Recently,Scientists from Zoological Survey of India have discovered two new species of freshwater fish from different parts of the country. The new species discovered are (a)Glyptothorax gopii and (b)Garra simbalbara ensis. Glyptothorax gopii is a catfish found in Mizoram’s Kaladan river.It measures 63 mm in length without caudal fin.The fish is dark brown on its… Continue reading New species of freshwater fish found
Category: Factly: Environment
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to the Environment. You can find all relevant Environment related updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
NASA scientists fly over Greenland to track melting ice
NASA scientists will study how global warming is melting Greenland’s ice. Specifically, Scientists would study whether melting is being caused more by warm air or warm seawater. The project is known as Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG). To study the melting of ice, NASA scientists will fly over Greenland for 5 years in a Douglas DC-3… Continue reading NASA scientists fly over Greenland to track melting ice
More than half of forest wildlife declined since 1970: WWF
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released the “Below the Canopy report”. It is the world’s first-ever global assessment of forest-living species populations. The report uses the methodology of WWF’s Living Planet Report (Living Planet Index) and developed a Forest Specialist Index that tracks wildlife that lives only in forests. In total, the report took… Continue reading More than half of forest wildlife declined since 1970: WWF
Microplastics in snow raise pollution worries
Scientists have detected microplastic particles in the Arctic and the Alps. The microplastics had been carried by the wind and later washed out in the snow. The study has been published in the journal Science Advances. The high microplastic concentrations in snow has indicated significant contamination of the atmosphere. This has raised concerns about potential… Continue reading Microplastics in snow raise pollution worries
July hottest month on record for the earth
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that July was the hottest month on record (records date to 1880). The global average surface temperature in July 2019 was 0.95 degree Celsius warmer than the 20th century average. The previous hottest month on record was July 2016. The areas that had the most notable… Continue reading July hottest month on record for the earth
High CO2 emissions reducing nutrients in rice, wheat
According to the IPCC’s special report on Climate Change and Land, increased atmospheric concentrations of CO2 can reduce the nutritional quality of staple foods like wheat and rice. The IPCC report has noted that wheat grown at CO2 levels of 546-586 parts per million (ppm) has 5.9-12.7% less protein, 3.7-6.5% less zinc, and 5.2-7.5% less… Continue reading High CO2 emissions reducing nutrients in rice, wheat
DU prof finds new frog species in Aravalis
An amphibian survey conducted in the Aravalli Biodiversity Park in 2019 has showed 8 sympatric amphibians. The four species which have also been reported earlier are Bull frog (largest frog in India), Indian skipper frog, Narrow-mouthed frog (smallest land vertebrate from Delhi) and Pierrei’s wart frog. Further, four new species have been found- Nepal’s Wart… Continue reading DU prof finds new frog species in Aravalis
Gogabeel is Bihar’s first community reserve
Gogabeel is an ox-bow lake in Bihar’s Katihar district.It has been declared as the state’s first ‘Community Reserve’. The water body was also been notified as both Community Reserve and a conservation reserve. Gogabeel is formed from the flow of the rivers Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and the Ganga in the south and… Continue reading Gogabeel is Bihar’s first community reserve
Mapping world’s soil worms
According to the global analysis of nematodes published in Nature,there are about 57 billion nematodes for every human being on Earth. The researchers have said that Sub-Arctic regions have the highest abundance of nematodes followed by temperate regions and tropical regions. Nematodes prefers colder region as soil organic matter content is the key driver for… Continue reading Mapping world’s soil worms
World Elephant Day
World Elephant Day is observed every year on August 12.The goal of Elephant Day is to create awareness of the urgent plight of African and Asian elephants. This day also aims to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better care and management of captive and wild elephants. The African elephants are listed as Vulnerable… Continue reading World Elephant Day
