Daily Quiz #38 UPSC Prelims Marathon – December 14, 2019

Explanation: The alder based farming system is a unique self sustainable farming practiced by Angami tribes of Khonoma village, Kohima district, Nagaland. It is about 200 years old farming system. Alder (Alnus nepalensis) planted in the field provided not only fuel wood to the farmers, but also a nitrogen fixing plant which provides nutrients to the agricultural crops. It can rejuvenate the vegetation and soil fertility at the faster rate in jhum land as compared to the normal jhum land. Alder tree can grow in the degraded land that is the reason it is one of best suitable tree species for rejuvenating jhum areas. The shaded tree leaves from alder tree helps in mulching the soil and retained moisture naturally. Alder nursery is available in wild and used for planting.

Explanation: CORAL REEFS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘RAINFORESTS OF THE SEAS’, are marine ecosystems that support a rich and colourful array of aquatic flora and fauna. Yet, not much information exists on the coral species found in India, their conservation status and threats facing them. Launched in 2008, the Coral Reef Recovery Project is a joint venture of WTI and the Gujarat Forest Department, supported by Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL). It seeks to develop and implement appropriate strategies for the conservation of the Mithapur Reef, situated 12 kilometres south of the Gulf of Kachchh in Gujarat. The project, with initial support received from the World Land Trust, is also working in the recovery of coral reefs in Gujarat’s Marine National Park. In Mithapur, the project envisions the creation of a model public-private-managed coral ecosystem of international standards using global benchmarks to restore degraded reefs through activities including coral transplantation and natural recruitment. Corals are sedentary colonies of soft-bodied marine animals called ‘coral polyps’. The polyps range in size from a pin-head to a foot in length. The polyps harbour unicellular flagellated photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae, which give the corals their colour. The corals’ dependence on these algae for oxygen and nutrients confine them to shallow clear waters that allow passage of light for photosynthesis.

Explanation: CWRC IS THE ONLY FACILITY IN INDIA where orphaned and/or injured wild animals of several species are hand-raised and/or treated and subsequently returned to the wild. Strategically located in Borjuri village adjacent to the Panbari Reserve Forest near Kaziranga National Park in Assam, the centre attends to a wide range of wildlife emergencies resulting from natural or anthropogenic causes. Since it was launched in 2002, the centre has handled close to 4500 animal cases, with nearly 60 percent released back to the wild.

Explanation: At a time when India has managed to increase its forest cover to over 20 percent of its geographical area, forest health continues to show signs of strain. Regeneration is either inadequate or absent in about 45 percent of all forest areas and about 95 percent of all forest plots inventoried show some signs of degradation. The report, “Strengthening Forest Fire Management in India”, jointly prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the World Bank says forest fires are today a leading cause of forest degradation in India. The report discusses policies on forest fire prevention and management (FFPM) at the national, state and local levels, underscoring the need for a comprehensive national policy and guidelines. It provides recommendations on five broad themes – policy, institutions and capacity, community engagement, technology, and data and information and looks at national and international best practices in FFPM.

Explanation: Zero tillage is the process where the crop seed will be sown through drillers without prior land preparation and disturbing the soil where previous crop stubbles are present. Zero tillage not only reduce the cost of cultivation it also reduces the soil erosion, crop duration and irrigation requirement and weed effect which is better than tillage. Zero Tillage (ZT) also called No Tillage or Nil Tillage.
•Advantages of Zero Tillage: Reduction in the crop duration and thereby early cropping can be obtained to get higher yields.
•Reduction in the cost of inputs for land preparation and therefore a saving of around 80%.
•Residual moisture can be effectively utilized and number of irrigations can be reduced.
•Dry matter and organic matter get added to the soil.
•Environmentally safe – Greenhouse effect will get reduced due to carbon sequestration.
•No tillage reduces the compaction of the soil and reduces the water loss by runoff and prevents soil erosion.
•As the soil is intact and no disturbance is done, No Till lands have more useful flora and fauna.