What’s the news ?

• According to the discoveries made by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in the past five years, India added at least 800 new species of plants and animals, including those which were earlier not known to man, in 2020.

News in Detail

• India now has 102,718 species of animals and around 54,000 species of plants which include flowering, non-flowering plants, ferns, mosses, liverworts, fungi, algae, lichens and microbes.
• It stated that despite the pandemic, 267 new species of plants were discovered across India and some of these were reported from the country for the first time.
• On an average, the BSI has been identifying around 350 species of plants every year in the last five years.
• Scientists from the ZSI discovered 557 new species out of which 407 were new, while the rest were reported from the country for the first time.
• The list of new discoveries includes 28 reptiles, six amphibians, and 28 species of fish.
• Out of the 28 reptiles, 27 were new discoveries.
• According to ZSI, all six amphibians have been recorded for the first time while at least 23 species of fish have been reported for the first time.
• The maximum number of new species of animals were recorded in Karnataka (66) followed by Kerala (51) and Rajasthan (46).
• Every year, the maximum number of discoveries are made from biodiversity hotspots such as the Himalayas, Western Ghats and the Nicobar islands in Bay of Bengal.

Reference:

1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/environment/india-added-at-least-800-species-of-plants-animals-in-2020-101632207311999.html