Astivya RAS class notes

  Subscribe on YouTube Coral is actually a living animal. has a symbiotic relationship (each gives something to the other and gets something back in return) With ‘zooxanthellae’ microscopic algae which live on coral [i.e. instead of living on the sea  floor, the algae lives up on the coral which is closer to the ocean … Read more

  Join Our Telegram Channel 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. Subscribe on YouTube basically evergreen land plants growing on sheltered shores, typically on tidal flats, deltas, … Read more

  Join Our Telegram Channel located where river meets the sea. the most productive water bodies in the world The complete salinity range from 0-35 ppt is seen from the head (river end) to the mouth (sea end) of an estuary Coastal lakes which have their connection with the sea through small openings are better … Read more

  Areas of marsh, fen, peatland/water, whether natural (or) artificial, permanent (or) temporary with water that is static (or) flowing, fresh, brackish (or) salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed 6 mtrs. Wetlands Classification- Inland wetland- a)Natural- Lakes / Ponds, Ox-bow Lakes, Waterlogged, Swamp/marsh b) Manmade- … Read more

  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

  Any – body of standing water, generally large enough in area and depth, irrespective of its hydrology, ecology, and other characteristics is generally known as lake. Join Our Telegram Channel Ageing of Lakes The nutrient enrichment of the lakes promotes the growth of algae, aquatic plants and various fauna. This process is known as … Read more

  Fresh water ecosystems- The salt content of fresh bodies is very low, always less than 5 ppt  (parts per thousand). E.g lakes, ponds, pools, springs, streams, and rivers Marine ecosystems – the water bodies containing salt concentration equal to or above that of sea water (i.e., 35 ppt or above). E.g shallow seas and … Read more

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:- Subscribe on YouTube Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), National Afforestation Programme (NAP), … Read more

  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

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