Why is it in the News?

A new study has uncovered the origins of baobabs, the tall and uniquely shaped deciduous trees that are famously spotted on the island of Madagascar.

What are Baobab Trees?

• Baobabs are known for their great heights, with some extending up to 50 metres, and exceptionally long lifespans going up to 2,000 years.
• In India too, a few baobab trees exist, including one near the Golconda Fort in Andhra Pradesh that is believed to be more than 400 years old.
• The trees have trunks with large circumferences and thin, spindly branches.
• In local cultures, the trees are also revered because of the multiple uses their parts have, with the fruits and seeds being edible, the seed oil used for cooking and the bark fibre for clothing.
• They are also called “upside down” trees because of their tops resembling an uprooted plant turned upside down.

Essential for the ecosystem:

• Baobab trees are fundamental to the entire dry African savanna ecosystem.
• They help keep soil conditions humid, aid nutrient recycling, and slow soil erosion with their massive root systems.
• As a succulent, the tree absorbs and stores water from the rainy season in its massive trunk, producing a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season, which can grow up to a foot long.
  • The fruit contains tartaric acid and Vitamin C, serving as a vital nutrient and food source for many species.
• They are also an essential source of water and shelter for hundreds of animals, including birds, lizards, monkeys, and even elephants – which can eat their bark for moisture when there is no water nearby.

In human culture:

• For humans, the baobab’s fruit pulp can be eaten, soaked in water to make a refreshing drink, preserved into a jam, or roasted and ground to make a coffee-like substance.
• The bark can be pounded to make everything from rope, mats, and baskets to paper and cloth.
• Leaves are also used, they can be boiled and eaten, or glue can be made from their flower’s pollen.

What Did the Study Find?

• The study highlighted the threats facing baobab trees and examined their genetic makeup.
  • It reported that three Madagascar species of baobab trees are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• The study identified various threats, including residential and commercial development and livestock farming, which require land clearing.
  • However, even species not currently endangered show declining populations, suggesting that more rigorous conservation strategies are needed to ensure their long-term survival.
  • This necessitates a detailed understanding of the baobabs' genetics.
• Genomic sequencing revealed a consensus on the monophyly of the Malagasy lineage from Madagascar.
  • According to DNA studies, baobab trees first arose in Madagascar 21 million years ago, with their seeds later carried by ocean currents to Australia and mainland Africa, where they evolved into distinct species.
• The study also warned that climate change poses severe threats to Adansonia suarezensis from Madagascar, predicting its possible extinction by 2080.
  • Due to their unique ecological roles and low genetic diversity, these species are likely to have reduced resilience to environmental changes and habitat fragmentation.

Why is it in the News?

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), a small wild cat native to South, Southeast and East Asia, was recently spotted in Maharashtra’s Pench, in what is being billed as Central India’s first sighting of the species.

About Leopard Cat:

• The Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia.
• With its distinctive leopard-like colouring, this small wildcat is known for its remarkable adaptability and extensive distribution across Asia.

Habitat and Distribution:

• Leopard cats can be found in a variety of environments, ranging from the Amur region in Russia to the Korean Peninsula, China, Indochina, the Indian Subcontinent, northern Pakistan, and as far south as the Philippines and the Sunda Islands of Indonesia.
• Although they can inhabit agriculturally used areas, leopard cats prefer forested habitats, including tropical evergreen rainforests, subtropical deciduous and coniferous forests, and plantations at various altitudes.

Physical Characteristics:

• Size and appearance vary considerably across their range, with a length of 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 inches), excluding their 23-35 cm (9-13.8 inches) tail.
• Their colouration ranges from pale tawny to yellow, red, or grey, with white underparts and distinctive spots.
• Most leopard cats have four black stripes running from their forehead to the nape, breaking into short bands and elongated spots on their shoulders.

Behaviour and Diet:

• As solitary and nocturnal carnivores, leopard cats primarily feed on rodents, tree shrews, and hares, playing a crucial role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystems.

Conservation Status:

• Listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List, leopard cats face threats from habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. Continued monitoring and conservation efforts are essential to protect this species and its vital role in Asia's diverse ecosystems.

Facts about Pench Tiger Reserve:

• Location: Situated in the southern reaches of the Satpura hills, the Pench Tiger Reserve spans Seoni and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh and extends into Nagpur district in Maharashtra as a separate Sanctuary.
  • It derives its name from the Pench River, which flows from north to south through the Reserve.
• The reserve encompasses the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Pench Mowgli Sanctuary, and a buffer zone.
• The area served as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's renowned work, "The Jungle Book."
• Vegetation: The undulating topography supports a diverse range of vegetation, from moist, sheltered valleys to open, dry deciduous forests.
• Flora: Pench Tiger Reserve boasts a rich variety of flora, including teak, saag, mahua, and various grasses and shrubs.
• Fauna: Renowned for its wildlife diversity, the reserve is home to large herds of Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Gaur (Indian Bison), and wild boar.
  • Key predators include the tiger, leopard, wild dogs, and wolf. Additionally, the reserve supports over 325 species of resident and migratory birds, including the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, Grey Headed Fishing Eagle, and White Eyed Buzzard.

Why is it in the News?

In his 50s, Madakam Unga, a Muria tribal farmer who migrated from Chhattisgarh and settled in the dense forests of the Godavari Valley, is still practising ‘deda’, a traditional method of preserving seeds that his ancestors handed over to his family.

What is the Deda Method?

• The Deda Method is an ancestral seed preservation technique passed down through generations.
• This unique method involves the use of natural materials to create a protective, airtight environment for the seeds, ensuring their viability for future planting.

Preservation Process:

• Seeds are packed tightly and wrapped in leaves to form a sturdy bundle resembling a boulder.
• The seed-filled leaf packages are then woven together with Siali leaves (Bauhinia vahlii), locally known as 'addakulu,' forming the distinctive deda structure.
• A deda consists of three layers:
  • The innermost layer contains wood ash spread over Siali leaves.
  • The ash is then covered with lemon leaves, creating a protective casing.
  • Lastly, seeds are preserved within this casing and sealed, with each deda supporting up to 5kg of seeds.

Advantages:

• The Deda Method effectively protects seeds from pests and worms, ensuring their quality and viability.
• Seeds preserved using this technique can be used for cultivation for up to five years.
• This method is particularly useful for preserving the seeds of various pulses, such as green gram, red gram, black gram, and beans.
• By utilizing the Deda Method, farmers can maintain a reliable, diverse collection of seeds, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and supporting long-term food security.

Facts About Muria Tribe:

• Location: The Muria tribe is found in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
• Language: They speak Koya, a Dravidian language.
• Population and Status: In Andhra Pradesh, the Muria, also known as 'Gutti Koyas' by native tribes, are internally displaced people (IDPs) with a population of around 6,600.
• Cultural Practices: The Muria have a progressive outlook on marriage and life.
  • A notable example is the Ghotul, a communal dormitory that provides an environment for Muria youth to explore and understand their sexuality.

Recognition: While most Gutti Koya belong to the Gond or Muria communities, which are recognized as Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh, they lack such recognition in Telangana.

Why is it in the News?

China's latest scientific achievement, the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS), is poised to become Asia's first fourth-generation synchrotron light source which is scheduled to commence operations by the end of this year.

What is a Synchrotron?

• A synchrotron is a type of circular particle accelerator where particles travel in a loop.
• It functions by accelerating charged particles, typically electrons, through sequences of magnets until they approach the speed of light.

How Does It Work?

• Acceleration: Charged particles are accelerated through magnets.
• Production of Light: These high-speed electrons generate extremely bright light, known as synchrotron light.
  • This light, predominantly in the X-ray region, is millions of times brighter than conventional sources and 10 billion times brighter than the sun.
• Beamlines and Workstations: The intense light is directed down beamlines to experimental workstations for research purposes.

Applications:

• Research: Scientists use synchrotron light to study tiny matter such as atoms and molecules.
• By examining how a sample scatters, diffracts, absorbs, or reemits the synchrotron light, they can uncover details about its structure and chemical composition.

Global Presence:

• There are approximately 70 synchrotrons worldwide in various stages of development.
• They have varying technical specifications and uses, ranging from practical applications to fundamental theoretical research.

In India:

• India has a synchrotron facility known as the "Indus Synchrotron."
• It is located at the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Indus Synchrotron is a third-generation synchrotron radiation source that is used for various research applications in fields such as materials science, biology, and environmental science.

What is the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS)?

• HEPS (High Energy Photon Source) is recognized as the brightest synchrotron X-ray source in Asia.
• Location: The HEPS facility is situated in Huairou, China, approximately 50 kilometres from Beijing.
• Acceleration Capabilities: HEPS is designed to accelerate electrons up to energies of 6 gigaelectron volts within its 36-kilometer circumference storage ring, producing high-energy X-rays for research purposes.
• Nanoscale Investigations: The high-energy X-rays generated by HEPS can penetrate deep into samples, allowing researchers to study intricate details at the nanometer scale.
• Diverse Research Applications: HEPS will cater to various research fields, including energy, condensed matter physics, materials innovation, and biomedicine, by providing access to 14 specialized beamlines.
• Superiority to Existing Synchrotrons: Compared to China's current most advanced synchrotron, the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (with a circumference of 432 meters), HEPS will offer a time resolution 10,000 times better.

Why is it in the News?

NASA is set to launch the two small satellites of the PREFIRE mission from New Zealand on May 22 aimed at filling in critical gaps in data from Earth's polar regions.

What is the PREFIRE Mission?

• PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) is a NASA mission that involves sending two tiny twin spacecraft, known as CubeSats, to the Earth's polar regions to gather data on the heat energy radiated out to space and its impact on our climate.
• PREFIRE consists of two, 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months.
• These shoebox-sized satellites will orbit at altitudes between 292 and 403 miles, crossing paths in the atmosphere.

Objectives:

• The mission will help close a gap in understanding how much of Earth’s heat is lost to space, especially from the Arctic and Antarctica.
• Analysis of PREFIRE’s measurements will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming world will affect sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise.
• Improving climate models can ultimately help to provide more accurate projections on the impacts of storm severity and frequency, as well as coastal erosion and flooding.
• By studying the far-infrared radiation emitted from these regions, PREFIRE will help improve the accuracy of climate models, enhancing our understanding of phenomena such as Arctic warming, sea ice loss, and ice-sheet melting.

The mission will help in:

• Uncover the reasons behind the Arctic warming more than 2½ times faster than the global average since the 1970s.
• Provide scientists with a clearer understanding of how efficiently far-infrared heat is emitted by materials such as snow and sea ice, and how clouds affect the amount of far-infrared radiation that escapes to space.
• Enhance predictions about future changes in the heat exchange between Earth and space, and how these changes will impact phenomena like ice sheet melting, atmospheric temperatures, and global weather patterns.

How will the Satellites Work?

• The mission with cube satellites about the size of a shoebox will be launched aboard an Electron launch vehicle.
• It is equipped with technology proven on Mars and will measure a “little-studied portion” of the radiant energy emitted by Earth.
• Two satellites carrying a thermal infrared spectrometer will be in asynchronous near-polar orbits and will be passing over a given spot on Earth at different times. To maximize coverage, they will be overlapping every few hours near the poles.
• The instruments weighing less than 6 pounds (3 kilograms) each will make readings using a device called a thermocouple, similar to the sensors found in many household thermostats.

Why is it Important to Study the Polar Regions?

• According to NASA, Earth's climate balance hinges on the equilibrium between the heat energy the planet receives from the Sun and the amount it radiates back into space.
• The difference between incoming and outgoing energy determines Earth's temperature and climate.
• The polar regions are crucial in this balance.
• Changes in the polar regions can significantly impact global weather patterns.
• Extreme storms, flooding, coastal erosion – all of these phenomena are influenced by what’s happening in the Arctic and Antarctic.
• This underscores the importance of understanding polar dynamics to predict and mitigate global climate effects.