60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 – Environment and Current Affairs (Day 12)

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Hence statement 2 is correct.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in collaboration with Department of Forests, Assam government has organised the national-level celebration of World Wetlands Day (WWD), 2018 at Deepor Beel, a Ramsar Site in Guwahati.

Hence statement 3 is incorrect.

The 2018 theme ‘Wetlands for a sustainable urban future’ marks the role of healthy wetlands play in making cities and towns liveable, through their role in groundwater recharge, buffering floods, filtering wastewater, enhancing landscape aesthetics, providing income generation opportunities and ultimately supporting well-being.

The 2019 theme ‘Wetlands and Climate Change’ has been chosen to initiate actions against the drainage of wetlands.

Hence Statement 1 is incorrect.

Source: PIB

For conservation of lakes and wetlands, Ministry of Environment and Forests has been implementing two separate Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), namely the National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) and the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP).

The Ministry with the approval of GOI in Feb, 2013, has merged the above two schemes into a new integrated scheme named ‘National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems’ (NPCA).

Hence statement 1 is wrong.

The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) and National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco­systems (NPCA) for conservation of rivers, lakes and wetlands in the country.

Hence statement 2 and 3 are correct.

Source: PIB

Sundarbans is the 27th Ramsar Site in India, and with an area of 4,23,000 hectares is now the largest protected wetland in the country.

The largest Ramsar Sites are Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Queen Maud Gulf in Canada; these Sites each cover over 60,000 square kilometres. Others are as small as one hectare.

Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

India has only 27 Ramsar Sites, which is not even in top-10 countries with highest Ramsar Sites.

The countries with the most Sites are the United Kingdom with 170 and Mexico with 142. Bolivia has the largest area with 148,000 km2 under Ramsar protection.

Hence statement 2 is also incorrect.

The Bangladesh part of the Sunderbans had received the Ramsar tag way back in 1992.

Hence statement 3 is correct.

Source:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/protecting-the-sundarban-wetlands/article26482707.ece

The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

A site can only be included in the Record with the approval of the Contracting Party concerned.

Hence statement 1 is correct.

Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan and Loktak Lake, Manipur are the two Ramsar Sites from India that are now a part of Montreux Record.

Hence Statement 2 is incorrect.

Chilika Lake, was removed from the Montreux Record in 2002.

Source: Ramsar Website.

General differences between shallow-water coral reef ecosystems and Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem’s.

Source:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/first-coral-reef-in-italy-discovered-on-adriatic-coast-monopoli-puglia-mesophotic-ecosystem

Mangroves are great carbon sinks. They store more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests.

Hence statement 1 is correct.

All mangrove species have laterally spreading roots with attached vertical anchor roots. These roots are very shallow.

Hence statement 2 is correct.

Additional Information:

There are about 80 different species of mangrove trees. All of these trees grow in areas with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate. Mangrove forests only grow at tropical and subtropical latitudes near the equator because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures.

Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides. The intricate root system of mangroves also makes these forests attractive to fish and other organisms seeking food and shelter from predators.

Many species of mangrove trees have aerial roots, called pneumatophores, that take up oxygen from the air for the roots. Some species also have prop roots or stilt roots extending from the trunk or other roots that help them withstand the destructive action of tides, waves, and storm surges.

Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

Many mangrove trees also have a unique method of reproduction. Instead of forming seeds that fall to the soil below and begin growing, mangrove seeds begin growing while still attached to the parent plant. These seedlings, called propagules, even grow roots. After a period of growth, these seedlings drop to the water below and float upright until they reach water that is shallow enough for their roots to take hold in the mud.

Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

There are 27 Ramsar sites from India.

Source: Shankar IAS book.

Reefs are classified in three types. Fringing Reefs, the most common type, project seaward directly from the shores of islands or continents.

Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

Barrier Reefs are platforms separated from the adjacent land by a bay or lagoon.

Barrier Reefs grow parallel to the shoreline and develop due to the subsiding of islands around which fringing reefs grow. They are separated from the mainland by a deep lagoon.

The longest barrier reefs occur off the coasts of Australia.

Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

Atolls are reefs that grow around islands, which gradually sink into the sea over centuries due to volcanic activity leaving the reef behind. Atolls can take up to 30 million years to form.

Atolls rest on the tops of submerged volcanoes. They are usually circular or oval with a central lagoon.

The lushness of the tropical rain forest suggests a high net productivity, but this is illusory as the high rainfall leaches soil minerals below the reach of the plant roots.

Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

There is a great uniformity of temperature throughout the year, which is around 28 degree Celsius with very little variation.

The diurnal as well as annual range of temperature is very small.

Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

Once the humus is used and the natural vegetative cover is removed, the torrential downpours soon washout most of the soil nutrients, making the soils of tropical rain forest useless for agricultural purposes.

Temperate forest is characterized by hardwood trees. Example:- Maple, Oak etc

Hence statement 1 is wrong.

The average temperature in temperate forest is around 15 degree Celsius in the daytime and can get below freezing in the night time. Hence diurnal range is not small.

Hence statement 2 is wrong.

The soil in temperate forest is generally rocky, sandy and is known to be mostly of poor quality.

Hence statement 3 is correct.

The trees in temperate forests shed their leaves in the autumn against that of trees of Tropical deciduous forests which shed their leaves in summer season.

Know about it: Why do trees shed their leaves? and why it is in different seasons for different biomes?

Boreal forests or Taiga represent the largest terrestrial biome. Boreal forests are dominated by conifers, especially spruces and firs.

Hence statement 1 is correct.

Boreal forests correspond with regions of subarctic and cold continental climate.

There are long severe winters and short summers.

The needles of boreal conifers have thick waxy coatings (a water proof cuticle) in which stomata are sunken and protected from dry winds.

Hence statement 3 is correct.

The trees of boreal forests tend to have shallow roots, due to thin soils.

Hence statement 2 is correct.

The soils of the boreal forest are often acidic, due to falling pine needles and low on nutrients since cold temperatures do not allow much foliage to rot.

Hence statement 4 is incorrect.

Developed using computer modeling and a 3D printer at a lab in Melbourne, Australia, the artificial reef was designed to resemble reef structures typically found in the Maldives.

The molds were shipped to the Maldives, filled with concrete, assembled on-site at Summer Island and then submerged seven metres below the surface.

Live coral was then transplanted within the artificial reef, where it’s hoped that within two to three years, it will grow and colonise the structure.

The 3D-printed reef installed in Maldives is the world’s largest.

Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

Tamil Nadu government in collaboration with IIT Madras have been restoring Vaan island by deploying artificial reefs.

The Vaan Island project was funded by the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.  

Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

Vaan Island is one of 21 islands in the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka.

Hence statement 3 is incorrect.

Some of the important grasslands are

The topmost zone near the shore of a lake or pond is the Littoral zone. This zone is the warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of the Sun’s heat.

Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

The near-surface open water surrounded by the littoral zone is the limnetic zone. The limnetic zone is well-lighted (like the littoral zone) and is dominated by plankton, both phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Benthic Zone is at the bottom of the lake. Tiny, microscopic benthic organisms live in this zone and act as a source of food for bottom feeding animals. Benthic organisms are very important as they are good indicators of water quality.

There are a wide range of species found living within the substrate of the benthic zone, these species are referred to as benthos.

Benthos is also critical for the breakdown of organic matter. Species use organic matter as their food source making them a key player in nutrient cycling process.

Hence statement 2 is also incorrect.

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.

Hence statement 4 is correct.

The Convention works very closely with six global non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which have the formal status of International Organization Partners of the Convention. Birdlife International, IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature, Wetlands International and WWF have all been associated with the Convention since its beginnings.

Later International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) are added.

Hence statement 2 is correct.

At the time of joining the Convention, each Contracting Party must designate at least one wetland site within their territory for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List).

Hence statement 3 is correct.

Global Wetland Outlook is released by Ramsar Convention. It provides a current overview of global wetlands: their extent, trends, drivers of change and the responses needed to reverse the historical decline in wetland area and quality.

Hence statement 1 is correct.

Source: Ramsar website

Plants and animals that can tolerate only slight changes in salinity are called Stenohaline. These organisms usually live in either freshwater or saltwater environments. In general Stenohaline organisms cannot tolerate the rapid changes in salinity.

Hence statement 1 is wrong.

Plants and animals that can tolerate wide range of salinities are called Euryhaline. These are the species that are often found in the brackish water of estuaries. These organisms adapt to constantly changing salinities. For example, the smooth cordgrass has special filters on its roots to remove salt from the water it absorbs.  

Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

Marine snow is a shower of organic material falling from upper waters to the deep ocean. Marine snow is the falling debris of dead organisms in the ocean, such as plankton and algae.

As plants and animals near the surface of the ocean die and decay, they fall toward the seafloor, just like leaves and decaying material fall onto a forest floor. In addition to dead animals and plants, marine snow also includes fecal matter, sand, soot, and other inorganic dust.

The decaying material is referred to as “marine snow” because it looks a little bit like white fluffy bits. The “snowflakes” grow as they fall, some reaching several centimeters in diameter. Some flakes fall for weeks before finally reaching the ocean floor.

This continuous rain of marine snow provides food for many deep-sea creatures. Many animals in the dark parts of the ocean filter marine snow from the water or scavenge it from the seabed. NOAA scientists and others have measured the amount of useable material in marine snow and found that there is plenty of carbon and nitrogen to feed many of the scavengers in the deep sea.

The small percentage of material not consumed in shallower waters becomes incorporated into the muddy “ooze” blanketing the ocean floor, where it is further decomposed through biological activity. About three-quarters of the deep ocean floor is covered in this thick, smooth ooze. The ooze collects as much as six meters every million years.

Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)

It is implemented by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment as a Central Sector Scheme

Identified manual scavengers and their dependents are provided the following rehabilitation benefits:

• Onetime cash assistance of Rs.40000/-.
• Loans upto Rs. 15.00 lacs at concessional rate of interest.
• Credit linked back end capital subsidy upto Rs. 3,25,000/-.
• Skill Development Training upto two years with stipend of Rs.3000/- per month

Source: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1540792

Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS)

• Under the CFS, GoI has been supporting Indian Entities bidding for strategically important infrastructure projects abroad
• MEA selects the specific projects keeping in view strategic interest of India and sends the same to Department of Economic Affairs (DEA)
• The strategic importance of a project to deserve financing under this Scheme, is decided, on a case to case basis, by a Committee chaired by Secretary, DEA
• The Scheme is presently being operated through the Export-Import Bank of India, which raises resources from the market to provide concessional finance.
• The scheme envisages Government of India to provide counter guarantee and interest equalization of 2 % to EXIM Bank to offer concessional finance to any foreign Govt. or foreign Govt. owned or controlled entity, if any Indian entity, succeeds in getting contract for the execution of a project.

Impact

• Having projects of strategic interest to India executed by Indian entities, the CFS enables India to generate substantial backward linkage induced jobs, demand for material and machinery in India and also a lot of goodwill for India.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1541088

Indian star tortoises

• It is categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ in the red list of endangered species of the IUCN.
• It is listed in the Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and prohibited from export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
• The species are liable for confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.
• It has been included on Appendix II of the CITES
• Native: India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu); Pakistan; Sri Lanka
• It naturally inhabits scrub forests, grasslands, and some coastal scrublands of arid and semi-arid regions throughout its wide range, but also commonly inhabits human-dominated landscapes.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/1125-indian-star-tortoises-seized-from-three-train-passengers/article24610332.ece

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

• It was launched with a view to enhance the level of insurance penetration in the country and to provide insurance cover to common people especially poor and the Under-privileged Sections of the society.
• It is available to people between 18 and 70 years of age with bank accounts.
• It has an annual premium of ₹12 exclusive of taxes.
• The GST is exempted on Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
• The amount will be automatically debited from the account.
• The accident insurance scheme will have one year cover from June 1 to May 31 and would be offered through banks and administered through public sector general insurance companies.

Risk Coverage:

• Death – Rs 2 Lakh
• Total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes or loss of use of both hands or feet or loss of sight of one eye and loss of use of hand or foot – Rs 2 Lakh
• Total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye or loss of use of one hand or foot – Rs.1 Lakh.

RBI survey of inward remittances for 2016-17

• United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the top source of inward remittances, while Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad
• UAE’s share in total remittances was 26.9%, followed by the United States (22.9%), Saudi Arabia (11.6%), Qatar (6.5%) and Kuwait (5.5%).
• 82% of the total remittances received by India originated from eight countries — UAE, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
• Among destinations, Kerala has the highest share with 19%, followed by Maharashtra (16.7%), Karnataka (15%), Tamil Nadu (8%) and Delhi (5.9%).
• Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu together received 58.7% of total remittances.
• More than half of remittances received by Indian residents were used for family maintenance, i.e., consumption (59.2%).
• Rupee drawing arrangement (RDA) is the most popular channel of remittances which accounts for 75.2% of remittances, followed by SWIFT (19.5%), direct transfers (3.4%) and cheques and drafts (1.9%).

Plants outweigh all

They outweigh people by about 7,500 to 1, and make up more than 80% of the world’s biomass, a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded.

• Bacteria are nearly 13% of the world’s biomass.
• Fungi yeast, mold and mushrooms make up about 2%.

These estimates aren’t very exact, the real numbers could be more or less, but they give a sense of proportion.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/humans-form-a-minuscule-part-of-life-on-earth/article23961689.ece

A haplotype is a group of alleles in an organism that are inherited together from a single parent, and a haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor with a single-nucleotide polymorphism mutation.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20180910-rakhigarhi-dna-study-findings-indus-valley-civilisation-1327247-2018-08-31

Oleander (Nerium oleander) is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is prized by home gardeners for its showy, funnel-shaped blooms.

Oleanders are fast-growing and easy to care for, which makes them an appealing landscape plant.

However, all parts of this plant are highly toxic and in some locations is considered invasive.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=181668

KELT-9b, one of the most unlikely planets ever discovered, has surprised astronomers yet again with the discovery that its atmosphere contains the metals iron and titanium.

The planet is truly like no other. Located around 620 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Cygnus, it is known as a Hot Jupiter – which gives a hint to its nature. Nearly three times the size of Jupiter, its surface temperature tops 3780 degrees Celsius – the hottest exoplanet ever discovered. It is even hotter than the surface of some stars. In some ways it straddles the line between a star and a gas-giant exoplanet.

Source: https://www.latestly.com/technology/science/alien-planet-kelt-9b-has-hottest-temperatures-exceeding-4000c-327715.html

Mars orbits the Sun at a greater distance than Earth. As the distance increases, the orbital period also increases.

While Earth takes a little more than 365 days to go round the Sun, Mars takes 687 days.

Due to the difference of the orbital speed and orbital period, every 26 months or so Earth passes between Mars and the Sun, bringing Mars and Sun on exactly opposite sides of the Earth. This is called Mars at Opposition.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/up-there-with-mars-dont-miss-our-neighbours-brightest-show/article24554732.ece