Alien plants are threatening animals in one of the Kenya's major wildlife reserves, a study has shown. The study found that at least 245 alien species, introduced in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem accidentally or intentionally as ornamental plants, were destroying the grass and native plants the animals feed on. The plants …
THE past two rainy seasons 65-year-old Ramdas Rana has spent much of his sleeping hours adjusting his bed to an elusive dry patch. The thatched roof of his hut has been leaking since 2008. He could not repair it because the grass used for thatching is out of bounds for …
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has withdrawn its latest guidelines for creating inviolate space for wildlife. The guidelines for creating Critical wildlife Habitat (CWH), issued on February 7, violated the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and threatened the interests of the forest dwellers (see: ‘Misguided rules’). The ministry also asked …
Top forest officials and members of the National Forest Rights Act Committee are on a collision course after the panel submitted its report to the government and stated that the Act was not implemented in its true spirit. A war of words ensued after the panel, formed by the environment …
Grassland communities of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) classified as Eastern Wet Alluvial Grasslands. It comprised of tall grasses (61%) as well as short grasses (only 3%). Rapid periodic changes occurred due to recurrence of flood, erosion and alluvial depsition and have direct implications for the establishment of early successional species.
The earliest report for grasses from British India was made by Hooker (1896). He described 146 genera and 845 species of grasses in the flora of British India.
Coal is the prime source of energy in India. Opencast mining of coal damage a large land surface area, displace people from their natural home and cause agricultural losses. This raises a number of environmental challenges, including soil erosion, dust, noise, and water pollution impacts on local biodiversity. Generation of …
Large-scale production of crop based (first generation) biofuels may not be feasible without adversely affecting global food supply or encroaching on other important land uses. Because alternatives to liquid fossil fuels are important to develop in order to address greenhouse gas mitigation and other energy policy objectives, the potential for …
If you're a typical westerner, you ate nearly 100 kilograms of meat last year. This was almost certainly the costliest part of your diet, especially in environmental terms. The clamour for people to eat less meat to save the planet is growing ever louder. "Less meat = less heat", proclaimed …
In a field study five grass species, viz. Marvel grass, Para grass, Vetiver grass, Karnal grass and Napier grass were evaluated to assess their suitability as biological reclaiming agent and vegetative barriers for reclaiming as well as reducing soil erosion and enhancing in situ water conservation in a moderate sodic …
This first its kind assessment of forest wealth in Andhra Pradesh by the state forest department provides information on not only the growing stock but also on regeneration status, bamboo occurrence needed for silvicultural management of the forests. The report provides analytical information on the growing stock of Andhra Pradesh …
JORHAT, March 31: The Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI) here has taken up a scientific mapping of areas covered by mimosa at the Kaziranga National Park. The weed popularly known as
Small-scale farmers depend largely on their animals and need to feed them well. Technology based innovations have been the mainstream solution to improve the fodder problem. But making farmers find relevant information and networks appears to be as much effective for innovation.
The authors studied the activity patterns and feeding ecology of Asian Elephants Elephas maximus in deciduous and dry thorn forests of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, southern India. Over 20,000 instantaneous scan samplings on elephants revealed that 60% of the daylight hours were devoted to feeding.
Regions of Arctic tundra around the world are heating up very rapidly, releasing more greenhouse gases than predicted and boosting the process of global warming, a leading expert said on Wednesday. Professor Greg Henry of the University of British Columbia also said higher temperatures meant larger plants were starting to …
Wild sheep on a remote Scottish island are shrinking, and scientists blame global warming. Soay sheep are on average 5 percent smaller than 25 years ago, an indication climate change can have a rapid effect on natural populations and a sign of possible more widespread changes in future, researchers said …
An experience sharing meeting on Australian origin hybrid Sweet Jumbo grass farming for farmers was held in remote char village of Bozra Diarkhata under Chilmari upazila in Kurigram on Sunday. Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) organised the meeting under the Char Livelihood Programme (CLP) to encourage the char people in farming …
Planned green grass plantation on roadsides, embankments and fallow lands can meet much of the fodder requirement that is vital to boost milk and meat production in the country, agricultural experts said yesterday.
Facing a lake covered by low-lying clouds, spiritual leader Arwa Viku burns leaves hoping that the smoke will carry his message, his voice mixing with the sound of waves lapping the grass-lined shore. Here in mountainous central Colombia, Viku's Arhuaca Indian tribe is concerned that the country's water supply is …
Hubbardia Bor, a monospecific, critically endangered and endemic genus on the verge of extinction has been reintroduced and successfully restored in its natural home, the Western Ghats.
