- In 2024, we continued our series of environmental explainers that demystified complex environmental topics.
- We helped break down scientific jargon and policy discussions into relatable information, empowering individuals to understand how these issues impact their lives and communities.
- As we wrap up 2024, here are some ecological terms we learned more about, and shared with our readers this year.
Is seagrass used in sushi?
No! That’s seaweed!
So, then what is seagrass?
It started with an innocuous question based on pure curiosity. But as we kept digging further, we found fascinating answers to questions we didn’t even know we had – where is seagrass found? How does it reproduce? How does it breathe?
Sushi cravings made way for what turned out to be our first explainer.
The joy of unpacking our natural world took us through a series of questions – Where do insects come from? What are invasive plants? Can planting trees mitigate climate change? And while engaging in lengthy conversations about ecological science, we even paused and asked – why do we use jargon while talking about science?
Environmental topics have now become a part of mainstream conversations. Yet, there is a gap between the intricacies of science and the public’s need to understand its impact and their role in taking informed action.
Mongabay India’s Environment Explained series breaks down complex concepts of the natural world into simple, easy-to-digest explainers. Through these explainers, we indulge your curiosity and help you make sense of the environmental news around you.
Explainers are also our way to help build resilience against potential environmental misinformation. By equipping you with clear, factual information and explaining concepts, we are “prebunking” misconceptions before they arise.
As we wrap up 2024, here are some ecological terms we learned more about, and shared with our readers, in our Environment Explained series.
Helping wildlife traverse landscapes
Wildlife corridors are strips of habitats that connect larger landscapes or ecosystems which may be fragmented by human settlements, infrastructure and other forms of disturbances. These corridors allow for the movement of wildlife across ecosystems, to enable foraging for food, connecting different populations for mating and other motives for migration.
The use of technology in managing wild spaces is rising steadily, with tools like satellite imagery and GIS modelling helping us observe populations. Such tools not only help understand behaviour patterns and changes but also play a crucial role in managing conflict situations.
What’s in a name?
Although several systems of taxonomy have been created and modified, the one that persists today, over 200 years after it was first developed, is Linnaeus’ binomial system of nomenclature, developed by Carl Linnaeus, famous for his work in taxonomy or the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms. This system standardises the naming of species to classify them according to their characteristics and relationships with each other and is the cornerstone of taxonomy.
Despite this careful ranking and hierarchy that groups organisms according to their common characteristics, the current taxonomic system often fails to capture the evolutionary relationships between different organisms as it is heavily focused on their physical characteristics.
Moving trees
Tree transplantation or translocation is the process of uprooting and relocating a fully grown, mature tree from its original location to a new one.
The method has gained traction in India as a way to preserve green cover, in the face of urbanisation and infrastructure projects. But while it offers a compromise between development and conservation, the practice is complex, costly, and its long-term success remains a subject of debate among experts.
While trees are important carbon sinks, there is significant data that shows that the global potential for trees to mitigate climate change is grossly overestimated – something we addressed in an earlier explainer on whether planting trees can mitigate climate change.
A biryani ingredient as a biomonitor?
Seems like we didn’t get too far – from examining sushi ingredients to biryani flavourings. But each exploration unleashes a new flavour. Like in this explainer, we examined what lichens can tell us about atmospheric pollution.
Lichens are known for their resilience in the face of pollution, a trait that has positioned them as biomonitors and bioindicators. Their sensitivity to environmental shifts makes them valuable instruments for monitoring air quality and ecological health.
In fact, it was this symbiotic organism, the humble lichen, that held the most compelling scientific evidence against mercury poisoning in the Kodaikanal lake in southern India. The lichens from the lake, near which a thermometer factory was set up, showed traces of mercury. And what led to testing these organisms? A scientist that stumbled upon them when his biryani tasted amiss!
Explaining the future
As climate change, energy and environment are entering mainstream discussions, we also look to the future to unravel terms that are yet being understood or events that may potentially have an impact in the long term.
The carbon economy is one area with emerging terms that become crucial for us to understand as the world transitions towards cleaner energy sources.
Most discussions about carbon storage focus on “blue carbon” which is carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes or “green carbon” which is carbon stored in land, primarily grasslands, croplands, and forests.
Our explainer looked at a new term – teal carbon. Teal carbon, in particular, highlights the importance of inland, non-tidal freshwater ecosystems in capturing and storing atmospheric carbon. For a long time, teal carbon was considered as part of blue carbon and not as a separate component. Now, early conversations are highlighting teal carbon ecosystems, it’s important to build awareness and connections with wetlands and their role as carbon stocks.
As we emerge from the heat around climate discussions with the recently concluded COP29, we are also seeing a fresh set of questions emerge around climate action – what is the obligation of states in mitigating the climate crisis? Can legal action be taken if countries fail to meet their commitments?
These questions have been taken up by the International Court of Justice, a global legal body, in a recent case and the court is deliberating the legal obligations states have in mitigating the climate crisis. The outcome of these hearings could become a concrete way to reframe the way negotiations are happening, where we haven’t seen enough momentum, say experts. While the court deliberates, we decided to get down to the basics and ask – why is the International Court of Justice deliberating global climate action?
Banner image: Mongabay India’s environmental explainers help demystify complex environmental topics. Representative image by ROMAN ODINTSOV from Pexels.
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