Current Affairs Question - 13 November 2019

Explanation :

• Tropical forests are closed canopy forests growing within 10 degrees north or south of the equator.
• These are very wet places, receiving more than 200 cm rainfall per year, either seasonally or throughout the year.
• Temperatures are uniformly high - between 20°C and 35°C.
• The majority of tropical rainforests are found in four biogeographic realms: the Afrotropical(mainland Africa, Madagascar, and scattered islands), the Australian (Australia, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands), the Indomalayan(India, Sri Lanka, mainland Asia, and Southeast Asia), and the Neotropical(South America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands).The heavy rains that occur in rainforests wash organic material from the soil, a process known as leaching, rendering the soil nutrient-less.
• A common feature of many tropical rainforests is the distinct buttress roots of trees. Instead of penetrating to deeper soil layers, buttress roots create a widespread root network at the surface for more efficient uptake of nutrients in a very nutrient poor and competitive environment.
• Rainforests are the most productive and most complex ecosystems on Earth.

Explanation :

• SurangaBawadi was built by Adil Shah-I of Adilshahi dynasty of Bijapur in the 16th century to supply water to Vijaypura in Karnataka.
• It is an integral part of the ancient Karez System of supplying water through subterranean tunnels.

Karez System

• Karez system was built by Bahmani kings in 15th Century by the Bahmani kings in Bidar, Gulbarg and Bijapur in Karnataka and also in Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh.
• Also known as Qanat, it is a water-harnessing technology that originated in Iran/Persia.
• Karez technology basically taps into the ground tunnel to the settlement, ending in surface canal and/or pools in the village for various uses.

World Monuments Watch

• The World Monuments Watch is a global program launched in 1995 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of World Monuments Fund.
• It aims to identify imperiled cultural heritage sites and direct financial and technical support for their preservation.