What’s in the news? A new analysis of data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International has highlighted the issue of decline of Birds of Prey despite a few high-profile conservation success stories. Birds …
What are Eco-Sensitive Zones ? As a general principle, land falling within 10 kms of the boundaries of the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are categorised as Eco-Fragile Zones or Eco-sensitive Zones. They are declared under the Environment Protection Act, …
About Sambhar Lake Sambhar Lake is the country’s largest inland saline water body situated 80 km south-west of Jaipur in Rajasthan. The 230 sq.km. shallow, elliptical wetland straddles the districts of Jaipur, Nagaur and Ajmer. The water is fed to …
What are Sacred Groves ? Sacred groves are forest fragments, size varying between 0.5-500 hectare (some groves are more than 500 hectare in size) which are protected by religious communities, and have a significant religious connotation for the protecting community. …
About Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance signed in 1971, is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea. It …
Why in News ? Researchers from the University of Delhi have named a newly-discovered frog species after former vice chancellor and renowned plant geneticist Prof. Deepak Pental. The species was discovered from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. The newly-discovered species, …
Why in the news? Recently, the government informed the Rajya Sabha that there are no Great Indian Bustards in Kutch Bustard Sanctuary in Gujarat Kutch, a claim that has raised eyebrows among conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts. Great Indian Bustards and …
What are microplastics? Microplastics are defined as synthetic solid particles sized ranging 1 micrometre (μm) to 5 millimetre (mm), which are insoluble in water. There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics Primary microplastics are tiny particles …
About Manas National Park Manas is located in Assam state bordering Bhutan. Manas acquired the status of a Biosphere reserve. It extends over an area of 2837 Sq. Km from Sankosh river in the west to Dhansiri river in the …
What is an invasive species? An alien species is a species introduced outside its natural past or present distribution; if this species becomes problematic, it is termed an invasive alien species (IAS). Not all non-native species are invasive. For example, …