My Science School

Covering an area of 3,700 sq.km., the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia span the States of Queensland and New South Wales. Australia split from Antarctica during the breakup of Gondwana (an ancient supercontinent) several million years ago. And today, the rainforests continue to live on as windows offering insights into what happened all those years ago. These rainforests are signicant not only in terms of evolutionary history and geology, but also for their startling biological diversity. A variety of flora and fauna lineages, with origins that can be traced all the way back to Gondwana, exists today within these areas. Which is to say that many plants and animals have remained relatively unchanged from their ancestors whose fossils have been recorded. In fact, some of them are said to be found only in these rainforests. Apart from these, the region is a primary habitat for several threatened species of plants and animals. Many species continue to be discovered or rediscovered within these forests. For instance, the Hastings river mouse and parma wallaby, previously thought to be extinct, were rediscovered. The sheer diversity in the number of rare and threatened rainforest species in the region are of great global importance for both science and conservation. Though much from the original rainforests has been replaced by other vegetation types, due to several reasons such as climate change, the region continues to reveal secrets and mysteries of a time when humankind did not exist.

Wildlife

Among the mammals that can be found in the region are deer, rats, mice, bats, and flying foxes, echidnas, bandicoots, and platypuses, and marsupials such as wallabies, wallaroos, kangaroos, possums, quolls, and gliders. Pipits, wagtails, sparrows, finches, mynas, starlings, thrushes, swallows, martins, warblers, robins, wagtails, flycatchers, cuckooshrikes, babblers, honeyeaters, wrens, treecreepers, bee-eaters, kookaburras, kingfishers, owls, cuckoos, parrots, lorikeets, cockatoos, buttonquails, lapwings, kestrels, falcons, eagles, kites, buzzards, spoonbills, ibises, herons, egrets, cormorants, frogmouths, nightjars, grebes, ducks, and plenty of other birds can be spotted in these rainforests. Snakes, pythons, skinks, lizards, monitors, geckos, turtles, and frogs are some of the reptiles of the area. These are in addition to several species of fish and insects that call the place their home.

Threats

As mentioned earlier, climate change is a huge threat to these rainforests. But that isn't the region's only problem. Here are a few other concerns:

Wildfires: A UNESCO World Heritage site, these rainforests face the fury of wildfires too. With the intensity and frequency of the wildfires increasing in the region, there are concerns that if timely action is not taken, these ancient wonders could be lost forever. These fears are not unfounded because during the 2019-2020 wildfire season, it is believed that at least 50% of these rainforests were affected. There have been calls to the government for implementing and adhering to policies that protect these areas.

Tourism: While tourism is integral to the development and upkeep of any crucial region, it can have an adverse impact on the very region it seeks to protect. And this is the exact problem that the Gondwana rainforests faces. Every year, it welcomes a few million visitors, who not only enjoy the natural beauty of the place, but, in the process, unwittingly, damage the vegetation. This also leads to soil erosion in the area. In addition, the rubbish that these visitors leave behind could harm the plants and the animals inhabiting the region.

Invasive species: Among others, weeds such as lantana, take over the region, stifling the growth of native plants. In the long run, they could cause large-scale devastation to the native vegetation that has existed for millions of years. This is true of some of the animals too. Invasive speices or pests such as pigs, foxes, cats, goats, deer, and wild dogs could either damage and consume native vegetation or feed on native animals, severely impacting the native wildlife population.

Picture Credit : Google

Located on the border between the African countries of Kenya and Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania's Serengeti plain spans an area of nearly 15,000 sq.km. The grassland and woodland savannah of the region, interspersed with rivers, is home to several species of animals such as cheetah, wildebeest, and zebra, and the threatened black rhinoceros. Set up in 1951, the Park attracts tourists from across the globe throughout the year for not just its diverse wildlife but also for hosting one of the most significant land animal migrations. It is one of the largest and the most diverse places in the world to witness the coming together of a large number of predator and prey. The Serengeti National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site of "outstanding universal value in 1981.

Wildlife

In addition to carnivores such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, and crocodiles, and herbivores such as wildebeest, gazelles and zebras, one can spot wild dogs, topis, warthogs, antelopes, elephants, giraffes, African buffaloes, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and baboons within the periphery of the Park. The Park also nurtures a few hundred species of both resident and visiting birds. They include ostriches, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, darters, bitterns, herons, egrets, storks, ibises, spoonbills, flamingoes, teals, ducks, geese, shovelers, pochards, vultures, harriers, eagles, hawks, kites, kestrels, falcons, quails, francolins, crakes, coots, moorhens, bustards, jacanas, snipes, sandpipers, plovers, terns, gulls, sandgrouses, doves, turacos, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes, hornbills, barbets, woodpeckers, larks, swallows, martins, orioles, babblers, shrikes, robins, wheatears, warblers, flycatchers, pipits, weavers, starlings, and sunbirds.

Did you know?

• Every year, more than 10 lakh wildebeest, along with thousands of other herbivores and ungulates such as zebra and gazelle, go on a 1,000-km circuitous journey between the Park in Tanzania and Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. The migration sees the animals moving to greener pastures in Kenya during the dry season in Serengeti. Throughout the migration, several adults and newborns perish to predators such as crocodiles, lions, and cheetah, but much more survive to keep the world's most astounding spectacle alive.
• The Park faces threats due to natural causes such as wildfires, and human-related issues such as excessive tourism, water management, poaching, etc. For instance, a recent study that had studied the region over a long period of time found that due to increasing human activity on the boundary, animals congregate increasingly in the core of the protected area. And this is not good news because such a concentration could lead to depletion of natural resources such as plant and water, and even lead to extreme drought.
• While the large numbers of animals migrating to the region is fantastic news, monitoring something of this magnitude requires a lot of time and labour. Recently, a “research team testing the capacity of both citizen scientists and machine learning algorithms to help survey the annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania found that both methods could produce accurate animal counts, a boon for park managers”.
• African wild dogs disappeared from the Park around 1991-1992, and several reasons-from rabies and canine distemper diseases to encroachment of farming activity into their habitats have been attributed to the disappearance. Around 2012, a few packs were re-introduced to the region, and some of them even gave birth to young ones.

Picture Credit : Google

Situated in the central part of the Indonesian archipelago, the Komodo National Park spans an area of 2,00,000 hectares. A UNESCO World Heritage Site of Outstanding Universal Value, it is home to about 5000 Komodo dragons. As the only place in the world today with these lizards, the area has been of particular interest to both the scientific community and curious tourists. Once found in Australia too, these lizards are said to have thrived in their current home for millions of years now.

Wildlife

Though most noted for Komodo dragons, the park nurtures other wildlife too. Among the more than 70 species of birds spotted in the area are cockatoos, jungle fowl, kestrels, herons, thick-knees, doves, sunbirds, finches, drongos, Orioles, scrub fowl, and friarbirds. The waters around the boundary of the Park nurture several species of whales such as sperm whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and the endangered dugong also known as sea cow.

The “Jurassic Park” problem

Last October while several parts of the world were still grappling with COVID-19 and the destruction it left in its wake, a photo from the park went viral. What did it show? A Komodo dragon facing a truck. What was a truck doing in such an eco-sensitive region? This needs a bit of a history. In 2019, a controversial decision to close the Park was dropped after collective outrage. Soon after that came another piece of news. That the government would end mass tourism by imposing a heavily priced membership scheme to enter the park. “But around the same time they also unveiled plans for a mass tourist development on neighbouring Rinca Island, which is home to the second-largest population of Komodo dragons.” And this project has been dubbed “Jurassic park“, which is where Komodo dragon had an unexpected encounter with that truck. Concerned conservationists have raised questions over the need for such a project, worried that this move will ruin the natural habitat of the world’s largest lizard. A damaged natural environment will eventually affect its habitants too, meaning the Komodo dragons could be in peril if the project is completed. Though it has been said that the project has been stopped, media reports suggest that the project may not have been dropped but only paused for now.

Did you know?

• The world’s largest and heaviest lizards, these reptiles can grow up to 10 feet, weigh more than £300 and live up to 30 years in the wild.
• Going by their diet, they are hearty eaters –it is said that in one go, these giants can consume nearly 80% of their body weight. The carnivore’s diet includes everything from deer and pigs to water buffaloes and sometimes even smaller comes from its own species!
• Poaching and human encroachment are only two of the reasons that could lead to a decline in the population of these lizards.
• As with the most habitats the world over, climate change is unlikely to spare this region either. While resultant intense wildfires can directly alter the habitat of the Komodo dragon, storms threaten to cause extensive damage to corals and the reefs in the waters surrounding the archipelago.

Picture Credit : Google

The Qutb complex in Delhi contains buildings and monuments from the Delhi Sultanate era. Amongst these is the Qutub Minar, built as a victory tower by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who was once the Sultan of Delhi. The tower commemorates the victory of the Delhi Sultanate over the Hindu kings. Several monuments were added to the complex later by his successors and future rulers. Today, the complex is a popular tourist spot in the capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1. Tallest brick minaret

Standing at 72.5 metres, the Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world. It has a base diameter of 14.3 metres which reduces to 2.7 metres at the peak. The Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan is the next tallest brick monument at 62 metres. Interestingly, the Qutub Minar is said to have been inspired by the Minaret of Jam.

2. No more climbing to the top

There are 379 steps that lead to the top of the Qutub Minar. It was once allowed for the public to climb the stairs and catch a glimpse of the city from the top. However, on December 4. 1981, a power failure caused a blackout at the staircase, leading to a stampede. Nearly 300 to 400 people were inside when the blackout happened and in the rush to the exit. 47 people, mostly school children, were killed. Ever since, no one has been allowed to climb the monument.

3. The oldest mosque

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, which is part of the Qutb complex was commissioned by Qutb-ud-din-Aibak. It was the first mosque to be built in Delhi after the Islamic conquest of India. The mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the country and the oldest surviving example of Ghurid architecture in the Indian subcontinent.

4. Khilji's incomplete dream

Emperor Alauddin Khilji of the Khilji dynasty enlarged the Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque during his reign. Post this, he wished to build a minaret of his own called the Alai Minar. This was to be double the size of the Qutub Minar. The construction of this minar was however abandoned after his death in 1316, and the 24.5 metre high first storey core of the minar still stands among the ruins of the Qutb complex.

5. The iron pillar

The Iron Pillar of Delhi is part of the Quth complex. It was constructed by emperor Chandragupta II and was erected elsewhere before being moved to its present location. The pillar is famous for the rust-resistant composition of metals used in its construction. Till date, the pillar has not corroded.

Picture Credit : Google