Environment

• Visit the above sites before every prelims

• India has hosted all three COP of rio conventions ,ie UNFCCC,UNCCD,CBD
•
 ◦ UNEP:
▪ Founded after UN conference on Human Environment ( Stockholm summfit). HQ at
Nairobi.
▪ Rio conf also called UN conference on Environment and Development,1992

• International org:
◦ Brundtland commission:
▪ Published a report in 1987 : our common future
▪ Defined the term sustainable development for the first time.
◦ IUCN:
▪ world’s oldest global environmental organization
▪ Has observer status at UN.
◦ IPCC:
 ▪ An inter govtal body under the UN.
▪ Created by UNEP+World Metrological Org in 1988
▪ Does not conduct own research but consolidates research from across the world
nor does it moniter the climate change phenomena. Sirf reports banati hai.
▪ Released reports:
• Climate change and land
• Sepecial report on ocean and cryoshphere in a changing clinate.
◦ Climate action network
▪ a worldwide network of over 1300 Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) in over 120 countries.
◦ REDD+
▪ Developed by parties to UNFCCC
▪ To harness potential of forests to manage climate change.
▪ Developing countries would receive results based payments for results based
actions.
◦ UNCCD:
▪ sole legally binding treaty regarding land use
▪ bottom up approach
▪ Secretariat in Bonn,Germany
◦ The Global Tiger Forum (GTF)
▪ an inter-governmental and international body .
▪ It was established in 1994 with its secretariat at New Delhi,
▪ GTF is the only inter-governmental & international body campaigning to
save the TIGER worldwide
▪ Ongoing projects-
• High altitude tiger (HAT) project
• CA|TS
• TX2
• People for Tigers
◦ Earth Hour:
▪ by WWF
▪ to rasie awanreness about climate change and need to save the planet.
◦ Global coalition for biodiversity/United for biodiversity is an initiative of European
commission.
◦ Rotterdam convention:( key word is hazardous chemicals and pesticides)
▪ creates legally binding obligations for the implementation of the Prior
Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. The Convention covers pesticides and
industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health
or environmental reasons by Parties and which have been notified by Parties
for inclusion in the PIC procedure.
◦ Basel convention( key word is hazardous waste)
▪ Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal,
usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed
to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to
prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries
(LDCs).
▪ Not legally binding.
◦ The GEF serves as "financial mechanism" to five conventions
▪ it was established on eve of Rio earth summit 1992
▪ Kaleo is the GEF’s 24/7 online search tool

▪ UNCCD
▪ CBD
▪ UNFCCC
▪ Stockholm convention ( formed under aeigis of UNEP)
▪ minamata convention
◦ UN-CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora
▪ An international agreement not an intergovtal agreement.
▪ Also known as washington convention.
▪ Legally binding. But does not take place of the national laws.
▪ Administered thorugh UNEP
▪ 3 appendices
▪ Initiatives-
◦ Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES)
▪ All states members of the United Nations are eligible for IPBES membership.

▪ IPBES does for biodiversity what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) does for climate change.
▪ Not a UN body but secretariat provided by UNEP.
▪ Released report on Global Assessment report on Biodiversity and ecosystem
services.
◦ TRAFFIC:
▪ NGO by WWF+IUCN
▪ TRAFFIC is an NGO founded by two NGOs- WWF and IUCN. CITES is not
an NGO. It is a legally binding convention
▪ Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of
these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
▪ Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in
which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their
survival.
▪ Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has
asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
▪ Initiatives-
• Elephant Trade Information System(ETIS)
• Responsible Area Forestry and Trade (RAFT)
◦ The 'Aichi Targets' were adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its
Nagoya conference
▪ India has submitted NR6 report that has progress on 12 targets corresponding to
20 goals under Aichi Targets.
▪ India has overachieved 2 targets.
 ▪ The deadline for achieving the targets is 2020.
▪ Cartagena protocol is under CBD and is for LMO. Biosafety clearing houses to
facilitate exchange of info on LMO
▪ Nagoya protocol is for use of genetic resources and fair and equitable sharing of
benefits arising out of their utilisation ( Access and Benefit sharing is the technical
term for this)
▪ CBD is a legally binding convention
▪ Secretariat at montreal,Canada
◦ C40:
▪ network of the world's megacities committed to addressing climate change.
▪ Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata are part of the C40 initiative (Jaipur is also a
part but is currently inactive). 5 cities from India part of it.
▪ Group of 94 cities around the world.
▪ Commits cities to set ambitious pollution targets and implement substantive clean
air policies by 2025.
◦ Kyoto protocol:
▪
◦ Kyoto Protocol cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gases, namely:
▪ Carbon dioxide (CO2);
▪ Methane (CH4);

▪ Nitrous oxide (N2O);

▪ Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);

▪ Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and

▪ Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

◦ Kigali amendment to montreal protocol:

▪ Came into force 2019

▪ India ratified recently in august 2021

▪ Legally binding
▪ India has to reduce its HFC use by 80% by the year 2047,
▪ Countries divided into three groups
 ◦ Montreal protocol- only UN treaty to be ratified by all UN member states
◦ UNFCCC is not legally binding.
◦ Paris deal is legally binding
◦ SAWEN:
▪ South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network

▪ Members are same as SAARC. But it is not a body of SAARC.

▪ To tackle trans boundary wildlife crime.

▪ Secretariat in kathmandu,nepal

◦ Legally binding-
▪ UNCCD

▪ Rotterdam convention

▪ CITES

▪ Paris accord

▪ Kigali amendment

▪ CBD

▪ Stockholm convention( for POP)

• Current affairs:
◦ UNESCO has included Panna in its biosphere reserves list.
▪ Panna is located in MP. Panna tiger reserve and Khajuraho temples fall within this area.
▪ Ken river passes
▪ Threat of submergence due to ken betwa link

• Earth overshoot day calculated by Global Footprint network

•
 • International solar alliance-
◦ Guided by its “towards 1000 strategy” which aims to mobilize USD1000 billion of investments
in solar energy.
◦ Ease of doing solar report is a publication of ISA

• Initiatives of UNEP-
▪ Climate Action Note
▪ Climate Technology Centre and Network
▪ Climate and clean air coalition
▪ UrbanShift programme
▪ The Green Gigatone challenge by Emmergent and UN-REDD
▪
 ▪ Stockholm+50- To celebrate 50 years of UN conf on human environment
▪ #OnlyOneEarth initiative

• Initiatives of UNFCCC-
◦ Action for climate empowerment
◦ Momentum for change
◦ Climate neutral now
◦ Race to zero
•

• OSOWOG initiative also launched by india and Uk

•
• IRIS is an initiative of the CDRI

•
• ISFR 2021-
◦ Biennial

◦ By forest survey of india under MOEFCC

◦ Total Forest and Tree cover is 24.62%
◦ The top five states in terms of increase in forest cover:
▪ Andhra Pradesh>Telangana>Odisha>Karnataka>Jharkhand.
◦ Total forest cover in the North-Eastern region is 64.66% of its geographical area. The
current assessment shows a decrease of forest cover
◦ Largest forest cover in India: Madhya Pradesh > Arunachal Pradesh > Chhattisgarh > Odisha
> Maharashtra
◦ Mizoram (84.53%) > Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%) > Meghalaya (76.00%) > Manipur
(74.34%) > Nagaland (73.90%).

• India’s plastic pact-

◦ By WWF-india and CII
◦ India first asian country to do so
◦ Aim to achieve circular economy in plastic by 2030
• Static part of environment:
◦ Physical ecosystem engineers are organisms that create, modify or maintain habitats
(or microhabitats) by causing physical state changes in biotic and abiotic materials
that, directly or indirectly, modulate the availability of resources to other species. They
are two types:
▪ Allogenic engineers: They change the environment by transforming living or
nonliving materials from one physical state to another, via mechanical or
other means.
• When woodpeckers and other birds excavate holes in which they nest,
They modify the surrounding environment to bring changes in the
environment without transforming themselves. So woodpeckers are
considered as Allogenic ecosystem engineers.
▪ Autogenic engineers: They change the environment via their own physical
structures, i.e. their living and dead tissues. As they grow and become larger,
their living and dead tissues create habitats for other organisms to live on or
in.

• The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill,
2021
◦ was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 30, 2021. The Bill provides for the constitution of a
Commission for better co-ordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems
related to air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. Adjoining
areas have been defined as areas in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh,
adjoining the National Capital Territory of Delhi and NCR, where any source of pollution may
cause adverse impact on air quality in the NCR. The Bill also dissolves the Environment
Pollution Prevention and Control Authority established in the NCR in 1998.
◦ Composition and functions are generic points
◦ Powers of the Commission include: (i) restricting activities influencing air quality, (ii)
investigating and conducting research related to environmental pollution impacting air quality,
(iii) preparing codes and guidelines to prevent and control air pollution, and (iv) issuing
directions on matters including inspections, or regulation which will be binding on the
concerned person or authority.
◦ The Commission will be the sole authority with jurisdiction over matters defined in the Bill
(such as air quality management). In case of conflicts, directions of the Commission will
prevail over the orders of the respective state governments, the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB), state PCBs, and state-level statutory bodies.
 ◦ Contravention of provisions of the Bill, or orders and directions of the Commission will be
punishable with imprisonment of up to five years, or fine of up to one crore rupees, or both.
The Bill excludes farmers from the scope of these penalties. However, the Commission may
collect an environmental compensation from farmers causing pollution by stubble burning.
This compensation will be prescribed by the central government. Appeals against the
Commission’s orders will lie with the National Green Tribunal.

•
•

• Irrawady dolphins:
1. max population in chilika lake(largest brackish water lagoon in india)
2. Vulnerable in India
3. Brackishwater dolphins
4. found in south and south east asia
 • NTCA is a statutory body headed by Minister of MOEFCC setup under WPA72
• NBW is a statutory body headed by PM set up under WPA72
• Animal Welfare Board of India is a statutory advisory body under a senior official of
MOEFCC, set up under Prevention of Cruelty to animals Act 1960

• Comprehensive environmental pollution index is prepared by CPCB

• India only country in the world that has both tigers and lions in natural habitat.
◦ Gir is the last remaining natural habitat of the asiatic lions.

• River ganga:
◦ National ganga council:

▪ Headed by PM and has CM as members from the states through which ganga
passes : UP,UK,Bihar,Jharkhand,WB
▪ Statutory body under EPA,1986

▪ NMCG is the implementation arm of NGC

▪
 Namami gange is the umbrella programme to clean ganga and NMCG is also
the implementing body of Namami gange.

• Gangetic dolphin:
◦ It is among the four freshwater dolphins found in the world – the other three are-
baiji found in the Yangtze River (China), the ‘bhulan’ of the Indus (Pakistan) and the
‘boto’ of the Amazon River (Latin America)
◦ It may also be found in brackish water but never in sea.
◦ Indus dolphin is seen in Beas river
◦ Mentioned in schedule 1 of WPA,1972 and endangered as per IUCN. Indus
dolphin is also endangered.
◦ Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar is India's only sanctuary
for the Gangetic dolphin
◦ Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred
to as the 'Susu'.
◦ An observatory would soon be developed to allow visitors to see gangetic
dolphins in vikramshila gangetic dolphin sanctuary, Bhagalpur,Bihar. People
would be able to watch acquatic activites of dolphins from an observatory
tower.
◦ National dolphin research centre to be established in Patna.
◦ First turtle conservation centre and Garur Vulture rehab centre to be built in
Bhagalpur.
◦ Also found in chambal river

•
• Some facts on various wildlife species:
◦ Hoolock gibbon is the ONLY ape found in [Link] in manas NP, intanki NP,
Nagaland,etc
◦ Only two types of turtles: Kemp and Olive ridley indulge in mass nesting
practices called as Arribada.
◦ sangai deer endemic to Manipur. Also called brow antelered deer or dancing
deer
◦ Barking deer found across the country

◦ Swamp deer or Barasingha found naturally in Kanha NP

◦ Lion tailed macaque is endemic to western ghats

◦ indian wild ass: Rann of kutch

◦ Pygmy hogs are found only in manas wildlife sanctuary. Endemic to india.
Critically endangered. World’s smallest pigs
◦ Himalayan Quail- Critically endangered. Found only in mountains of
Uttarakhand
◦
 Jerdon’s courser- a nocturnal bird found in eastern ghats(AP and Telangana)
and sri lankameswara WS. Critically endangered.
◦ KAZI-106F : india’s only golden tiger found in kaziranga NP
◦ Dugongs-
▪ Herbivores mammal that’s strictly marine

▪ IUCN- vulnerable

▪ In India, dugongs are seen in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch,

Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
▪ Government of Tamil Nadu will set up India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in the Palk
BayDugong or the sea cow is an endangered marine species & survives on seagrass that is
found in the area.
◦ Some critically endangered species of india:
▪ Gharial

▪ Bengal florican

▪ Great indian bustard

▪ Jerdon’s cruser

◦ Species extinct in India:

▪ Cheetah
▪ Sumatran rhino
▪ Pink headed duck
▪ Himalayan quail

•
• There are two types of corals
◦ Hard corals:

▪ only hard corals build reefs

▪ To build reefs carbonate ions are required but global warming has decreased the concentration
of carbonate ions and hence not good for corals

▪ More diverse

◦ soft corals
▪ At the bottom of sea in low temperatures
▪ Since they get their food from the surrounding water they do not need any reef to build for the
zooxanthalae and make food for them . hence they don’t build reefs. Hence not colorful
▪ Less diverse

•
•

• Kelp forest:
◦
 ◦ Always found in coastal areas
◦ Majority of kelp forests found in temperate regions
◦ Kelps are brown algae communities that live in clear and shallow water conditions
through which light penetrates easily. Kelp attaches to the seafloor and eventually
grows to the water's surface
◦ Require shallow and clear water

•
•

•
•
•

•
• At present, there are two Indian sites Loktak Lake, Manipur and Keoladeo National Park,
Rajasthan on the Montreux Record. In 1993 Chilika lake was also listed in Montreux record due
to problem of Siltation, But later in 2002, it was removed from the list as problem tackled by
govt actions.
•
•

• Srivilluputhur meghamali TR-

◦ India’s 51st TR
◦ It has been upgraded from a wildlife sanctuary
◦ In tamil nadu (touches border with kerala)
 ◦ Vaigai river flows

• Tiger reserves are notified by state govts on advise of NTCA.

• State govts also declare NP, WS
• State govt can denotify tiger reserves but only after approval from NTCA and National board for
Wildlife
• Ramgarh vishdhari WS in Rajasthan has been upgraded to a Tiger reserve

• Wildlife crime control bureau-

◦ Est under WPA,1972
◦ Works under MOEFCC

• Habitats<Ecosystem <Biome ( geographic region)

◦
• Spring shock - release of sulphuric acid in water bodies due to melting of snow
in Spring season.

• Climate feedback loop:

◦ Positive if it warms the environment

◦ Negative if it cools the environment.

• Polar Stratospheric clouds that form at very low temperature helps destroy ozone by providing a
surface which converts benign forms of chlorine into reactive ozone destroying forms and they
remove nitrogen compounds that moderate the destructive impact of chlorine.

• Ecocline: A gradual continuous change in the species composition between two

ecosystems across an environmental gradient when there is no sharp boundary
between the two
• Ecotone : an eco-tone is a transition area between two biomes .
• Ecophene : when a species is transported to a new environment its first
response will be to develop abilities to survive there
• Ecotypes : refers to the species having a wide range of distribution which have
all genetically adopted local populations

• WPA,1972
◦ Defines 5 types of protected areas:

▪ NP

▪ WS

▪ TR

▪ Community reserve :
• Any community land or private land declared by state government for conservation of
flora and fauna
▪ Conservation reserve
• Surrounding national Parks or wildlife sanctuaries
• Owned and declared by State government after consultation with local
community
◦ National parks and WS are generally declared by the State govt by a
notification. But the central govt also has powers to declare an area as
NP/WS under section 35 of the act.
◦ Biodiversity Heritage sites declared under BDA,2002 are declared by state
govt in consultation with the Local bodies.
◦ To change the area of NP/WS, the state govt can do so by a resolution. No
need to pass an act for this. But prior approval of National Board of Wildlife
needed.
◦
 NBW headed by PM. But the standing committee that hears cases and gives
approval to projects headed by Minister Of MOEFCC
◦ TR are declared by NTCA.
◦ To alter the boundary of TR, approval from NTCA and NBW needed,
◦ The central govt can include/exclude any category of animals from the schedules
of the WPA,1972.

•
• Red tide
◦ Red tide is a phenomenon caused by algal blooms during which algae become so
numerous that they discolor coastal waters. The algal bloom may also deplete
oxygen in the waters and release toxins that may cause illness in humans and
other animals.

• To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, an area must meet two strict criteria:

◦ Contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth
(known as "endemic" species).
◦ Have lost at least 70 percent of its primary native vegetation or It must have 30% or
less of its original natural vegetation. In other words, it must be threatened.

• GEAC:
◦ Under MOEFCC
chaired by special/addl secy of MOEFCC( not environment minister as it is a very
specialised body to recommend about GM crops )
◦ Has powers to take punitive action under the EPA,1986.
 ◦ Regulates import,export,approval,manufacturing of GM crops/organisms

• Hydrofluorocarbon(HFC) refrigerants are composed of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon

atoms. They do not deplete the ozone layer because they do not contain chlorine or
bromine. However, they do have a high GWP.
◦ Hydro chloro fluoro carbons (HCFC's) contain chlorine and hence have ozone
depletion potential. This is however low in comparison to CFCs.
• Gross primary productivity of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic
matter during photosynthesis. A considerable amount of GPP is utilized by
plants in respiration.
◦ Gross primary productivity minus respiration losses, is the net primary
productivity (NPP). Net primary productivity is the available biomass for the
consumption to heterotrophs (herbivores and decomposers). Secondary
productivity is defined as the rate of formation of new organic matter by
consumers.

• Warm and cold blooded creatures:

◦ Warm-blooded creatures, like mammals and birds, try to keep the inside of their
bodies at a constant temperature. They do this by generating their own heat when
they are in a cooler environment, and by cooling themselves when they are in a
hotter environment. To generate heat, warm-blooded animals convert the food that
they eat into energy. They have to eat a lot of food, compared with cold-blooded
animals, to maintain a constant body temperature.
◦
 Cold-blooded creatures take on the temperature of their surroundings. They are hot
when their environment is hot and cold when their environment is cold.

• Temperate forests have more nutrient in soil than tropical forests as during
winters the trees in temperate forests shed leaves and enrich nutrients in soil. In
tropical, the trees grow round the year and hence exhuast the soil nutrients.

• BOD oxidises organic biodegradable material

◦ COD oxidises organic biodegradable and non degradable substances both
◦ So COD>BOD always!

• Zones of marine ecosystem:

◦ Littoral : This is the seashore area extending between the highest high tide and
lowest low tide levels. Waves and tides have maximum effect on the zone. This
zone is sometimes exposed to air. Different types of species like algae, starfish,
crustaceans, etc are found in this zone.
◦ Neritic: This region is shallow enough to support plants rooted in the seafloor. This
region constitutes the edge of the continental shelf. This area is rich in the density
 and diversity of organisms owing to the penetration of light to this depth of the sea
and owing to the presence of nutrients washed down from the land.
◦ Pelagic: This is the open area below the neritic region. On the surface of this
zone, various types of plankton are found. In addition, there is zooplankton
along with shrimp and jellyfish, etc.
◦ Benthic: This forms the floor of the ocean. Production, in this region, is limited
by low nutrient supply. Most of the organisms found here are luminescent.
Rooted organisms are sea lilies Are found.
◦ LNPB

• Decomposers are also called as saprotrophs/osmotrophs

• herbivores called phagotrophs

• The pyramid of biomass in sea is generally inverted because the biomass of fishes
far exceeds that of phytoplankton.
• pyramid of biomass/numbers may be straight or inverted, but the pyramid of
energy is always straight
•

• Syn gs
◦ Produced by pyrolysis of municipal solid waste
◦ CO + CO2 + Hydrogen
◦ Has 50% of energy density of natural gas so not used as fuel for combustion

• Nitrogen particles make up the largest fraction of PM2.5 and agriculture is the highest
contributor of nitrogen in India
• India is the biggest source of ammonia emission

• Biogeochemical cycles
◦ Sedimentary cycles
▪ Imperfect cycle : Some nutrients are lost from the cycle and get locked into
sediments and so become unavailable for immediate recycling
▪ Phosphorus cycle

▪ Sulphur cycle

▪ Reservoir is earth’s crust

◦ Gaseous cycles
▪ Perfect cycles : nutrients are replaced as fast as they are utilised

▪ Carbon cycles

▪ Nutrient cycles
▪ Reservoir is atmosphere

• Lentic : body of standing water

• Lotic : body of moving water( lot raha hai)

• Animals constitute more than 2/3 species on earth ( fauna>flora)

• For biomagnification to occur the toxic should be soluble in fats. Insoluble hoga to
body se bahar nikal jayega moot k sath.

• Eurythermal animals are able to tolerate a wide range of temperature levels.

Stenothermal animals are those which can tolerate a narrow range of temperature
levels. (N-N)

• Eco-sensitive zones:
◦ These are buffer zones around protected areas like National parks,wildlife
sanctuaries
◦ Declared by MOEFCC
◦
• what joins Western and eastern ghats
◦ Nilgiri hills

◦ Satyamangalam TR

◦ Mukurthi NP
◦
• Pyrolysis and gasification are two important processes that are used to decompose
materials. Both these processes are different from combustion because the combustion is
carried out in the presence of an excessive amount of oxygen.

• biosphere reserve is for the preservation of an ecosystem and not just few
fauna and flora.

• In sundarbans, mangrove forest are characterised by “Heritiera Fomes”, a

species valued for its timber

• Smog:
◦ Classical smog occurs in cool humid climate.

▪ It is a mixture of smoke, fog and sulphur dioxide.

▪ Chemically it is a reducing(size of nunnu is reduced in thandi) mixture and

so it is also called as reducing smog.
◦ Photochemical smog occurs in warm, dry and sunny climate.

▪ The main components of the photochemical smog result from the action of
sunlight on unsaturated hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides produced by
automobiles and factories( NOX+VOC+Ozone)
▪ Photochemical smog has high concentration of oxidizing agents and is,
therefore, called as oxidising smog

• A “trophic cascade” is an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal

of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative population of
Predator and prey through a food chain which often results in drastic changes in
ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

• Namdapha National Park is famous for being the only park in India and the world
to have four big cat species, like leopard, tiger, clouded leopard and snow
leopard.
◦
 The habitat changes with increasing altitude from Tropical moist forests to
montane forests, temperate forests and at the higher elevations, to Alpine
meadows and perennial snow.

• An ecosystem can support a maximum of 5 trophic levels.

• Dark fermentation is a technology used to convert organic waste into biohydrogen. It

takes place in the absence of oxygen i.e. anaerobic conditions

• tendency for increased biodiversity within the ecotone is referred to as the "edge
effect."

• Under FRA,2006 National Parks and Sanctuaries have been included along with
Reserve Forest, Protected Forests for the recognition of Rights.

• Bioremediation can be defined as the methodology to remove or neutralise waste and toxic
substances in the environment with the help of microorganism and plants.
◦ In situ bioremediation:
▪ Bioventing
 ▪ Biosparging
▪ Bioaugmentation
◦ Exsitu bioremediation:
▪ Landfarming
▪ Biopiles
▪ Composting
▪ Bioreacters

• Metals : diseases
◦ Nitrate : blue baby syndrome

◦ Arsenic : Black foot disease

◦ Cadmium : Itai-Itai

◦ Mercury : Minamata

• Sea ranching or ocean ranching is an internationally accepted concept, where

fish that are commercially important and need replenishment are reared in a
controlled laboratory environment and let into the sea when they are of a certain
size.

• Satkosia TR is the meeting point of Deccan peninsula and Eastern Ghats

• Heat loss or heat gain is a function of surface area. Since small animals have a larger
surface area relative to their volume, they tend to lose body heat very fast when it is
cold outside; then they have to expend much energy to generate body heat through
metabolism. This is the main reason why very small animals are rarely found in polar
regions.
◦ Mammals from colder climates generally have shorter ears and limbs to minimise
heat loss. (This is called the Allen's Rule.) In the polar seas aquatic mammals like
seals have a thick layer of fat (blubber) below their skin that acts as an insulator
and reduces loss of body heat

• Net primary productivity is more of land than oceans (i know it sounds absurd)
• Acts outside NGT:
◦ WPA 1972

◦ Indian Forest Act 1927

◦ FRA 2006

• If in option CF4 given, it will be highest as it has lifetime of 50000 years.

• WPA,1972:
◦ Species listed in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II get absolute protection
— offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties
◦
 Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also protected, but the
penalties are much lower
◦ Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted. These are called
vermin. Only central govt can declare an animal as vermin
◦ The plants in Schedule VI are prohibited from cultivation and planting.
◦ Power to alter entries lies with Central govt and not National Board for wildlife.

• Types of species:
1. Ruderal : plant species that is first to colonize disturbed lands. The disturbance
may be natural such as wildfires or avalanches or a consequence of human
activity, such as construction (of roads, of buildings, mining, etc.) or agriculture
(abandoned fields, irrigation, etc.). Ruderal species typically dominate the
disturbed area for a few years, gradually losing the competition to other native
species.
2. Invasive species:species that is not native to a specific location (an introduced
species), and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause
damage to the environment, human economy or human health
3. Keystone species: species which has a disproportionately large effect on its
natural environment relative to its abundance. Such species are described as
playing a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community,
affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem and helping to determine the
types and numbers of various other species in the community. Without keystone
species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist
altogether. Some keystone species, such as the wolf, are also apex predators.
4. umbrella species: the conservation of which helps in conserving other
species like Tiger.
5. Climax species: also called equilibrium species, are plant species that will
remain essentially unchanged in terms of species composition for as long as a
site remains undisturbed. They are the most shade-tolerant species of tree to
establish in the process of forest succession. A disturbance, such as fire, may kill
the climax species, allowing pioneer or earlier successional species to re-
establish for a [Link] are the opposite of pioneer species, in the sense that
climax species are good competitors but poor colonizers, whereas pioneer
species are good colonizers but poor competitors.
 6. Poineer species: the species who are the first to arrive at any ecological site.
7. flagship species is a species selected to act as an ambassador, icon or symbol
for a defined habitat, issue, campaign or environmental cause. By focusing on,
and achieving conservation of that species, the status of many other species
which share its habitat – or are vulnerable to the same threats - may also be
improved.
8. priority species” is reflective of a key threat across that ecoregion - such that
conservation of the species will contribute significantly to a broader threat
mitigation outcome
9. Sentinel/Indicator species: An indicator species is a species or group of
species chosen as an indicator of, or proxy for, the state of an ecosystem
or of a certain process within that ecosystem.

• International funds:
1. Green climate fund:
a. Est at Cancun summit cop 16 of unfccc
b. Managed by board of GCF responsible to the COP
2. Adaptation fund:
a. Est under Kyoto protocol of UNFCCC
b. Est at Bali summit 2007 cop 13
c. helps developing countries to adapt
d. Governed by adaptation fund board. World bank also servers as trustee
of fund on interim basis.
3. BioCarbon fund:
a. The BioCarbon Fund is a public-private sector initiative managed by the
World Bank
b. supports projects that generate financial returns from the sale of
emission reduction