found high degree of competition exists among males to select and mate with the few available females. The young males probably have to wait it out and invest in growth rather than reproduction while the competition is mostly among the old males.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Asian elephants</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), also called Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as <strong>Endangered</strong> on the IUCN Red List, as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three generations<span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="color:#222222">.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Elephants reserves in India</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mayurjharna (West Bengal), Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Mayurbhanj (Odisha), Mahanadi (Odisha),Sambalpur (Odisha), Badalkhol-Tamorpingla (Chattisgarh), Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh),Sonitpur (Assam), Dihing-Patkai (Assam),South Arunachal (Arunachal Pradesh),Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong (Assam),Dhansiri-Lungding (Assam),Intanki (Nagaland),Chirang-Ripu (Assam),Eastern Dooars (West Bengal),Garo Hills (Meghalaya),Dandeli (Karnataka),Mysore (Karnataka),Wayanad (Kerala), Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu), Rayala (Andhra Pradesh),Nilambur (Kerala),Comibatore (Tamil Nadu),Anamalai (Tamil Nadu),Anamudi (Kerala),Periyar (Kerala),Srivilliputhur (Tamil Nadu),Shivalik (Uttarakhand), Uttar Pradesh reserve (Uttar Pradesh).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Singhpan Elephant reserve</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Singphan Elephant Reserve is the <strong>30th Elephant Reserve in the country</strong> and is situated in the state of <strong>Nagaland</strong>, which has an elephant population of 446, as per recent census report (2017) conducted in the state.</span></span></p>
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(int) 103 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3269,
'title' => 'Extraocular vision',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For the first time, researchers have shown that a species of brittle stars, which are relatives of starfish, can see even though it does not have eyes.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The red brittle star (Ophiocoma wendtii), which lives in the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea, becomes only the second creature, after a sea urchin species, known to have this ability.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ability to see without eyes is known as extraocular vision. Previous researchers have defined it as the ability to resolve scenes without discrete eyes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In sea urchins and brittle stars, researchers suspect that extraocular vision is facilitated by the photoreceptor cells found on their bodies.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These light-sensing cells give the brittle star visual stimuli, allowing it to recognise coarse structures such as rocks.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Another peculiar feature of the red brittle star is its signature colour change. While the creature is deep red during the day, it changes its colour to beige at night. The researchers think that there may be a link between their extraocular vision and colour changing abilities.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Red brittle star</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Brittle stars, with five radiating arms extending from a central disk, are related to starfish (also called sea stars), sea cucumbers, sea urchins and others in a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms. They have a nervous system but no brain.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Its photoreceptors are surrounded during daytime by chromatophores that narrow the field of the light being detected, making each photoreceptor like the pixel of a computer image that, when combined with other pixels, makes a whole image. The visual system does not work at night, when the chromatophores contract.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 104 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3283,
'title' => 'Human effect on genetic connectivity in mammals',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A new study from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has revealed that anthropogenic activities can impact genetic connectivity or the movement among habitat patches usually resulting in mating and genetic exchange.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Changing landscapes, habitat loss, fragmentation, and global climate change have been listed as the main reasons for biodiversity decline worldwide. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In several mammalian carnivores, juveniles disperse away from their mother's territory to establish their own territory. Males are known to travel longer distances than females.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Isolation of habitat patches (due to habitat destruction and fragmentation) can restrict animal movement among habitat patches and thus reduce genetic exchange and increase the probability of extinction.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Four wide-ranging mammals, Jungle cats, leopards, sloth bears, tigers, were investigated for the genetic differentiation in central India, which is a critical landscape for several species. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The team looked at how land-use, human population density, nearby roads and traffic affected the genetic structure. The paper notes that tigers were impacted the most by high human footprint.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tigers in central India do not have equally high genetic exchange throughout the landscape, eventhough they have known travel a long distance.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Jungle cats were found to be the least impacted. That is likely because in central India, they occupy a variety of habitats including forests, scrublands, grasslands and even irrigated agricultural fields close to the forests.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Measures</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has started paying attention to wildlife corridors and encouraging engineering reforms to promote wildlife movements.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Ministry of Environment along with the Wildlife Institute of India released a document that lays out the regulatory requirements for developing roads, railways, powerlines while recognising the impacts on wildlife and people.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Way forward</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With increasing infrastructure and traffic, systematically studying the impact of roads on smaller species like jungle cat and jackals and ensuring the presence of mitigation structures like underpasses and overpasses would be crucial to ensure that we don't fragment the currently well-connected populations.</span></span></p>
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(int) 105 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3353,
'title' => 'Species rich forests offer stable carbon capture',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An international team of researchers has shown that carbon storage was highest in species-rich evergreen forest.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The team Spent over six months conducting surveys inside Anamalai Tiger Reserve and using satellite data from multiple locations in the Western Ghats.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The research adds that the rate of carbon capture was more stable across years in forests than in plantations, and carbon capture by forests was more resilient to drought.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study was done in natural evergreen and deciduous forests, and in teak and eucalyptus plantations. The studied eucalyptus plantations had comparatively lower carbon storage, while teak plantations stored nearly as much carbon as deciduous forests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The team identified the trees, measured their girth and height in 250 square plots inside the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, and used the measurements to estimate carbon storage in different forests and plantation types. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They then used satellite data from Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Tiger Reserve, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhadra Tiger Reserve, along with Anamalai to assess the rate of carbon capture and how they varied across years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Annual rainfall and stressors like drought were all taken into consideration for the study.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The storage in teak and eucalyptus plantations was 43% and 55% less, respectively. The researchers also found that the rates of carbon capture remained nearly the same year after year in natural forests compared with plantations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The findings suggest that protecting and regenerating natural forests comprising a diverse mix of native tree species is more reliable in the long term than raising monoculture or species-poor plantations as a strategy for mitigating climate change.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Species-rich forests are beneficial for biodiversity as they also provide habitat to many other components like insects, birds, etc. Previous studies have shown that species-rich forests are also resistant to diseases.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They also added that the ability to regenerate the seeds differ across species and so a multi-species forest would likely show greater resilience in case of a fire.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Anamalai</strong> <strong>Tiger</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Aanaimalai Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and previously as Aanaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected area located in the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District and Udumalaipettai taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Major reservoirs like Parambikulam Reservoir, Aliyar Reservoir, Thirumurthi Reservoir, Upper Aliyar Reservoir, Kadambarai, Sholayar Dam and Amaravathi Dam are fed by the perennial rivers which originate from the Sanctuary.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The area has significant anthropological diversity with more than 4600 Adivasi people from six tribes of indigenous people living in 34 settlements. The tribes are the Kadars, Malasars, Malaimalasar s, Pulaiyars, Muduvars and the Eravallan (Eravalar).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The diverse topography and rainfall gradient allow a wide variety of vegetation comprising a mix of natural and man-made habitats. The former includes wet evergreen forest and semi-evergreen forest, montane shola-grassland, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, thorn forests and marshes. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tropical montane forests occur at higher elevations and are interspersed with montane grasslands, forming the shola-grassland complex.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 106 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3429,
'title' => 'IVF helping white rhino population to increase',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers said that they have created another embryo of the nearly extinct northern white rhino, a remarkable success in an ongoing global mission to keep the species from going extinct.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Kenyan conservancy looking after the last male northern white rhino was forced to euthanise it in March 2018. The death of Sudan, who was earlier at the Dvur Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic, left the world with only two northern white rhinos.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The northern white is one of the two subspecies of the white (or square-lipped) rhinoceros, which once roamed several African countries south of the Sahara. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The other subspecies, the southern white is, by contrast, the most numerous subspecies of rhino, and is found primarily in South Africa.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists created a test-tube embryo by fertilising the egg of a southern white female with the frozen sperm of a northern white male.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The embryos have been preserved in liquid nitrogen, and will be transferred to a southern white surrogate.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since the gestation period for a rhino could be 18 months, the first northern white calf is expected to arrive in the world in 2022.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ultimate goal, scientists say, is to create a herd of perhaps five northern white rhinos that could be returned to the wild. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Indian Rhinoceros</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Indian rhinoceros, also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros species native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as <strong>Vulnerable</strong> on the IUCN Red List. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They can be found in:</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Kaziranga National Park</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Jaldapara National Park</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Orang National Park</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Gorumara</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Dudhwa National Park</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Manas National Park</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 107 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3427,
'title' => 'Irrawaddy dolphins sighted in Chilika lake',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Odisha Forest Department officials, wildlife experts and researchers sighted 146 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika Lake, which has the highest single lagoon population of the aquatic mammal in the world.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The dolphin census was simultaneously taken up in Chilika and off Odisha coast. The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) is elated that the direct sighting of 146 dolphins meant that its population in the lake would stabilise well above 150.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Officials expressed hopes that the population is likely to increase in the next couple of years as there are enough signs of dolphins migrating to other areas.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The total population of these aquatic mammals in the world is estimated to be less than 7,500. Of these, more than 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins have been reported from Bangladesh, while the dolphin distribution in Chilika is considered to be the highest single lagoon population.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Irrawaddy dolphin</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Its IUCN status is <strong>Vulnerable</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Chilika Lake</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is the second largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef. It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 108 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3435,
'title' => 'Iconic platypus under threat',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Australia’s devastating drought and other effects of climate change<strong> </strong>are pushing the iconic duck-billed platypus, a globally unique mammal, towards extinction.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Platypuses were once considered widespread across the eastern Australian mainland and Tasmania, although not a lot is known about their distribution or abundance.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers examined the risks of extinction for this intriguing animal and have called for action to minimise the risk of the platypus vanishing due to habitat destruction, dams and weirs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study examined the potentially devastating combination of threats to platypus populations, including water resource development, land clearing, climate change and increasingly severe periods of drought.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Documented declines and local extinctions of the platypus show a species facing considerable risks, while the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently downgraded the platypus’ conservation status to “<strong>Near Threatened</strong>”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The threats include include dams that stop their movements, agriculture which can destroy their burrows, fishing gear and yabby traps which can drown them and invasive foxes which can kill them.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>The Platypus</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The platypus is the sole living representative of its family, and genus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Like other monotremes it senses prey through electrolocation. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Platypus sanctuaries</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">David Fleay Wildlife Park, Gold Coast, Queensland.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre, The Gap, Brisbane, Queensland. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Australian Platypus Park at Tarzali Lakes, Millaa Millaa, Queensland.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Taronga Zoo, Sydney, New South Wales</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sydney Wild Life, Sydney, New South Wales</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Australian Reptile Park, Somersby, New South Wales</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Healesville Sanctuary, near Melbourne, Victoria</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 109 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3469,
'title' => 'Climatic fluctuation affects climatic niches of Owlets',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ongoing climate change and global warming may cause a shift in the climatic niches and habitats of the owlets or small-sized owls (20-25 cm) notes a new study. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Climate niche is the optimal climatic conditions in which the species can survive. The study looked at how climatic changes in the past affected the climatic niches of owlets and how the present climatic scenario may influence them.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Owlets primarily feed on insects and small vertebrates, playing a vital role as a member of predatory guild, and acting as natural insect-controllers and rodent-killing machines.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The team of researchers from across India studied four owlets - Forest Owlet, Jungle Owlet, Spotted Owlet and Little owl. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Using available field observations, climate data and modeling studies, the team reconstructed the climatic niches for the four owlets in the four time periods - Last Interglacial (120-140 thousand years ago), Last Glacial Maximum (22 thousand years ago), Mid-Holocene (6000 years ago), and present scenario (1960- 1990).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They found that the climatically suitable areas for owlets underwent many cycles of expansion and reduction across the years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study also tried to understand the biogeography of the Forest Owlet, an endemic and endangered owlet of India. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Though the Forest Owlet occupies the same geographical region (Central India and North Western Ghats) and share similar food habits with the Spotted Owlet and Jungle Owlet, it is narrowly distributed. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Forest Owlets are generally found in teak-dominated landscapes at the edge of the forests while Spotted Owlets are human commensals occupying human-dominated landscape (rural and urban areas). Jungle Owlets occupy dry and moist deciduous forests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers are also involved in understanding global trends in owl species richness, factors affecting them, and impact of night light intensification (light pollution) on them using biodiversity informatics.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the wake of global warming and climate change, several researchers have predicted that there will be detrimental effects on several species due to increase in global temperatures. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Niche</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A niche is the match of a species to a specific environmental condition. It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors.</span></span></p>
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(int) 110 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3475,
'title' => 'Corals restoration in Gulf of Kachchh',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), with help from Gujarat’s forest department, is attempting for the first time a process to restore coral reefs using biorock or mineral accretion technology in the Gulf of Kachchh.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Biorock is the name given to the substance formed by electro accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater on steel structures that are lowered onto the sea bed and are connected to a power source, in this case solar panels that float on the surface.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When a positively charged anode and negatively charged cathode are placed on the sea floor, with an electric current flowing between them, calcium ions combine with carbonate ions and adhere to the structure (cathode). This results in calcium carbonate formation. Coral larvae adhere to the CaCO3 and grow quickly.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The fragments of broken corals are tied to the biorock structure, where they are able to grow at least four to six times faster than their actual growth as they need not spend their energy in building their own calcium carbonate skeletons.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The location for installing the biorock had been chosen keeping in mind the high tidal amplitude in the Gulf of Kachchh. The low tide depth where the biorock has been installed is four metres, and at high tide it is about eight metres.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has four coral reef areas, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Gulf of Mannar and the Gulf of Kachchh.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ongoing initiative of coral restoration using biorock technology could potentially help to sustain the earlier successes. The technology helps corals, including the highly sensitive branching corals, to counter the threats posed by global warming.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Degradation of corals</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Water pollution</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Water pollution is perhaps the most obvious cause of coral reef destruction. Reefs are harmed when oil, fertilizer, and human or animal waste are dumped in the area. These elements can end up changing the chemical makeup of the water, but the waste can also block life-giving sunlight to the reef.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Coral bleaching</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reef bleaching occurs when extreme water conditions cause corals to expel the internal microorganisms that give them their vibrant colours. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bleaching events are attributed to a number of factors, including pollution and extreme low tide, but the most common (and widespread) is the change in water temperature due to global warming.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Sedimentation</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When sediment enters the ocean, it can smother coral reefs, depriving them of sunlight and nutrients. Also, fish are unable to feed and coral polyps are unable to grow, leaving the area inhospitable to reef life.</span></span></p>
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(int) 111 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3477,
'title' => 'Archaea organism discovered in Sambhar lake',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists at the NCMR-NCCS in Pune have reported a new archaeon (a kind of microorganism), which they discovered in Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Archaea (singular archaeon) are a primitive group of microorganisms that thrive in extreme habitats such as hot springs, cold deserts and hypersaline lakes. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These slow-growing organisms are also present in the human gut, and have a potential relationship with human health. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are known for producing antimicrobial molecules, and for anti-oxidant activity with applications in eco-friendly waste-water treatment.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Archaea are extremely difficult to culture due to challenges in providing natural conditions in a laboratory setting.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sambhar Lake has been poorly studied for microbial ecology studies. With a salt production of 0.2 million tonnes per annum, it is also a hypersaline ecosystem which provides an opportunity for microbial ecologists to understand organisms that thrive in such concentrations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Based on a mandatory genome analysis, researchers found that the organism has potential gene clusters that helps maintain the metabolism of the archaea to survive in extreme harsh conditions. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This particular organism also harbours specific pathways for DNA replication, recombination and repair.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new archaeon has been named <em>Natrialba swarupiae</em>, after Dr Renu Swarup, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, for her initiative in supporting microbial diversity studies in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 112 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3631,
'title' => 'India to include Elephant and Bustard in global conservation list',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India will be moving to include the Asian Elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the list of species that merit heightened conservation measures.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The list will be debated at the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environment treaty under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The COP is scheduled to be organised from February 17 to 22 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. There are 130 parties to the convention and India has been a member since 1983.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Having the elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the list, more formally known as <strong>Appendix 1</strong>, would coax countries neighbouring India, where wild animals such as tigers and elephant foray into, to direct more resources and attention to protecting them. There are now 173 species in the <strong>Appendix</strong> <strong>1</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Along with these, seven species that include Dugong, Whale Shark, Marine Turtle (two species), have been identified for preparation of Conservation and Recovery Action Plan.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The elephants merits the highest level of protection, or Schedule 1, under the Wildlife Protection Act.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>UN Environment Program</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">UNEP is a programme of the United Nations that coordinates the organization's environmental activities and assists developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices, as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (<strong>Stockholm Conference</strong>) in June 1972.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">UNEP's activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green economy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hq: Nairobi, Kenya.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metadescription' => 'India will be moving to include the Asian Elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the list of species that merit heightened conservation measures.',
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(int) 113 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3669,
'title' => 'Radio tagging Indian pangolins',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists have, for the first time, radio-tagged the Indian pangolin, an <strong>endangered</strong> animal, that is rarely sighted in forests.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Researchers say tagging the animal will help understand the habits of the reclusive, nocturnal animal.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Pangolins are among the most trafficked wildlife species in the world. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says these toothless animals have seen a rapid reduction in population. The projected population declines range from 50% to 80 % across the genus.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin and the Chinese Pangolin are found in India. Both these species are listed <strong>under Schedule I Part I</strong> of the <strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">World Pangolin Day, celebrated on the third Saturday in February, is an international attempt to raise awareness of pangolins and bring together stakeholders to help protect these unique species from extinction.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Threats faced by Pangolins</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The primary threat to most pangolin species is illegal hunting and poaching for local use and illicit international trade.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This trade mainly involves pangolin scales and meat, which are primarily trafficked to East and Southeast Asia, and to a lesser extent other body parts.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other threats include habitat loss and degradation, which places additional pressure on pangolin populations.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3685,
'title' => 'Human elephant conflict more accute in west Bengal and Odisha',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Three States located of West Bengal, Odisha and Assam account for about half of both human and elephant deaths in the overall human-elephant conflict in the country, according to the latest data provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The data on human-elephant conflict assumes significance when India is moving to include Asian Elephants in the list of species that merit heightened conservation at the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat later this month.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Over the last five years, from 2014-15 to 2018-19, 2,381 human deaths were recorded in elephant attacks across the country, of which 1,132 (48%) fatalities were from these three States.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">West Bengal had the highest number of human casualties: 403, followed by Odisha with 397 and Assam with 332 deaths.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When it comes to unnatural deaths of elephants (mainly due to poaching, train accidents, electrocution and poisoning), the country recorded 490 deaths in the same period (2014-15 to 2018-19). Of these, 259 (53%) occurred in these three States alone.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The last synchronised elephant survey in the country in 2017, had given a figure of 27,312 elephants, of which Assam had recorded 5,719 elephants, Odisha 1,976 and West Bengal 642.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Among the reasons for unnatural deaths of elephants, electrocution is at the top of the list, accounting for 68% of elephant deaths in the country. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Assam accounted for 66 electrocution deaths, followed by Odisha with 57 deaths and Bengal with 39 fatalities. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The second most common cause for unnatural deaths of elephants is train accidents. Between 2014-15 to 2018-19, 77 deaths were due to train accidents, whereas poaching led to the death of 27 elephants and poisoning to nine deaths.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for conflict</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Habitat fragmentation, mining inside forested areas and linear infrastructure building had all contributed to impinging upon the habitats of elephants.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A drought almost certainly played a role in the initial large scale dispersal of elephants from Jharkhand to southern West Bengal during 1986-87. More dispersals have since taken place into Chhattisgarh and beyond into Madhya Pradesh.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Human elephant conflict more accute in WB and Odisha',
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(int) 115 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3752,
'title' => 'Hypoxia adaptable Himalayan Wolves',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Himalayan wolves, also called as Tibetan wolves, which live at more than 4,000 metres altitudes are genetically distinct from grey wolves, according to a study.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study based on mitochondrial DNA supports an early divergence for the Himalayan wolves, making them the sister taxon to the grey wolves. The nuclear genome markers analysed also suggests differences between Himalayan wolves and grey wolves.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Living at such high altitudes, these wolves have genetically adapted themselves to live in low oxygen (hypoxic) conditions. While effective oxygen availability at sea level is nearly 22%, at 4,000 metres altitude, the effective oxygen availability is nearly half, 12.7%.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The researchers collected 280 wolf faeces from across the Tibetan Plateau of China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and studied the mitochondrial DNA. A subset of 110 samples was genotyped too. The genetic analysis revealed a clear divergence of Himalayan wolves and marked them as separate breed.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Unlike the grey wolves that inhabit the lower elevations the Himalayan wolves showed clear hypoxia adaptation. The admixed wolves had a mixture of genes belonging to Himalayan wolves and grey wolves but always carried the Himalayan wolf hypoxia adaptation.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The specialised genes for hypoxia adaptation allowed the animals to overcome the lack of oxygen at such high altitudes. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Such adaptations are seen in dogs and humans to mitigate the deleterious effects of free radicals that are produced in response to low oxygen availability. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the precise genetic mechanism that facilitates humans to live in hypoxic conditions remain poorly understood, interbreeding of wolves and dogs is how the dogs might have acquired high-altitude adaptation.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Hypoxia adaptable Himalayan Wolves',
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'metadescription' => 'Himalayan wolves, also called as Tibetan wolves, which live at more than 4,000 metres altitudes are genetically distinct from grey wolves, according to a study.',
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(int) 116 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3777,
'title' => 'Asian elephants modulate their vocalisation when disturbed',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A recent study by scientists of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has revealed fresh insights into the behaviour of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Their findings show that Asian elephants modulate their vocalisations when disturbed.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The makes a distinction between low-frequency rumbles and high-frequency trumpets, and suggests that Asian elephants modulate both high- and low-frequency calls when disturbed.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The other key findings of the paper states that the duration of trumpets decrease and that of rumbles increase when Asian elephants are disturbed.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To understand disturbance-induced communication in free-ranging Asian elephants, researchers compared two call types, ‘rumbles’ (low-frequency calls) and ‘trumpets’ (high-frequency calls), produced in disturbed [by humans or other animals] and undisturbed [social interaction] states.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The observations in the indicate that these disturbance-induced modulations, especially modulated rumbles, could be an adaptive acoustic mechanism and may serve the functional role of alerting conspecifics (members of the same species) to imminent danger.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study was situated in the protected areas of Bandipur National Park and adjoining areas of the Mudamalai National Park. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Surveys were conducted to locate groups of free-ranging Asian elephants in various microhabitats such as woodlands, swamps, salt licks, and grassland sand along water pools, canals and rivers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During the study, the researchers described the disturbed state for elephants as detection of a disturber by smell, vision, hearing or a combination of multimodal cues” and a “disturber” was defined as any subject other than elephant conspecifics, including humans and other heterospecifics such as deer, birds or predators.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">While considerable research on elephant vocalisation have been conducted in the case of African elephants, the study reveals the first of its kind results on vocalisations when it comes to Asian elephants, particularly during disturbance.</span></span></p>
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(int) 117 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3826,
'title' => 'India host to large migratory species',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists say that the total number of migratory fauna from India comes to 457 species, with new additions to the wildlife list put out by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). Birds comprise 83% (380 species) of this figure.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had for the first time compiled the list of migratory species of India under the CMS before the Conference of Parties (COP 13) held in Gujarat recently.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ZSI had put the number at 451. Six species were added later. They are the Asian elephant, great Indian bustard, Bengal florican, oceanic white-tip shark, urial and smooth hammerhead shark.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Globally, more than 650 species are listed under the CMS appendices and India, with over 450 species, plays a very important role in their conservation.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The bird family Muscicapidae has the highest number of migratory species. The next highest group of migratory birds is raptors or birds of prey, such as eagles, owls, vultures and kites which are from the family Accipitridae.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has three flyways (flight paths used by birds): the Central Asian flyway, East Asian flyway and East Asian, Australasian flyway. Another group of birds that migrate in large numbers are waders or shore birds. In India, their migratory species number 41, followed by ducks (38) belonging to the family Anatidae.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The estimate of 44 migratory mammal species in India has risen to 46 after COP 13. The Asian elephant was added to Appendix I and the urial to Appendix II.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The largest group of mammals is definitely bats belonging to the family Vespertilionidae. Dolphins are the second highest group of mammals with nine migratory species of dolphins listed.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Fishes make up another important group of migratory species. Before COP 13, the ZSI had compiled 22 species, including 12 sharks and 10 ray fish. The oceanic white-tip shark and smooth hammerhead shark were then added.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Seven reptiles, which include five species of turtles and the Indian gharial and salt water crocodile, are among the CMS species found in India.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3866,
'title' => 'Social network in early animals',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists have discovered the fossilised threads connecting organisms known as <strong>rangeomorphs</strong>, which may have been used for nutrition, communication or reproduction.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Towards the end of the Ediacaran period, between 571 and 541 million years ago, the first diverse communities of large and complex organisms began to appear.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Prior to this, almost all life on the Earth had been microscopic in size.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study found these filament networks in seven species across nearly 40 different fossil sites in Newfoundland, Canada.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Fern-like rangeomorphs were some of the most successful life forms during the period, growing up to two metres in height and colonising large areas of the sea floor.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Fern-like rangeomorphs were some of the most successful life forms during this period, growing up to two metres in height and colonising large areas of the sea floor.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These organisms do not appear to have had mouths, organs or means of moving. One suggestion is that they absorbed nutrients from the water around them.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since rangeomorphs could not move and are preserved where they lived, it is possible to analyse whole populations from the fossil record.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since they are so thin, the filaments are only visible in places where the fossil preservation is exceptionally good, which is one of the reasons they were not identified sooner.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It’s possible that the filaments were used as a form of clonal reproduction, like modern strawberries. Since the organisms in the network were the same size, the filaments may have had other functions.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Social network in early animals',
'metakeyword' => 'Social network in early animals',
'metadescription' => 'Scientists have discovered the fossilised threads connecting organisms known as rangeomorphs, which may have been used for nutrition, communication or reproduction.',
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'downlaodpdf' => 'https://www.mediafire.com/file/1s43gw23sw659yr/Social_network_in_early_animals.pdf/file',
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(int) 119 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Biodiversity',
'keyword' => 'biodiversity',
'id' => (int) 3875,
'title' => 'Red Panda',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The iconic and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/Hunt-for-the-Red-Panda/article14938070.ece">endangered Red Panda </a><em>(ailurus fulgens) </em>has fewer hunters because the younger generations of people across its Himalayan habitat are losing interest in animal products, a new study by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC has found. However, the panda is falling to traps laid for other animals.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The news is both good and bad for the red panda, whose survival is crucial for the eastern and north-eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests and the eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The only living member of the genus Ailurus, the Red Panda is listed as ‘<strong>endangered’</strong> on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The animal has been hunted for meat and fur, besides illegal capture for the pet trade. An estimated 14,500 animals are left in the wild across <strong>Nepal</strong>, <strong>Bhutan</strong>, <strong>India</strong>, <strong>China</strong> and <strong>Myanmar</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The report has looked at a ten-year period from July 2010 to June 2019, and analysed poaching and illegal trade of the species. In addition to looking at seizures, the researchers carried out market surveys, surveys of e-commerce websites and village-level surveys, where they spoke to hundreds of people in the Indian habitat of the Red Panda.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">About 5,000-6,000 red pandas are estimated to be present in four Indian states – <strong>Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim and West Bengal</strong>. This is the second-largest population after China (6,000-7,000).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Red pandas have been reported from 11 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, which is presumed to hold the largest red panda population in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The researchers found that neither India nor Bhutan had reported any incidences of poaching or illegal trade in Red Pandas in the study period.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This may indicate that traditional demand for such products has reduced over time and might be indicative of the success of awareness campaigns undertaken in the areas.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The report also recommended trans-boundary law enforcement co-operation through the use of multi-government platforms like SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network).</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>TRAFFIC</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, is the leading non-governmental organisation working globally on the trade of wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity and sustainable development.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was founded in 1976 as a strategic alliance of the <strong>World Wide Fund for Nature</strong> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Fund_for_Nature" title="World Wide Fund for Nature"><strong>WWF</strong></a>) and the <strong>International Union for the Conservation of Nature</strong> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUCN" title="IUCN"><strong>IUCN</strong></a>).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The organisation's aim is to ‘ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature’. It states that through research, analysis, guidance and influence, it promotes sustainable wildlife trade (the green stream work) and combats wildlife crime and trafficking (the red stream work).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Founded in 1979, TRAFFIC's headquarters are located in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge" title="Cambridge"><strong>Cambridge</strong></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>SAWEN</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">SAWEN, a Regional network is comprised of eight countries in South Asia: <strong>Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan </strong>and<strong> Sri Lanka.</strong> </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It aims at working as a strong regional inter¬governmental body for combating wildlife crime by attempting common goals and approaches for combating illegal trade in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Objectives</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To take initiatives for bringing harmonization and standardization in laws and policies of member countries concerning conservation of fauna and flora;</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> To document the trend of poaching and illegal trade, and related threats to the natural biodiversity within and across countries in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> To strengthen institutional responses to combat wildlife crime by promoting research and information sharing, training a