GPSC Prelims and Mains Notes, GPSC Test Series
Mangroves are the characteristic littoral plant formation of tropical and subtropical sheltered coastlines. are trees and bushes growing below the high water level of spring tides which exhibits remarkable capacity for salt water tolerance. basically evergreen land plants growing on sheltered shores, typically on tidal flats, deltas, estuaries, bays, creeks and the barrier islands. … Read more MANGROVES
Eutrophication is a syndrome of ecosystem, response to the addition of artificial or natural substances such as nitrates and phosphates through fertilizer, sewage, etc that fertilize the aquatic ecosystem. The growth of green algae which we see in the lake surface layer is the physical identification of an Eutrophication. Some algae and blue-green bacteria … Read more EUTROPHICATION AND HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS
India as a signatory to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has submitted four National Reports to UNCCD in the years 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Some of the major programmes currently implemented that address issues related to land degradation and desertification is:- Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), National Afforestation Programme (NAP), National Mission for … Read more India’s action against Desertification
Cold desert of India include areas of ladak, leh and kargil of kashmir and spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh and some parts of northern Uttaranchal and Sikkim. Lies in rain shadow of Himalaya Oak, pine, deodar, birch and rhododendron are the important trees and bushes found there. Major animal include yaks, dwarf cows, and … Read more Cold Desert/ Temperate Desert
Deserts are formed in regions with less than 25 cm of annual rainfall, .or sometimes in hot regions where there is more rainfall, but unevenly distributed in the annual cycle. Lack’ of rain in the mid latitude is often due to stable high pressure zones; deserts in temperate regions often lie in “rain shadows”, that … Read more Hot DESERT ECOSYSTEM
Forest types in India are classified by Champion and Seth into sixteen types. Tropical Wet evergreen forests are found along the Western Ghats, the Nicobar and Andaman Islands and all along the north-eastern region. It is characterized by tall, straight evergreen trees. The trees in this forest form a tier pattern: Beautiful fern … Read more INDIAN FOREST TYPES
a universal process of directional change in vegetation, on an ecological time scale. occurs when a series of communities replace one another due to large scale destruction either natural or manmade. continously -one community replacing another community, until a stable, mature community develops. The first plant to colonise an area is called the pioneer … Read more SUCCESSION
The interaction between the organisms is fundamental for its survival and functioning of ecosystem as a whole. Type of Biotic Interaction Mutualism: both species benefit. Example: in pollination mutualisms, the pollinator gets food (pollen, nectar), and the plant has its pollen transferred to other flowers for cross-fertilization (reproduction). Commensalism: one species benefits, the … Read more BIOTIC INTERACTION
Movement of these pollutants involves two main processes: Bioaccumulation refers to how pollutants enter a food chain. there is an increase in concentration of a pollutant from the environment to the first organism in a food chain. Biomagnification refers to the tendency of pollutants to concentrate as they move from one trophic … Read more POLLUTANTS AND TROPHIC LEVEL
ENERGY FLOW- Energy is the basic force responsible for all metabolic activities. The flow of energy from producer to top consumers is called energy flow which is unidirectional. Energy flows through the trophic levels: from producers to subsequent trophic levels. There is a loss of some energy in the form of unusable heat at … Read more FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM