Tag: protecting our environment

Extinction means a group of species, family or larger group that have no living member. The extinction can be caused due to various factors such as deforestation (cutting down of trees), Over exploitation of organisms for human good, or by the destruction of the natural habitat or organism. 

Ex-situ conservation is the conservation and maintenance of samples of living organisms outside their natural habitat, in the form of whole plants, seed, pollen, vegetative propagules, tissue or cell cultures. These ex situ collections of living organisms (living collections, seed banks, pollen, vegetative propagules, tissue or cell cultures) need to be managed according to strict scientific and horticultural standards to maximize their value for conservation purposes. Thus they need to be correctly identified, documented and managed and an efficient information management system put in place. Integrated conservation management can also ensure that ex situ collections can support in situ conservation, through habitat restoration and species recovery. 

The climatic conditions in a particular area regulate the  physiological and the morphological characteristics of plants or animals. Allen's rule is a biological rule by Joel Asaph Allen in 1877. It states that the organism adjusts in the given climatic conditions by either minimizing exposed surface area to minimize heat loss in cold climates or maximizing exposed surface area to maximize heat loss in hot climates. The rule predicts that endotherms from hot climates usually have ears, tails, limbs, snouts, etc that are long and thin, while equivalent animals from cold climates usually have shorter and thicker versions of those body parts. 

Protection of animal species is important, because they are useful for humans as a part of ecosystem. They play a significant role in food web also. Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their habitats. Among the goals of wildlife conservation are to ensure that nature will be around for future generations to enjoy and to recognize the importance of wildlife and wilderness lands to humans. Wildlife conservation has become an increasingly important practice due to the negative effects of human activity on wildlife. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

'The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute' (NEERI), Nagpur was established in 1958 as 'Central Public Health Engineering', when environmental concerns were limited to human health. Shrimati Indira Gandhi, gave new name to the Institute as 'National Environmental Engineering Research Institute' in the year 1974.

Bamboo is commonly called as the poor man's timber because it is used in all aspects of life. Bamboo is also an icon of versatility. It forms part of the paper we use every day and of the houses we build. By virtue of its unique properties like quick growth, tensile strength, availability and renewability, it has the epithet of 'poor man's timber'.

The wildlife is a valuable resource of our country which needs to be protected from the threats imposed by human activities. Several regulatory bodies have laid certain formulations to protect them. The 'World Wide Fund for Nature' (WWF)  deals with the issues regarding the conservation, research, and restoration of the environment. It is an international non-governmental organization founded on April 29, 1961, and isIt was formerly named the 'World Wildlife Fund', which remains its official name in Canada and the United States. It is the world's largest conservation organization with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around 1,300 conservation and environmental projects. 

From 3 - 14 June 1992, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil hosted the 'United Nations Conference on Environment and Development' (UNCED). The focus of this conference was the state of the global environment and the relationship between economics, science and the environment in a political context. The conference concluded with the 'Earth Summit', at which leaders of 105 nations gathered to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development. 

In order to arouse a general awakening in the common man in favour of protection of wildlife, the 'Indian Board of Wild Life' (IBWL) decided to observe the 'Wildlife Week' and since then from October 2 - 8 every year organize different activities related to wildlife conservattion to commemorate this week.