Prelims Specific Facts (January 16-31)

Newly Mentioned Species, Flora & Fauna

Omarana Water Lily (Nymphaea × omarana Bisset)

• Vibrant pink, introduced, invasive aquatic plant
• Habitat: proliferates in freshwater wetlands; naturally suppressed by saline water
• Location: Kuttanad region (Malarikkal village), Kerala
• Ecological impact: decaying biomass emits methane (GHG); hinders aquatic navigation, blocks sunlight, requires high herbicide use before paddy sowing

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

• Highly climate-resilient, drought- and shade-tolerant legume requiring no pre-soaking
• Subspecies: Domesticated varieties under ssp. unguiculata; wild subspecies include dekindtiana, protracta, pubescens, stenophylla, tenuis
• History: Domesticated in Africa (2500 BCE); reached Indian subcontinent (Daimabad, Maharashtra) between 1500-1200 BCE
• Nutrition: 100g dried grain yields 25g of protein

Weedy Rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea)

• Noxious aquatic weed heavily infesting paddy fields of Kerala

Stingless Bees

• Oldest bee species; responsible for pollinating over 80% of Amazonian flora
• Recently became world’s first insects to gain legal rights to exist, flourish, and live in pollution-free environment — via municipal declaration in Satipo, Peruvian Amazon

Common Cuckoo

• Transcontinental migratory bird (East Asia to Africa)
• Uses the Jhalana region of the Aravalli range as a critical habitat stopover to replenish energy before crossing the Thar and Arabian deserts

Desert-Adapted Fauna in Aravallis

• Royal snake, desert monitor lizard, fringe-toed lizard, Asiatic wildcat, and white-footed fox

National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Geographical Features

Aravalli Hills & Craton

• Over 2.5 billion-year-old fold mountains spanning 700 km across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi
• Acts as a massive “upland biological corridor” checking eastward drift of Thar Desert sand through 12 identified gaps
• Geological composition — four main rock terrains:
  1. Bhilwara gneiss — 3 billion years old
  2. Quartzites — 1.8-2 billion years (mountain-building phase)
  3. Delhi rocks — 1.1 billion years
  4. Post-Delhi magmatic rocks — 850-750 million years
• Comprises the ancient Aravalli Craton and the Bayana Basin (part of the North Delhi Fold Belt)
• Recent research: Aravallis continue underground to Haridwar; form buried spine dividing Ganga and Indus river basins

Vembanad Kole Wetland Ecosystem

• Designated Ramsar site in Kerala
• Houses Kuttanad region — located 1-2 metres below sea level
• Recognised as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by FAO (2013) for unique below-sea-level paddy farming

Thanneermukkam Saltwater Barrage

• Located in northern Kuttanad
• Prevents saltwater intrusion into paddy fields from December to March
• Delayed operation exacerbates invasive weed growth (Omarana water lily)

Kukrail Reserve Forest

• Located in Lucknow, UP
• Proposed to host India’s first urban night safari — sparking forest diversion concerns

Key Findings from Reports & Indices