Environmental

 ENVIRONMENT

GREENING AND RESTORATION OF WASTELAND WITH AGROFORESTRY (GROW) REPORT

 GROW initiative by NITI Aayog-to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India.

 Around 17% of India’s total geographical area is wasteland.

 This initiative is Needed for the aim to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and 

create an additional carbon sink.

 3 main types of agroforestry systems : 

 Agrisilvicultural systems : Crops+ Trees

 Silvopastoral systems- trees+ animals

 Agrosilvopastoral systems= Crops+Trees+animals

ALASKA POX

Why in News

“An elderly man from Alaska recently became the fi rst person to die after contracting Alaska Pox.”

 It is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the same genus (Orthopoxvirus) as smallpox,

monkeypox, and cowpox.

 First discovered in Alaska in 2015.

 Orthopoxviruses are zoonotic viruses that can infect various mammals, including humans.

 While human-to-human transmission of Alaska Pox has not yet been observed, some orthopoxviruses

can spread by direct contact with lesions (particularly broken skin contact with lesion secretions).

POLLINATION

Why in News

“Pollinator-plant mismatch spells disaster.”

 Pollination is the process of transferring pollen from the male part of a fl ower to the female part.

 Pollination can occur in a few ways:

 Self-pollination: When pollen from the same fl ower or another fl ower on the same plant

pollinates the fl ower. Cross-pollination: When pollen from one fl ower pollinates the stigma of another fl ower on a

diff erent plant of the same species.

 Wind pollination: Also known as anemophily, this method involves wind distributing the

pollen. Wind-pollinated fl owers have small, lightweight, and smooth pollen grains for easier

transport.

 Artifi cial pollination:This method is used when natural pollination is insuffi cient or undesirable.

It’s a mechanical technique that doesn’t require the help of insects or weather. Artifi cial

pollination is important because natural pollinators, like bees, are becoming endangered.

 Pollination can also occur with the help of animals and water.

SKYWALKER HALOOK GIBBON

Why in News

“200 years of Rani Chennamma’s rebellion against after British East Indis company”

 Small apes

 Endangered

 First identifi ed in China in 2017

 Close relative of the eastern hoolock gibbon, with key diff erences including thinner eyebrows and

a dark beard (instead of a white one).

 Known for their loud calls used for territorial defence, mate attraction and communication within

family groups.

 Highly arboreal, spending most of their time in the forest canopy.

 Are frugivorous, primarily relying on fruits for nutrition.