Daily Quiz #26 UPSC Prelims Marathon – August 31, 2019

Explanation: The Similipal Tiger Reserve is a compact block of elevated plateau located in central portion of the Mayurbhanj district and lies between 20° 17’ and 22° 34’ north and 850 40’ and 87° 10’ east longitude. The stretch of forest including Similipal RF spread over an area of 2750 km2 was declared as ‘Tiger Reserve’ with effect from 04-12-1973 under ‘Project Tiger’ Scheme of Government of India. Similipal RF is the biggest Reserve Forest block of India with an area of 2271.78 km². The forest is a potential habitat both for wild animals and plants with good population of tigers, leopards, elephants, chital, sambar and 304 species of birds. Similipal National Park is located between 21° 35’ and 22° 01’ north latitude and 86° 13’ and 86° 37’east longitude. It is situated within Mayurbhanj district of Orissa state. It is a proposed National Park notified in two phases, first on 6th August 1980 over an area of 303 km and subsequently 542.70 km² of area was added to it on 11th June 1986 making the total area of the Park 845.70 km² under sub-section-(1) of Section-35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act-1972(53 of 1972). The significance of the National Park is its rich biodiversity. The Similipal Biosphere Reserve came into existence during 1994 as per Man And Biosphere (MAB) programme of UNESCO with the objective of bringing the people and domestic cattle along with the Forest & Wildlife into one fold of management so that the economic condition of the people is enriched through eco-development programmes so that the dependency on the forest is reduced. It is located in the district of Mayurbhanj between 20-17’ E Latitude and 85- 40’ E Longitude. The total area under the Biosphere Reserve is 5569 Km2 with Similipal Sanctuary at the nucleus. The Similipal Biosphere Reserve came into existence during 1994 as per Man And Biosphere (MAB) programme of UNESCO with the objective of bringing the people and domestic cattle along with the Forest & Wildlife into one fold of management so that the economic condition of the people is enriched through eco-development programmes so that the dependency on the forest is reduced. It is located in the district of Mayurbhanj between 20- 17’ E Latitude and 85- 40’ E Longitude. The total area under the Biosphere Reserve is 5569 Km2 with Similipal Sanctuary at the nucleus.

Explanation: Life on earth consists of a great variety of living organisms. These living organisms exist and survive in a diversity of associations. Such survival involves the presence of systemic flows such as flows of energy, water and nutrients. These flows show variations in different parts of the world, in different seasons of the year and under varying local circumstances. Studies have shown that for the last one billion years, the atmosphere and hydrosphere have been composed of approximately the same balance of chemical components. This balance of the chemical elements is maintained by a cyclic passage through the tissues of plants and animals. The cycle starts by absorbing the chemical elements by the organism and is returned to the air, water and soil through decomposition. These cycles are largely energised by solar insolation. These cyclic movements of chemical elements of the biosphere between the organism and the environment are referred to as biogeochemical cycles. Bio refers to living organisms and geo to rocks, soil, air and water of the earth.
There are two types of biogeochemical cycles: the gaseous and the sedimentary cycle. In the gaseous cycle, the main reservoir of nutrients is the atmosphere and the ocean. In the sedimentary cycle, the main reservoir is the soil and the sedimentary and other rocks of the earth’s crust.

Explanation: International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. “Keep Cool and Carry on” is the theme of 2018 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. It celebrates the progress in protecting the ozone layer and moves to phase out ozone depleting chemicals which are also potent greenhouse gases.
World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. Every World Environment Day has a different host country, where the official celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental challenges it faces and supports worldwide efforts to address them. This year’s host is China. The theme for 2019 is “Air pollution”.
The theme for World Water Day 2019 is ‘Leaving no one behind’. This is an adaptation of the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on 2 February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971. The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2019 is ‘Wetlands and climate change’.

Explanation: Researchers have sighted a critically endangered species of tarantula for the first time beyond its known habitat in the Eastern Ghats. The known habitat of Peacock Parachute Spider is in degraded forests near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh.
The spider belonging to the genus Poecilotheria, commonly known as the Peacock Parachute Spider or Gooty Tarantula was spotted by a team of researchers of the Puducherry-based Indigenous Biodiversity Foundation (IBF) in the Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near Gingee in Villupuram district.
The species, known to be endemic to India, was found at different locations in the reserve forests. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorised it as Critically Endangered. The spider was sighted way back in 1899 by Reginald Innes Pocock on the basis of a single female specimen in Gooty. About 102 years later this species has been recorded at degraded forest between Nandyal and Giddalur in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.

Explanation: Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday inaugurated a demonstration plant for converting waste plastics to diesel based on a technology developed by researchers at Dehradun-based Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) of CSIR.
The plant, which has been set up at the Institute campus, will be able to convert one tonne of plastic waste into 800 litres of diesel every day. The fuel will be of automotive grade. It meets the specifications for use in vehicles. GAIL (India) has sponsored the technology development and provided technical support for the endeavour.
Using the IIP process, polyolefinic waste can be converted into diesel. This type of waste accounts for about 70% of total plastic waste in the country and is the least bio-degradable. The process is also environmentally friendly. IIP and GAIL have planned to roll out the technology nationwide after six months of operation of the pilot plant.