SNIPPETS 24 MARCH 2026

Forest Survey of India: Established in 1981 — successor to Pre-Investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR, 1965)+ Aim/Mandate: To assess and monitor the forest resources of India on a regular basis+ Nodal Agency/Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)+ Headquarters: Dehradun, Uttarakhand+ Key Functions: Conducts biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR)+ Four regional offices at Shimla, Kolkata, Nagpur and Bangalore

Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP): Method that uses fossil leaves as “climate fingerprints” + Aim: To reconstruct past climates such as temperature, rainfall, and humidity+ Working: By analyzing the shape, size, and margins of fossilized leaves to infer climate conditions+ Use: Paleoclimate studies when ice cores/sediments absent

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): Amount of dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water+ Should generally remain below 3 mg/L for a healthy river system+ Indicator of Water Quality: High BOD → low dissolved oxygen → polluted water, Low BOD → healthier aquatic ecosystem+ Measures oxygen demand from biodegradable organic matter only.