A recent study by researchers at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), in collaboration with the Maharashtra Forest Department, shows that ecological restoration through planting native grasses can increase soil organic carbon by up to 50% in three years. The researchers employed an innovative space-for-time substitution approach for the study.
A recent study led by Manvi Sharma, Assistant Professor, Ashoka University, Sonipat, and researchers from Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Bangalore, investigates the relationship between livestock grazing and the long-term population dynamics of wild herbivores. The findings highlight the need for conservation measures considering livestock influence.
Posted on in Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Conservation Biology & Research
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
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
In an on-going effort to convert certain inland waterways into national waterways, many rivers are undergoing commercialization, including the Ganges. This has critically affected the habitat and survival of one of its flagship species, the endangered Ganges river dolphin. A recent study provides empirical scientific data to understand how anthropogenic interventions are impacting the already dwindling population of aquatic animals.
Posted on in Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Conservation Biology & Research