ECO-CLUB PRESENTATION 2013-14PRESENTATION NO. 1

A Research on Endangered Species

RED-HEADED VULTURE

Scientific Classification:-

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Accipitriformes

Family Accipitridae

Genus Sarcogyps (Lesson, 1842)

Species S. calvus

PICTURE

INFORMATION

The Red-Headed vulture is a medium-sized vulture of 76 to 86 cm (30 to 34 in) in length, weighing 3.5–6.3 kg (7.7–14 lb) and having a wingspan of about 1.99–2.6 m (6.5–8.5 ft). The adult has a prominent deep red to orange naked head and the juvenile being of paler red. It has a black body with pale grey band at the base of flight feathers. The sexes differ in colour of the iris: males have a paler, whitish iris, while in females it is dark brown. This gaudy-faced vulture was historically abundant, range widely across the Indian Subcontinent, and also eastwards to south-central and south-eastern Asia, extending from India to Singapore. Today the range of the Red-headed Vulture is localized primarily to northern India. It is usually in open country and in cultivated and semi-desert areas. It is also found in deciduous forests and foothills and river valleys. It is usually found up to an altitude of 3000m from sea level.

SIBERIAN TIGER

Scientific Classification:-

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Mammalia

Order Carnivora

Family Felidae

Subfamily Pantherinae

Genus Panthera

Species P. tigris

Subspecies P. tigris altaica

PICTURE

INFORMATION

The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye Province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult-sub-adult Amur tigers in this region, with a breeding adult population of about 250 individuals. The population has been stable for more than a decade due to intensive conservation efforts, but partial surveys conducted after 2005 indicate that the Russian tiger population is declining.The Siberian tiger is the largest living felid and ranks among the biggest felids to ever exist.

GASTRIC-BROODING FROG

Scientific Classification:-

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Myobatrachidae

Subfamily: RheobatrachidaeHeyer & Liem, 1976

Genus: Rheobatrachus Liem, 1973

PICTURE

INFORMATIONThe gastric-brooding frogs or platypus frogs were a genus of ground-dwelling  frogs native to Queensland in eastern Australia. The genus consisted of only two species, both of which became extinct in the mid-1980s. The genus was unique because it contained the only two known frog species that incubated the prejuvenile stages of their offspring in the stomach of the mother. The gastric-brooding frog was first described in 1973 by David Liem and since has not undergone any scientific classification changes; however the placement of this genus within a family has been controversial. It has been placed in a distinct subfamily of Myobatrachidae, Rheobatrachinae, in a separate family, Rheobatrachidae, placed as the sister taxon of Limnodynastinae and Rheobatrachinae has been synonimized with Limnodynastinae. In 2006, D. R. Frost and colleagues found Rheobatrachinae, on the basis of molecular evidence, to be the sister taxon of Mixophyes and placed it within Myobatrachidae.

MONKEY PUZZLE TREE

Scientific Classification:-

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Pinophyta

Class: Pinopsida

Order: Pinales

Family: Araucariaceae

Genus: Araucaria

Species: A. araucana

PICTURE

INFORMATION

The leaves are thick, tough and scale-like, triangular, 3–4 cm long, 1–3 cm broad at the base, and with sharp edges and tip. They persist for 10–15 years or more, so cover most of the tree except for the older branches.It is usually dioecious, with the male and female cones on separate trees, though occasional individuals bear cones of both sexes. The male (pollen) cones are oblong and cucumber-shaped, 4 cm long at first, expanding to 8–12 cm long by 5–6 cm broad at pollen release. The tree is wind pollinated. The female (seed) cones, which mature in autumn about 18 months after pollination, are globose, large, 12–20 cm diameter, and hold about 200 seeds. The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the 3–4 cm long, nut-like seeds.

KORANDI PALAM

Scientific Classification:-

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Rosids

Order: Myrtales

Family: Myrtaceae

Genus: Eugenia

Species: E. singampattiana

PICTURE

INFORMATION

The plant Korandi Palam, Eugenia singampattiana, with small orange fruits is a good cure for diabetes with its bark and fruit used in traditional medicine. But this evergreen tree along with 57 other species of plants that are medicinally important, may soon be all gone according to a new study. The study found 772 medicinal species which are predominantly used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Tibetan, Unani, Homeopathy and allopathy in the KMTR. India being the birthplace of herbal medicine, surely there are other forest regions in the country where the same obliteration of medicinal plants is in progress. If some strict law is not made sooner, the plants and their ecological as well as economical value will be lost forever.

THERE ARE MANY MORE TO BE SAVED….WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN SAVE THEIR LIVES!

THANK YOU! FOR FUN STUFF, LOG ON TO WWW.CANOSSA-ECOCLUB.WEEBLY.COM

NOW FOR SANAA’S GOODIE-GOOD ARTICLES!

Hey! So I’ve found some articles from the prevention magazine as well as the internet. Some are funny, some are inspirational. Here they are:- Article no. 1

For a GREEN CHRISTMAS...Be creative with your household trash while

packing Christmas & New Year gifts. This will reduce the waste you create and make your gifts stand apart. Use the brown papers, newspapers or old wrapping papers stacked at home creatively and further brighten them with colourful buttons or ribbons. Recycle sweet boxes and pretty totes that you may have received Diwali gifts in.

ARTICLE NO. 2

Donate your OLD PHONEInstead of letting your old mobile phone collect dust in your drawer, hand t over at a nearby Nokia centre. They will plant a TREE in your name. All you need to do is register and list details of the phone and parts given. Remember, cell phones contain lead and cadmium which, if thrown into the garbage, are potentially hazardous to the environment. Recycling old phones is an environment-friendly practice as these gadgets are stripped off the useful bits to be used in new phones.

ARTICLE NO. 3

Now, there will be some environmentalists, who will share their eco-friendly lifestyle with you.Dr. RK PachauriNobel Peace Prize winner, director general, TERI

“I decided several years ago to become a complete vegetarian. This is because the poultry industry is responsible in many ways for indirect emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. I also make it a point to switch off the lights in my office even if I step out for a couple of minutes and try to walk to work whenever possible.”

ARTICLE NO. 3

Dr. Vandana ShivaEnvironmental activist, founder, Navdanya

“I practise what I preach because I want to be the change I want to see. I promote organic farming and therefore eat organic. This is because chemical and industrial foods and costly not only to our environment but also to our health.”

ARTICLE NO. 3

Sunita NarainDirector general, centre for Science and Environment

“I minimise my water usage. In addition to this, I do rain water harvesting in my house. I use CFL bulbs and energy efficient electrical appliances. I also recycle and re-use all the paper that I use—a great way to save trees!”

ARTICLE NO. 3

Ashish KothariFounder member, Kalpavriksh, Environment Action Group

“I cycle to work-it’s about a 15-km round trip It saves fuel, stops pollution and keeps me fit. I do not use a refrigerator at home, which reduces my energy consumption. I get fresh vegetables regularly, cook only for one or two meals and boil milk twice a day.”

ARTICLE NO. 4

Cereal Box OrganizerMaterials:-*Utility knife.*Left-over colourful chart papers from your

projects.*Tape*Cereal Box

Continued…

Steps:-Step one – Cut the cereal box with a utility knife at a desired height and angle.Step two – Wrap the other side of the chart paper where you have not written anything to see how much you’ll need ; unwrap ; cut.Step three – Stick the chart paper with tape.

Yay! Your done! Now you can stuff it with anything you want.