The wild relatives of foodgrains like rice, finger millet, pearl millet, sugarcane, pepper, turmeric, ginger and nutmeg are found in the Western Ghats.
Extinction is forever. A species that is lost cannot be regained by means of modern technology.
In a stable ecosystem, all species 8212; animals, plants and microbes are in a dynamic equilibrium.Any disturbance in one gives rise to imbalance in others. A vanishing plant species can take with it 10 to 30 dependent species such as insects, fungi, bigger animals and even plants.
In developed countries, each person consumes 340 kg of paper per year whereas in developing countries like India, the consumption rate of one person is 0.4 kg paper per year.
The earth8217;s surface temperature has increased by 0.5 degree centigrade over the past 120 years. But due to the increasing pollution it is predicted that the earth8217;s temperature would rise from 1.5 to 4.5 degrees centigrade by the year 2030.
Coral reefs provide about 12 percent of the global marine fish catch. India8217;s reef areas can yield 20 tonnes per sq km of edible fish per year. q Wetlands occupy the transition zone between permanently wet and generally dry environments. They exhibit enormous biodiversity. In India, the area under wetlands is estimated to be 40,40,137 hectares.
The onset of monsoon is marked when ants move their eggs from their underground nests to higher areas to save them from getting wet. This is a signal for farmers to sow their crops.
While the Koel arrives to herald the beginning of the Mango season, the Pied Crested Cuckoo, commonly known as papeeha, is considered to be the harbinger of monsoon.
Ducks produce a special oil from a gland at the base of their tails that helps them remain waterproof. They use their bills to spread this oil all over their feathers.This is how their feathers are protected from getting wet while in water, as they sail.
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