A ban on common sense
Various restrictions imposed to protect the environment at Nanda Devi in the Himalaya have disturbed the rural lifestyle and economy, doing …
Forays of Ignorance
There is something seriously amiss in the way studies of wildlife have been conducted in Sikkim
Mesoamerica, origin of several global crops, faces floristic biodiversity loss: Study
Mesoamerica is seeing a decline in the wild relatives of potatoes, beans, squash and maize due to loss of wild spaces and mechanisation of agriculture
Thirty one per cent of world’s cacti facing threat of extinction: IUCN
Unscrupulous collection of live plants and seeds for trade and private ornamental collection affects 47 per cent of the threatened species
Fungi crucial to diversity
Pathogenic fungi kill seedlings of the same species growing near each other in forests and promote biodiversity
The environmental costs of Trump's wall
All that concrete will generate millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions and the wall will ravage a unique desert habitat that straddles two countries
Feeding frenzy
14 fly species and 18 species of wasps found living in a single tropical flower, feeding on each other
Climate effect: Airborne pollen in United States may go up by 2050
Pollen season will start earlier and last longer throughout the US, simulations by researchers show
Database launched on flora in peninsular India
The work started with digitising the flora of Karnataka, but was later expanded to cover other states
World Biodiversity Day: Ever more important amid COVID-19 pandemic
Various levels and forms of biodiversity such as ecosystems, species, genes across all taxonomic ranges are threatened, and facing an alarming …
This week from the world of science and environment
The discovery of an important piece in evolutionary science and the threat of extreme weather events to our food security—a quick look at …
Taxman's hedge
Searching for the great hedge in the UK, Dileep Chinchalker uncovers the story of a hedge that ran from Torbela near Rawalpindi to Calcutta in …
Global Eco Watch: Bumblebees bite leaves to make plants flower early
Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology
The lotus effect
Water doesn't stick to lotus leaves. Nature has given the plant a self-cleaning mechanism. Crack the science of it, and you have the formula for …
COVID-19: Shut pet markets, animal protection organisation urges PM
The animal rights organisation said that both SARS and COVID-19 were caused by viruses linked to wildlife markets in China
Climate change spurs rapid growth of trees in Tibet
Warmer weather is melting the permafrost of the plateau, moistening the ground and making nutrients available to plants
Common science
A website helps people observe and understand nature while gathering scientific data
Green campus done right: This Assam university sets an example
How Assam Don Bosco University weaves climate action, preservation of flora and fauna, management of water resources in its green initiatives …
Beyond conservation, why our natural ecosystems need restoration
Significant strides have been made in both the science and practice of restoration over the last three decades, with specialisation across …
Bitten by the betel
Paan is the delicacy among all communities in India. Its cultivation and propagation will serve to strengthen not just the various rituals …
Floral trouble
In sharp contrast to earlier estimates, a new study claims that nearly half the world's flora species face extinction
Legal, controlled trade of wild species can have many benefits: CITES report
Adressing causes of poaching will benefit indigenous people, local communities and others involved in the supply chains
Toda traditions in peril
Can this tribal community in the Nilgiris survive the concrete trappings of civilisation? Tarun Chhabra on the eco-friendly Todas
"Forests are the main source of herbs"
Meghalaya's abundant flora is the basis of its traditional healthcare system. Now, rapid urbanisation and breakdown of the community structure …
Disengaging with WII should be given rethink, MoEF&CC tells PMO: RTI
In a letter to the PMO, ministry agrees ‘in principle’ to disengage with IIFM