A new study from pastures in the alpine rangelands of the Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim, that enacted a grazing ban in 1998, finds that traditional pastoral grazing enhances plant…
During the monsoon season of 2011, H.M. Yeshwanth, a doctoral student studying insects, browsed the bushes of the thorny Acacia catechu plant in Hesaraghatta near Bengaluru, Karnataka and came across…
During his childhood, Malhar Indulkar was fascinated by rivers and he felt a strong connection with riverine ecosystems. He had seen people, including his parents, voice their concerns about the…
In a serendipitous discovery, researchers have described a tiny, cryptic species of tree-spider crab found climbing the mangrove trees of Kasargod district in the southern state of Kerala. Covered in…
Worldwide efforts to curb climate change include widespread and large-scale afforestation activities. But a recent survey-based study finds that plantations in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh enhance vulnerabilities of…
Different species of woodpeckers living in the sal forests of the sub-Himalayan foothills of northwestern India show distinct foraging preferences - they forage depending on the size of the tree,…
During the monsoon season, a team of scientists from India and China embarked on a fungal foray in Assam. Over the course of two weeks, they were amazed by the…
Underlying cultural and religious beliefs in serpent deities has played a role in protecting iconic animals such as snakes and other species dwelling inside the Western Ghats’ sacred groves. But…
Botanists have described a new Aloe species from the desert of India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan. The species, Aloe trinervis, is based on a distinct observation: the leaf-like structures beneath…
Scientists have found close genetic relationships between populations of the golden mahseer, an iconic freshwater fish in Indian rivers Bhagirathi and Ganga, while significant genetic differentiation was observed between Alaknanda…
Household air pollution caused mainly by the burning of solid fuels, including biomass—firewood, charcoal, coal, dung, and agricultural waste—and ambient air pollution are among the leading risk factors contributing to…
High up in the majestic hills of India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya lies an elusive and unusual carnivore: a pitcher plant. The species is known popularly as ‘monkey cups’ because…
Blue sheep, locally known as bharal, are wild mountain ungulates which are, in fact, more closely related to goats than sheep. They reside in the Himalayas and are the main…
Scientists have mapped how infrastructure projects in India, particularly linear infrastructures such as roads, railway lines, power transmission lines, canals and pipelines, affect forest fragmentation. Such infrastructure has led to a…
How reliable are long-lived plantations composed of a few species for carbon capture, when compared with natural tropical forests that comprise many species? Fighting climate change through reforestation activities, such…
Siberian ibex, large goats with curved horns, are found in diverse mountainous habitats in central Asia such as Russia, Mongolia, Southern Siberia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.…
Light shows put on by fireflies are not just a fascinating sight. The genes responsible for this luminescence have many applications from medicine to forensics to food safety testing. Compared…
Around three months have passed since the city of Wuhan in China was put under lockdown. Since then, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has swept the globe, with over two…
Marine plastic debris is a widespread problem with an ever-growing list of animals entangled in fishing gear cropping up along shorelines around the world — sometimes resulting in death. In…
For millennia, birds have been inherently intertwined in Indian culture, playing prominent roles in mythology, religion, art, and other aspects of human life. A new comprehensive report on the state of India’s…
