Rehabilitating trafficked star tortoises using genetic intelligence
The Indian star tortoise is rampantly smuggled to serve the illegal pet and animal parts trade. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and inhabits two disjoined arid regions –…
Articles by Anusha Krishnan
Anusha Krishnan is a part-time science writer and editor and full-time mom from Bangalore, India. She loves writing about new scientic discoveries, and believes that the art of storytelling is crucial for successful science communication.
[Explainer] Why do we use jargon when talking about science?
Consider this sentence: Many urban areas have depauperate flora and fauna due to anthropogenic disturbances. If we replace the words 'depauperate' with 'very few species', 'flora' with 'plants', 'fauna' with…
Scientists develop a toolkit to identify high conservation-value areas
In conservation practice, how are protected areas identified and delineated? The first step in this is to be able to describe a protected area. According to the International Union for…
[Explainer] What is mutualism?
When members of two species have a relationship that is beneficial to both, the interaction is called mutualism. The term was first used by zoologist and paleontologist Pierre Joseph van…
Identifying individual mugger crocodiles using drone technology to minimise conflicts
At noon, on a hot March day, in the flat semi-arid plains of Kachchh, a lone figure stood on a slight rise, fiddling with the controller of a drone that…
[Explainer] What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing refers to "the practice of making products, activities, or policies seem more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than they actually are," according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of…
[Explainer] What is biodiversity finance?
Biodiversity finance is the practice of raising capital and managing funds for biodiversity conservation. It comes under the umbrella topic of conservation finance, which aims to financially support the conservation…
[Explainer] Why do floods occur?
Floods occur when water overflows from water bodies – seas, oceans, ponds, lakes, canals, or rivers – and submerges land which is usually dry. Floods, especially in India, are some…
[Explainer] Are biofuels finally coming of age?
Fossil fuels kickstarted the industrial age for humanity. However, humans now face the possibility of running out of these fuels by the end of this century. So, where do industries that…
[Explainer] Can planting trees mitigate climate change?
As the world is struggling to combat climate change, one idea – planting trees – seems to be taking hold as a panacea for curing the ills of pollution, soaring…
[Explainer] The good, the bad, and the ugly side of forest fires
Forest fires, also called wildfires and bush or vegetation fires, are described as uncontrolled, often widespread burning of plants in forests, grasslands, brushland, and tundra. These fires can be of…
Plastic, glass and other waste materials found in elephant dung in Uttarakhand
A study published last month in The Journal for Nature Conservation reported the presence of plastic and other human-made materials in elephant dung in the forests of Uttarakhand. The study…
[Explainer] What are carbon sinks?
Carbon sinks are places and/or products that sequester and store carbon as organic or inorganic compounds for different periods of time. Essentially, anything that absorbs more carbon than it emits…
[Explainer] Why is India a major hub for wildlife trafficking?
Wildlife trafficking, which is the illegal trade of wild animals and plants, either as dead or live specimens, or their parts, has a huge negative effect on the world’s environments,…
[Explainer] How does the Indian monsoon develop?
Every year, around the first week of June, a vast expanse of roiling grey clouds advances from the Arabian sea and makes landfall in Kerala to the tune of rumbling…
[Explainer] What is carbon pricing?
In the 1920s, a British economist, Arthur Pigou, highlighted the social benefits of making industries pay for the costs of the pollution they caused. In time, this concept was taken…
[Explainer] What factors affect the Indian summer monsoon?
The Indian summer monsoon is a vast weather event that is crucial to the 1.39 billion people that live in India, as most of the rainfall (70-90%) that the country…
[Explainer] What are urban heat islands?
Urban heat islands or UHIs are metropolitan areas that are significantly warmer than the surrounding rural areas. The occurrence of a UHI was recorded as early as 1810 by Luke…
Fantastic beasts and why plastic is bad for them
Plastics, which are infinitely useful materials, are ever present in our lives today. A quick look around one’s house, whether in a city or in a village, will confirm this…
[Explainer] Where the plastic things are: unexpected plastic products in our lives
Plastics are the Anthropocene era’s ultimate convenience. The more mundane uses of plastics in our lives range from kitchenware, storage containers, and packaging materials to toys and small tools that…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Marine plastic pollution is not just a waste problem; reducing production is needed too
- Stitching sustainability amidst climate change challenges
- Gujarat bans exotic Conocarpus tree amid health and environment hazard
- Malaria-carrying mosquitoes shift homes from forests to rice fields
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Majuli’s shrinking wetlands and their fight for survival
- Saving India’s wild ‘unicorns’
- Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
Beyond Protected Areas
- Wildlife rescue operations in Kashmir face an uphill battle with rising human-wildife conflict
- Pathogens find new pathways as agriculture, deforestation intensify
- Measuring the scavenging value of vultures
- New rules spell giant troubles for jumbos
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
- [Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management
- Millet tradition loses flavour among Madhya Pradesh’s tribals
- A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
Just Transitions
- How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
- Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
- Conflict over critical mineral prospecting in Odisha signals need for better community involvement
- Fuel leak in Manipur raises concerns over water contamination
