Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of R.D. Singh Bandral Vs Union of India & Others dated 17/04/2023. The matter related to protecting the flora and fauna of the Kailash Kund-Seoz Dhar region by declaring the same as protected area and not to allow construction of the …
an endangered medicinal plant has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh after about a century. Scientists of the Botanical Survey of India came upon the Begonia tessaricarpa in the Ligu village of Upper Subansiri district while cataloguing the flora of the district. "The leaves of this plant are used by the …
Satellite observations suggest vegetation encourages rainfall in Africa. A study led by P M Cox, a scientist with UK's Natural Environment Research Council, says vegetation accounts for around 30 per cent of annual rainfall variation in Africa's Sahel region. For the study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters (Vol …
Mass-flowering of neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is at its climax in the vast tracts of the southern Western Ghats. The little flower with no fragrance blooms once every 12 years. The endangered shrub is found in the shola grasslands, at an altitude of over 1,500 metres. The Nilgiris, the Palani hills …
A patent on a process for making storage - stable edible food materials from kernels of gorgon nuts or fox nut (Euryale ferox) has tremendous impact on biodiversity resulting in triggered mass culture and commercialization of this aquatic macrophyte. Besides ecological impact, it has social and economic impacts too. This …
the diversity of bees and the flowers they pollinate has sharply declined in the uk and the Netherlands since 1980, says a study jointly conducted by scientists from the two countries. The researchers compiled about 1 million records (pre- and post-1980) for all native bee species, except the largely domesticated …
This paper considers key issues in plant invasion ecology, where findings published since 1990 have significantly improved our understanding of many aspects of invasions. The review focuses on vascular plants invading natural and semi-natural ecosystems, and on fundamental ecological issues relating to species invasiveness and community invasibility. Three big questions …
hiv origin: The origin of HIV that causes AIDS has been found in wild chimpanzees living in southern Cameroon, according to an international team of scientists. A virus called SIVcpz (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus from chimps) was thought to be the source, but had only been found in a few captive …
climate change is forcing plants and animals away from their native habitats to more congenial ones. A recent survey of plants in the uk found that species favouring higher temperature like orchids and ferns that used to be found in southern parts of the country are now flourishing in the …
The fruit the humble eat in India is probably made of better stuff than those eaten by the high and mighty. It seems clear, on the evidence, that exotic imported fruit could have a greater and more varied pesticide content that those grown in our backyards. The reason is that …
It's been a good season in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India's orange hub. Orange production is estimated at a healthy 750,000 tonnes. But the atmosphere at Kalamna Mandi, the region's biggest fruit market, is depressing. The good crop has driven prices to the lowest in 10 years: from Rs …
scientists at the University of Bonn, Germany, have identified a substance in sunflower that can prevent the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) from reproducing in cell cultures. Called dicaffeoyl quinic acid (dcqa), the chemical is produced when the plant is infected with a fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum , which causes the white …
Air pollution tolerance index of 27 species growing in the natural conditions adjacent to Coimbatore-Ooty highways were determined by calculating ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, leaf extract pH and relative water content of leaf tissues.
joining hands: India and the UK recently agreed to enhance cooperation in sustainable development issues. This was indicated at a meeting between Union minister of environment and forests Thiru A Raja and the UK minister of state for environment Elliot Morley. Raja praised the UK's implementation of public-private partnership in …
an apple a day: Consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a study by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The researchers estimate that 2.6 million people die per year due to inadequate fruit and vegetable intake. Consuming …
the natives of Ladakh recently earned a huge profit through direct auctioning of the processed pulp of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides var turkestanica) berries. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (lahdc), through cooperatives formed among local communities, sold nearly 86,000 kilogrammes (kg) of the pulp to Arctic Bio-Pro Limited, a Delhi-based …
with Russia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is back on track. But, what collective action can be expected in the future to combat climate change? At the Tenth Conference of Parties (cop-10) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (unfccc) …
the obsession to increase farm productivity is taking a toll on the quality of fruits and vegetables. A us study shows nutrient value of 43 common crops has declined significantly over the past 50 years. The crops included 39 vegetables, three types of melons and strawberries. Between 1950 and 1999 …
no fishy treatment: A human blood clotting agent required for treating haemophilia and serious bleeding has been produced using genetically modified fish by researchers from the University of Southampton, the UK. There is still a long way to go before the product reaches the market, but if the project is …
