Great Indian Bustards (GIB)

The recent sighting of Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan's Cholistan desert has fueled speculation that the endangered birds may have flown across the border from India's Desert National Park (DNP).

What Are the Most Important Facts About the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)?

• The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), Rajasthan's state bird, is considered India's most critically endangered bird.
• It is regarded as the flagship grassland species, representing the overall health of the grassland ecosystem.
• Its population is mostly concentrated in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have small populations.
• Threats include collisions/electrocution with power transmission lines, hunting (which is still prevalent in Pakistan), habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion, and so on.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Critically Endangered
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix1
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Rajasthan, having around 150 GIBs, accounts for 95 percent of the total global population.

GIB protection measures include:

Species Recovery Plan:

• It is kept as part of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change's Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats programme (MoEFCC).

National Bustard Recovery:

• It is currently being implemented by linking local livelihood with bustard conservation. The core breeding areas are identified by the state government and kept inviolate from human disturbance, restricting land use diversion for roads, intensive

Conservation Breeding Center:

• In June 2019, the MoEF&CC, Rajasthan government, and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) established a conservation breeding facility in Jaisalmer's Desert National Park.
• The program's goal is to raise a captive population of Great Indian Bustards and then release the chicks into the wild to increase the population.

Project Great Indian Bustard:

• The Rajasthan government has launched Project Great Indian Bustard with the goal of constructing breeding enclosures for the species and developing infrastructure to reduce human pressure on its habitats.

International Efforts

• The International Fund for Houbara Conservation of United Arab Emirates is providing technical aid for this initiative.
• In 2020, the GIB was included in the list of protected species of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals during its 13th conference held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Pakistan is a signatory of this convention.

What Are the Most Important Facts About Desert National Park?

• It is located on India's western border, within the districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan.
• This park is home to Great Indian Bustards, Rajasthan's state animal (Chinkara), state tree (khejri), and state flower (Rohida).
• In 1980, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 1999, it was designated as a National Park.

• and in 1999, it was designated as a National Park.

About Cholistan Desert

• The Cholistan Desert is situated in the southern part of Pakistan’s Punjab.
• It forms part of the Greater Thar Desert, which spans from Sindh province to the Indian state of Rajasthan.
• It is one of the two major deserts in Punjab, with the other being the Thal desert.
• The entire region is experiencing desertification because the poor vegetation cover is causing wind erosion.

Way Forward

Community support and NGO’s can work along with the government to protect and conserve the Great Indian Bustard.

Read Also: Red Panda and IUCN

Sandalwood Spike Diseases

A recent study found that Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD) is a serious threat to commercial sandalwood cultivation.

About Sandalwood Spike Disease:

• It is a plant-borne infectious disease caused by phytoplasma.
• Phytoplasmas are plant-parasitic bacteria that are transmitted by insect vectors and involved in plant-to-plant transmission.
• There is currently no cure for the infection.
• To prevent the spread of the disease, the only option is to cut down and remove the infected tree.
• In 1899, the disease was first reported in Kodagu, Karnataka.
• Between 1903 and 1916, over a million sandalwood trees were felled in the Kodagu and Mysore regions.
• Concerns: The disease kills 1% to 5% of sandalwood trees each year, and scientists warn that it could wipe out the entire natural population if preventative measures are not taken.
• Another issue to be concerned about is that any delay in stopping the trend may result in the disease spreading to cultivated sandalwood trees.

Recent Initiatives:

• In an effort to combat the killer disease, the Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) in Bangalore collaborated with the National Centre for Cell Sciences in Pune for a three-year study funded by the Union Ministry of AYUSH with Rs. 50 lakhs.
• IWST is a Sandalwood Research and Wood Science Center of Excellence.

About Indian Sandalwood:

• Santalum album, also known as Indian Sandalwood, is a species of dry deciduous forest found in China, India, Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines.
• Sandalwood has long been associated with Indian heritage and culture, as the country once contributed 85% of the world's sandalwood trade. However, this has been rapidly declining recently.
• This small tropical tree can reach a height of 20m and has red wood and bark in a variety of dark colours (dark brown, reddish and dark grey).
• Santalum album is primarily harvested for its timber due to its strength and durability.

Uses:

• It is also known as "Chandan" and "Srigandha" in India. Sandalwood holds a special place in Indian tradition, where it is used from birth to death.
• Close-grained sandalwood heartwood is used for fine furniture and carving.
• The heartwood and roots also have a high concentration of 'sandal oil,' which is used in perfumes, incense, cosmetics, soaps, and medicines. The bark contains tannin, which can be used to make dye.
• Sandalwood essential oil is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and astringent.
• It is used in aromatherapy to relieve stress and hypertension, as well as to heal wounds and treat skin blemishes.
• Sandalwood is primarily grown in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu in India.

Way Forward

• The study recommended that commercial production of sandalwood seedlings be accredited through testing to ensure that the plants are free of SSD.
• It has also called for a paradigm shift in sandalwood seedling management policies.

Read Also: Red Sanders

Partial Solar Eclipse

• On October 25, various portions of India witnessed a partial solar eclipse for the first time in more than ten years.
• It also marks the last solar eclipse of the year.

A solar eclipse is what?

• A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, blocking some of the Sun's light from reaching Earth.
• An eclipse never occurs on its own. A solar eclipse often occurs two weeks either before or after a lunar eclipse.

Recent partial solar eclipse visibility:

• From sections of Europe, Northern Africa, and a sizable portion of western and central Asia, the eclipse was visible.
• With the exception of few regions in the Northeast, it was visible throughout most of India.

Solar eclipse types:

• A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon totally blocks out the Sun.
• Eclipse with an annulus: In an annular solar eclipse, the Moon will partially obscure the Sun yet leave its edge visible.
• Partial solar eclipse: When the sun, moon, and earth are not exactly lined up, a partial solar eclipse takes place. As a result, a portion of the sun's surface appears to have a black shadow.
• A partial solar eclipse has three phases: its commencement, its apex, and its ending.
• The moon moves over the disc of the sun in its initial phase, reaching its maximum when the largest portion of the disc is covered.
• The third phase occurs when the moon begins to move away from the earth, allowing sunlight to pass through.
• The fact that the partial solar eclipse may only occur during a new moon makes it special.

What makes the latest occurrence unusual?

• About twice a year, a partial eclipse takes place somewhere on Earth. There might be a range in the annual total of partial eclipses.
• They can happen on their own or in conjunction with a total solar eclipse, in which case the partial eclipse is visible before and after totality.

Concerns

• Even for a little time, it is not advised to see an eclipse with the naked eye. Even though the Moon conceals the majority of the Sun, it can nevertheless permanently harm the eyes and cause blindness.
• The retina can be harmed by ultraviolet photons even if the eclipse may be apparent to the unaided eye.

Read Also: India’s deepest solar eclipse