Environment & Ecology UPSC prelims mains

🔆 PYGMY HOG IN THE LIMELIGHT: SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM 📍 Why in News? 🟢 The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme has helped increase the pygmy hog population in Assam, highlighting the importance of habitat restoration and conservation. 🟢 The survival of this critically threatened species depends on the protection of its alluvial grassland ecosystem. 📍 Pygmy Hog: Key Facts 🟢 Scientific name: Porcula salvania. 🟢 It is the world’s smallest wild pig and the sole surviving species of its genus. 🟢 It is an indicator of the health of alluvial floodplain grasslands. 🟢 It depends on dense grasslands for feeding, shelter and reproduction. 🟢 It was believed to be extinct by the mid-20th century and was rediscovered in 1971. 📍 Conservation Efforts 🟢 Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme: Initiated in 1995 to support the recovery of the species. 🟢 Captive breeding: Helps increase population numbers and maintain a conservation breeding stock. 🟢 Reintroduction: Captive-bred individuals are released into suitable natural habitats. 🟢 Assam’s conservation efforts: The pygmy hog population in the State reportedly increased 32-fold over three decades. 🟢 Population target: Assam aims to increase the wild pygmy hog population to 300 by 2040. 📍 Major Threats 🟢 Habitat loss: Conversion of floodplains into farms and tea plantations. 🟢 Habitat fragmentation: Flood-control infrastructure and land-use changes disrupt grassland ecosystems. 🟢 Invasive species: Alter the structure and composition of grasslands. 🟢 Dry-season fires: Destroy dense grass cover essential for the species. 🟢 Genetic risks: Small populations face inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity. 🟢 Disease: Captive populations are vulnerable to swine diseases. 📍 Importance of Grassland Conservation 🟢 Protecting pygmy hog habitats can also benefit species such as the Bengal florican, hispid hare, hog deer and greater one-horned rhinoceros. 🟢 Alluvial floodplains are dynamic ecosystems that require careful management of natural processes. 🟢 Conservation must balance grassland restoration with the prevention of excessive woody vegetation growth. 📍 Way Forward 🟢 Restore and reconnect fragmented grasslands, particularly in Rupahi and Kanchanbari. 🟢 Strengthen buffer zones around Manas and Orang National Parks and the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. 🟢 Improve disease monitoring, genetic management and captive-breeding protocols. 🟢 Prevent destructive dry-season fires while maintaining ecological processes essential to grasslands. 📍 UPSC Relevance 🟢 GS Paper III: Biodiversity, conservation, ecosystem restoration and environmental degradation. 📍 Mains Question “The conservation of endangered species requires not only population recovery but also the restoration of their natural habitats.” Discuss with reference to the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme in Assam. (150 words) #Environment