A recent study from Project Dhvani -- a collaborative research group which uses sounds to study biodiversity -- has found how the removal of invasive Lantana from forest patches can affect red-vented bulbul songs. The study provides insights into how the removal of these trees and plants could change the way sounds propagate in forests.
Posted on in Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Sciences, Ecology & Research
Climate change, propelled by human activities, presents a substantial threat to insect populations worldwide, impacting their behavior, fitness, and distribution. Subhash Rajpurohit and his research group at Ahmedabad University, Gujarat, emphasises the vulnerability of ectothermic insects to fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. His lab's work offers insights into the intricate relationship between environmental stress, dehydration, and insect reproductive success within the context of climate change.
Posted on in Agriculture, Plant Biology, Ecology, Research & Young Investigators
A team of researchers at the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow, has investigated the functional activity of the plant protein Tma12, which is toxic to whiteflies. The study demonstrates that Tma12 kills whiteflies by degrading chitin. The findings of this research can be utilised by biorefineries in the production of biofuels and for expanding the horizons of biopesticides.
Posted on in Plant Biology, Ecology, Cell Biology & Research
A collaborative study from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and other institutes, found that agamid lizards display rapid colour change in different contexts, including thermoregulation, communication, and stress. The massive range of colours in these species opens up new questions on the whys, hows, and whens of this colour change.
Posted on in Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Sciences, Ecology & Research
A recent study led by Anindita Bhadra at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, has analysed the foraging behaviour of stray dogs scavenging in groups in West Bengal. The findings have implications for understanding dog behaviour in stressful environments and potential conflicts between dogs and humans or among dogs in group settings.
Protecting India's rich biodiversity has usually taken the form of designating protected areas like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Several of these are contiguous with larger landscapes that lack such protection status and that form continuous habitat ranges for many animals. In a recent study, a team of Indian researchers have highlighted the need for more focused conservation strategies in the Bhagirathi basin in Uttarakhand.
Posted on in Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Conservation Biology & Research
When selecting sites for laying eggs, female Aedes mosquitoes avoid water puddles that lack predators and choose ones with a few predators instead. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Mysore, explain this puzzling behaviour of Aedes mosquitoes.