GS Paper: GS3

Also known as Thar.

Resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.

• Found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres (6,500 to 13,000 feet).
• Found across the India-Bhutan border in Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Royal Manas National Park.
• Present in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Back2Basics:  Raimona National Park 

• Raimona National Park is a newly established protected area located in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam.
• It was officially declared a national park in June 2021, becoming the sixth national park in the state of Assam.
• It shares its northern boundary with Bhutan, forming part of the transboundary conservation landscape.
• It is characterised by dense forests, rivers, and grasslands. The park is part of the greater Manas Biosphere Reserve and serves as an extension of the Manas National Park.
• The area is interspersed by the Sankosh River which flows through the park.

Flora and Fauna:

• Flora: The park boasts a rich biodiversity with various types of vegetation, including semi-evergreen forests, mixed deciduous forests, and patches of grassland.
• Fauna: Hosts a variety of wildlife, including:
  • Mammals: Asian elephants, tigers, clouded leopards, golden langurs, Indian gaur, and several species of deer.
  • Birds: Home to numerous bird species, including hornbills, great pied hornbills, and various migratory birds.
  • Reptiles and Amphibians: The park also supports a diverse range of reptiles and amphibians, adding to its ecological richness.

PYQ:

[2011] The Himalayan Range is very rich in species diversity. Which one among the following is the most appropriate reason for this Phenomenon?

(a) It has a high rainfall that supports luxuriant vegetative growth

(b) It is a confluence of different bio-geographical zones.

(c) Exotic and invasive species have not been introduced in this region.

(d) It has less human interference.

About Bannerghatta Biological Park 

• BBP is located near Bangalore and was established in 2002.
• It spans an area of approximately 731.88 hectares, situated within the larger Bannerghatta National Park, which covers around 25,000 acres.
• The park was created to facilitate the conservation of wildlife, promote tourism, and educate the public about wildlife and conservation efforts.
• River Suvarnamukhi stream, the main source of water for the animals of the park, runs through the centre of the park.

Do you know?

As per, Status of Leopards in India Report, 2022:

• India’s leopard population is estimated at 13,874 individuals.
• Madhya Pradesh houses the largest population of leopards in the country – 3907 (2018: 3421), followed by Maharashtra (2022: 1985; 2018: 1,690), Karnataka (2022: 1,879 ; 2018: 1,783) and Tamil Nadu (2022: 1,070; 2018: 868).

PYQ:

[2012] Consider the following:

1. Black-necked crane
2. Cheetah
3. Flying squirrel
4. Snow leopard

Which of the above are naturally found in India?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Global Coral Bleaching Events (GCBE)

A GCBE means significant coral bleaching has been confirmed in all the ocean regions where warm-water corals live: the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

• Previous Events: Mass coral bleaching recorded in 1998, 2010, and 2014-2017.
• Current Event (GCBE4): Began early 2023, with over 70.7% of the world’s coral reefs impacted by bleaching-level heat stress as of May 23, 2024.

Back2Basics: Corals

• Corals are made up of genetically identical organisms called polyps.
• These polyps have microscopic algae called zooxanthellae living within their tissues in a mutualistic relationship.
• The coral provides the zooxanthellae with the compounds necessary for photosynthesis.
• In return, the zooxanthellae supply the coral with organic products of photosynthesis, like carbohydrates, which are utilized by the coral polyps for the synthesis of their calcium carbonate skeletons.
• Corals are marine invertebrates or animals which do not possess a spine.
• They are the largest living structures on the planet.
• Each coral is called a polyp and thousands of such polyps live together to form a colony, which grows when polyps multiply to make copies of themselves.
• Coral reefs are also called the “rainforests of the seas”.

Types of Coral

Corals are of two types — hard corals and soft corals:

1. Hard corals extract calcium carbonate from seawater to build hard, white coral exoskeletons. Hard corals are in a way the engineers of reef ecosystems and measuring the extent of hard coral is a widely-accepted metric for measuring the condition of coral reefs.
2. Soft corals attach themselves to such skeletons and older skeletons built by their ancestors. Soft corals also add their own skeletons to the hard structure over the years. These growing multiplying structures gradually form coral reefs.

Conditions Needed for Corals to Flourish

• Extensive submarine platforms for the formation of colonies by the coral polyps (not more than 90m below sea level).
• High mean annual temperature ranging 20-21 degrees Celsius.
• Clean sediment-free water because muddy water or turbid water clogs the mouths of coral polyps resulting into their death.
• Oceanic salinity ranging between 27-30 ppt.
• Ocean currents and waves, as they bring food supply for the polyps.

PYQ:

2014: Which of the following have coral reefs?

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Sunderbans

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4