About Asceua tertia:

• It is a new species of ground-dwelling spider discovered from the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, which forms part of the Western Ghats.
• It is the third species of the genus Asceua to be documented in India, the others being Asceua cingulata (Simon, 1905) and Asceua thrippalurensis (Sankaran, 2023). 
• This genus belongs to the ant-eating spider family Zodariidae and is distinguished by its small size, laterally compressed bulbs, well-developed cymbial folds, long and convoluted copulatory ducts, and dual femoral glands.
• Features of Asceua tertia:
  • The size ranges from 2.54 mm in males to 3.2 mm in females. 
  • The males of the species have a yellow-brown prosoma with creamy white to yellow-brown leg and palp segments featuring broad brown patches and narrow longitudinal stripes.
  • The abdomen displays three pairs of narrow, creamy white stripes arranged obliquely, a white dot near the rear, and numerous tiny creamy white spots on the sides.
  • The females have a dark brown prosoma and a wide, oval abdomen with four pairs of creamy white stripes, along with small anterior and broad posterior creamy white patches on the sides. 

Key Facts about Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is a protected area located in the Western Ghats of India, in the Kollam district of Kerala.
• This sanctuary derives its name from Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica), a tree species endemic to this region.
• It comes under the control of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve.
• Flora: Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests cover a major area of the sanctuary.
• Fauna: Includes tigers, gaurs, elephants, sambar deers, sloth bears, Malabar Raven, Malabar banded swallowtail, Red-disc Bushbrown, etc.

Q1: What are Tropical evergreen forests?

These are a type of terrestrial biome characterized by high annual rainfall, warm temperatures, and lush, dense vegetation. These forests are found near the equator in tropical regions, primarily between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They are incredibly biodiverse ecosystems and play a crucial role in the global carbon and water cycles.

Source: New ground-dwelling spider species discovered in Western Ghats

About Fruit Rot Disease:

• It is a plant disease that can cause significant losses for farmers, as it can reduce the quality of the crop and make it unmarketable.
• In some cases, fruit rot can also lead to the death of the plant.
• It is caused by a number of different fungi, bacteria, and viruses, and it can be difficult to prevent and treat.
• Continuous heavy rainfall coupled with low temperature (20 to 23 °C), high relative humidity (>90%), and intermittent rain and sunshine hours favour the occurrence of fruit rot.
• Symptoms:
  • Brown or black spots on the fruit
  • Softening of the fruit
  • Shrivelling of the fruit
  • Mould growth on the fruit
• There are many different types of fungi that can cause fruit rot, but the most common type is Botrytis cinerea.
• This fungus affects a wide range of fruits, including grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers.
• The fungus enters the plant through wounds in the leavesor fruit lesions, and it proliferates in humid conditions.
• Once established, the fruit infections can spread rapidly through the crop, causing rot.
• The fungi that cause fruit rot can also produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals.

Q1: What are Fungi?

Fungi (singular-Fungus) are eukaryotic organisms that include moulds, yeasts, and related organisms like mushrooms within the kingdom Fungi. Fungi come in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with yeast representing the simplest unicellular type and moulds like Rhizopus, Mucor, and Penicillium are examples of multicellular fungi. They exhibit greater complexity and size compared to bacteria and can function as either saprophytes or parasites.

Source: CPCRI issues advisory to control koleroga disease in arecanut plantations

About Yamuna River:

• Yamuna River (also known as Jumna) is the major tributary of the Ganges River. 
• Origin: It rises in the high Himalaya, in the Yamunotri Glacier, at the height of 4,421 meters. 
• Course: 
  • The 1,376 km long Yamuna flows solely through India, crossing three states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
  • After rising in the high himalayas, it flows in a southerly direction swiftly through the Himalayan foothills and, exiting Uttarakhand, onto the Indo-Gangetic Plain, along the border between Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana state to the west. The Eastern and Western Yamuna canals are fed from the river at that point.
  • The Yamuna then passes Delhi, where it feeds the Agra Canal.
  • South of Delhi, and now wholly within Uttar Pradesh, it turns southeastward.
  • Near Prayagraj (Allahabad), after a course of about 855 miles (1,376 km), the Yamuna joins the Ganges River. 
  • The confluence of the two rivers is an especially sacred place to Hindus and is the site of annual festivals as well as the Kumbh Mela, which is held every 12 years.
• Tributaries:
  • Near Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand, the Yamuna is joined by its biggest tributary, the Tons River.
  • The Chambal River is Yamuna’s biggest tributary on the right.
  • Other important tributaries of the Yamuna include the Hindon, Sarda, and Giri rivers on the right and Betwa and Sindh on the left.

Q1: What is the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?

It has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. It comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members. The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.

Source: Yamuna floodplain construction: NGT seeks reply

About Great Barrier Reef:

• It is a complex of coral reefs, shoals, and islets in the Pacific Ocean.
• It is located off the northeastern coast of Australia in the Coral Sea.
• It is the longest and largest reef complex in the world. It is the largest living structure on Earth.
• It extends in roughly a northwest-southeast direction for more than 2,300 km, at an offshore distance ranging from 16 to 160 km, and its width ranges from 60 to 250 km. 
• It has an area of some 350,000 square km.
• The reef, which is large enough to be visible from space, is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and over 900 islands.
• UNESCO declared the Great Barrier Reef a World Heritage Site in 1981.
• Much of the Great Barrier Reef is a marine protected area, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia.
• Biodiversity:
  • It is estimated that the reef is home to around 2000 species of fish and around 600 different coral species.
  • It is home to 4,000 mollusk species and over 250 different shrimp species.
  • The reef is also home to six of the seven known species of sea turtles, more than a dozen sea snakes, and nearly two dozen species of birds.

Q1: What are Corals? 

Corals are essentially animals, which are sessile, meaning they permanently attach themselves to the ocean floor. Corals share a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae called zooxanthellae. The algae provide the coral with food and nutrients, which they make through photosynthesis, using the sun’s light. They use their tiny tentacle-like hands to catch food from the water and sweep into their mouth. Each individual coral animal is known as a polyp and it lives in groups of hundreds to thousands of genetically identical polyps that form a ‘colony’. Corals are largely classified as either hard coral or soft coral. It is the hard corals that are the architects of coral reefs — complex three-dimensional structures built up over thousands of years. Hard corals have stony skeletons made out of limestone that are produced by coral polyps. When polyps die, their skeletons are left behind and used as foundations for new polyps.

Source: Ocean temperatures in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef now the hottest in 400 years: What a new study says

About Ceropegia Shivrayiana:

• It is a flowering plant species named in a nod to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• The plant was discovered in one of his renowned forts, Vishalgad.
• It consists of unique, tubular flowers, which are specially adapted to attract moths for pollination.
• Habitat: This plant thrives in rocky terrains and is capable of growing in less nutrient-or poor soils.
• It belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family, which includes many medicinal plants, with significant ecological importance.
• Threats: Its conservation is essential due to the ongoing threat of habitat loss.

Key facts about Vishalgad Fort

• It is an ancient fort situated at Vishalgad village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.
• Also called Khelna or Khilna by the locals, Vishalgad Fort was one of the important forts of the Maratha Empire.
• It was built in 1058 by Shilahara king Marsinh and was initially known as Khilgil.
• The fort was under the rule of Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri, Allauddin Khilji, the Vijayanagar Empire, and then the Adil Shahi dynasty.
• In 1659, Shivaji captured the fort from Adil shah and renamed the fort 'Vishalgad'.
• Famous structures in the fort
  • The famous Dargah of Hazrat Sayed Malik Rehan Meera Saheb, which is visited by thousands of tourists, is located in the fort.
  • Temples: Amruteshwar Temple, Shri Nrusinha Temple, and Sati`s Vrindavan.

Q1: What is Gymnosperm?

These are any vascular plant that reproduces by means of an exposed seed.The seeds of many gymnosperms (literally, “naked seeds”) are borne in cones and are not visible until maturity.

Source: New flowering plant species found near Vishalgad, named after Shivaji Maharaj

About Mount Kilimanjaro:

• It is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s largest free-standing mountain (which means not part of a mountain range).
• It is located in northeastern Tanzania, near the Kenya border.
• It extends approximately east-west for 50 miles (80 km).
• Also called a stratovolcano, Kilimanjaro is made up of three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. 
• Kibois the tallest of the three volcanic formations, which is also a dormant volcano, while the other two are extinct volcanoes.
• Uhuru Peak, the highest free-standing peak in Africa, is locatedon the volcanic cone Kibo.
• Kilimanjaro is also known for its snow-capped peak.
• The mountain has five main vegetation zones, from the lowest to the highest point: Lower slopes, montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert, and summit. 
• The Kilimanjaro National Park was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1987. 

Q1: What is a Stratovolcano?

The stratovolcano is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano. Unlike flat shield volcanoes like in Hawaii, they have higher peaks. At the peak, stratovolcanoes usually have a small crater. Stratovolcanoes build up on height by layering lava, ash and tephra. By definition, they have alternating layers of pyroclastics and lava. When ash falls or lava flows, it solidifies and makes a narrower cone. Strato Volcanoes comprise the largest percentage (~60%) of the Earth's individual volcanoes. Strato volcanoes are usually about half-half lava and pyroclastic material, and the layering of these products gives them their other common name of composite volcanoes.

Source: Climbers from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute unfurl tricolour atop Mt Kilimanjaro

About Exercise Udara Shakti: 

• The joint air exercise was conducted in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) at Kuantan, Malaysia.
• It was aimed at bolstering operational efficiency, technical experts of both Air Forces engaged in exchange of their maintenance practices.
• During the exercise, IAF's Su-30MKI fighter jets engaged in air combat missions alongside the RMAF's Su-30MKM fighters, enabling the crew of both air forces to familiarize with each other's operational protocols, thereby enhancing interoperability, commonality and overall effectiveness in Su-30 aircraft operations.

Key facts about Su-30MKI

• The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multirole combat fighter aircraft.
• It is jointly developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Based on the Su-30 fighter aircraft, Su-30MKI is equipped with thrust vectoring control and canards.

Q1: What is Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)?

It is a prominent Indian public sector aerospace and defence company headquartered in Bangalore. Established in 1940, HAL is distinguished as one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers globally. Presently, HAL operates 11 dedicated Research and Development (R&D) centres and 21 manufacturing divisions across four production units spread throughout India.

Source: INDIAN AIR FORCE TEAM RETURNS AFTER SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION IN EXERCISE UDARA SHAKTI 2024 AT MALAYSIA

About Nankai Trough: 

• It is a “subduction zone” between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean, where massive earthquakes have hit in the past.
• This underwater subduction zone (nearly 900 km long) where the Eurasian Plate collides with the Philippine Sea Plate, pushing the latter under the former and into the Earth’s mantle.
• Location: It runs from Shizuoka, west of Tokyo, to the southern tip of Kyushu Island.
• It has been the site of destructive quakes of magnitude eight or nine every century or two.
• These so-called “megathrust quakes”, which often occur in pairs, have been known to unleash dangerous tsunamis along Japan’s southern coast.

What is the Subduction Zone?

• It is a spot where two of the planet's tectonic plates collide and one dives, or subducts, beneath the other.
• Tectonic plates are pieces of the Earth’s rigid outer layer that slowly move across the planet's surface over millions of years.
  • This is the main tenet of plate tectonics, the theory that portions of Earth's shell glide over the lower mantle, taking continents with them.
• Subduction zones occur in a horseshoe shape around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, offshore of the USA, Canada, Russia, Japan, and Indonesia, and down to New Zealand and the southern edge of South America called the "Ring of Fire,”
• These subduction zones comprise “the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world, responsible for more than 80% of the world's biggest earthquakes and most of the planet’s active volcanoes.

Q1: What is an Earthquake?

An earthquake is the shaking or trembling of the earth's surface caused by a sudden release of energy from the interior of the earth.

Source: Japan issues its first-ever ‘megaquake advisory’: What does it mean?

About Neelakurinji: 

• It is the purplish flowering shrub which blooms once in 12 years.
• Habitat: It is an endemic shrub of three-metre height, seen only in the high-altitude shola grassland ecosystems of five mountain landscapes of southwest India at an elevation of 1,340–2,600 m.
• Distribution:
  • The species has 34 subpopulations within 14 ecoregions of the high-altitude mountain ranges of southwest India. There are 33 subpopulations in the Western Ghats and one in the Eastern Ghats (Yercaud, Shevaroy Hills).
• They are semelparous with showy synchronous blooming and fruiting at every 12 years at the end of the life cycle, which has been reported since 1832.
• Cultural significance:
  • Nilgiri Hills (Literally meaning the blue mountains), got their name from the blue flowers of Neelakurinji.
  • The Paliyan tribes (in Tamil Nadu) use it as a reference to calculate their age.
• Threats: It is threatened mainly due to its fragile habitat in the montane high altitude grasslands that has been under pressure of conversion for tea and softwood plantations, and urbanization.
• Recent Global assessment of Neelakurinji :
  • This is the first ever Global Red List assessment for this flagship species of the montane grasslands of southwest India.
  • Conservation status: The latest global assessment confirms its threatened status in the Vulnerable (Criteria A2c) category of the IUCN.

Q1: What is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?

It was created in 1948 which has evolved into the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network. It is composed of both government and civil society organizations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Source: Neelakurinji becomes a ‘threatened species,’ officially

About Polar Coupled Analysis and Prediction for Services: 

• Aim: It aims to increase and improve weather, water, ice, and climate information about the Arctic and Antarctic.
• The project will help develop observation systems and Earth system models and advocate for improved forecasting services.
• It is part of WMO's World Weather Research Programme (WWRP).

Key facts about World Weather Research Programme 

• It promotes research to improve weather prediction, and its impacts on society, for minutes to months ahead.
• WWRP's key objectives are:
  • Advance research of the Earth system on times scales from minutes to months.
  • This research, through the science-for-services value cycle approach, in providing locally and regionally actionable weather information,
  • Improve the warning process to account for increasing risks and the evolving nature of extreme weather impacts, and
  • Quantify and reduce uncertainty in predictions on time scales from minutes to months.

Q1: World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)?

It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). It is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behavior of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.

Source: New WMO project to improve weather forecasts in Arctic and Antarctic