Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon (Environment) – June 6, 2020

Under the Ramsar Criteria, wetlands should be selected for the Ramsar List on account of their international significance in terms of the biodiversity and uniqueness of their ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology. In addition, the Criteria indicate that in the first instance, wetlands of international importance to water-birds at any season should be included on the Ramsar List.

There are four main types of estuaries, based on how they were formed.

• Bar-built estuariesform when a shallow lagoon or bay is protected from the ocean by a sand bar, delta or island.
• Coastal plains estuariesare formed when the rising sea fills existing river valleys.
• Tectonic estuariesare caused by the folding of land surfaces due to volcanic activity.
• Fjord and Ria estuariesare drowned river valleys where the river valley was originally formed by glacial action.

Mangrove swamps are coastal wetlands found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are characterized by halophytic (salt loving) trees, shrubs and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters. These wetlands are often found in estuaries, where fresh water meets salt water and are infamous for their impenetrable maze of woody vegetation.

Important characteristics of Mangroves:

• They are basically evergreen land plantsgrowing on sheltered shores, typically on tidal flats, deltas, estuaries, bays, creeks and the barrier islands.
• They exhibits viviparity mode of reproduction, it means seeds germinate in the tree itself.
• They require high solar radiationand have the ability to absorb fresh water from saline/brackish water.

Cold water coral reefs.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Unlike tropical corals, cold-water corals don’t have symbiotic algae living in their polyps so they don’t need sunlight to survive. They feed solely by capturing food particles from the surrounding water. Their polyps tend to be much bigger than tropical corals.

Statement 2 is correct: Cold-water coral reefs are commonly found where current flow is accelerated. They are found on the continental shelf, and also in deep-sea areas with topographic highs, such as seamounts, mounds, ridges, and pinnacles.

Environmental Performance Index.

Statement 1 is correct: The Environmental Performance Index is a joint project of the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. The EPI is produced in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Statement 2 is correct: The EPI is released biennially in even-numbered years.

Sunderban Wetland.

• On January 30, 2019 the Indian Sundarban was accorded the status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention.
• The Sundarbans comprises hundreds of islands and a network of rivers, tributaries and creeks in the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh.
• Located on the southwestern part of the delta, the Indian Sundarban constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area.
• It is the 27th Ramsar Site in India, and with an area of 4,23,000 hectares is now the largest protected wetland in the country.

The Indian Sundarban, also a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Bureau was constituted by amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It has been envisaged as a multi – disciplinary statutory body that will have officials from forests, police, customs and other similar agencies. The constitution is specified in Section 38 (Y) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Statement 2 is correct: The powers and functions of the Bureau are specified under Section 38(Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It Advice the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications and suggest changes required in relevant policy and laws time to time.

Canberra Convention.

• The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources is an international treaty that was adopted at the Conference on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources which met at Canberra, Australia, 7–20 May 1980.
• It is a multilateral response to concerns that unregulated increases in krill catches in the Southern Ocean could be detrimental for Antarctic marine ecosystems particularly for seabirds, seals, whales and fish that depend on krill for food.

World Air Quality Report.

• The World Air Quality report was released by the pollution tracker IQAir and Greenpeace.
• The ranking is based on a comparison of PM 2.5 levels.
• India was the fifth most polluted country in 2019 and an account for almost two-thirds of the world’s most polluted cities according to the World Air Quality Report 2019.

Archaea.

• Archaea (singular archaeon) are a primitive group of microorganisms that thrive in extreme habitats such as hot springs, cold deserts and hyper-saline lakes.
• These slow-growing organisms are also present in the human gut, and have a potential relationship with human health.
• They are known for producing antimicrobial molecules, and for anti-oxidant activity with applications in eco-friendly waste-water treatment.