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Tso Kar in the news for a conservation project
Why in News?
Which crane breeds at Tso Kar and Tso Moriri? The Ladakh wetland fact Prelims Environment tests
A Ladakh wetland that hosts breeding black-necked cranes gets conservation attention.
Why it matters: asked in KPSC 2023; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
Tso Kar, a high-altitude brackish lake in the Changthang region of Ladakh, is in the news for a conservation project.
Tso Kar and Tso Moriri are important breeding wetlands for the black-necked crane, the bird of Ladakh.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- Tso Kar is a high-altitude brackish lake in the Changthang region of Ladakh.
- Tso Kar and Tso Moriri are important breeding wetlands for the black-necked crane.
- The black-necked crane is the bird of Ladakh (Union Territory).
- Tso Kar and Tso Moriri are Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance).
- The black-necked crane is the only crane species that breeds at high altitude.
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- Tso Kar is a brackish (saline) lake located in the Changthang region of Ladakh.
- The black-necked crane breeds in high-altitude wetlands of Ladakh such as Tso Kar and Tso Moriri.
- The black-necked crane is the State/UT bird of Ladakh and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Mains
GS3 Environment: high-altitude wetlands are fragile ecosystems under pressure from tourism, climate change and grazing. Ramsar designation and the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 provide the framework; the way forward lies in community-based conservation, regulated tourism around breeding sites and scientific monitoring of species like the black-necked crane.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Which of the following lakes in Ladakh was recently announced as its first "Biodiversity Heritage site"?
- Tso Kar
- Pangong
- Yaya Tso
- Yarab Tso
Show answer
Answer: C
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Tso Kar and Tso Moriri, high-altitude wetlands of Ladakh, are important breeding grounds of which bird?
- Siberian crane
- Sarus crane
- Demoiselle crane
- Black-necked crane
Show answer
Answer: D — Correct: Black-necked crane — The black-necked crane breeds in the high-altitude wetlands of Changthang, Ladakh, and is the bird of the Union Territory. • Siberian crane — wrong: The Siberian crane is a critically endangered winter visitor that has not been recorded breeding in Ladakh. • Sarus crane — wrong: The Sarus crane is a resident of the plains and wetlands of northern and central India, not of high-altitude Ladakh. • Demoiselle crane — wrong: The Demoiselle crane is a winter migrant to India that breeds in Central Asia, not at Ladakh's lakes.
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