Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
The Western Ghats have been labeled a world heritage site, but scientists from the city-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology have found that biodiversity is not well conserved in the region’s vast terrain and forest tracts. Scientists from CCMB have studied Annamalai and Madumalai tiger reserves in the Western …
Rlys game for 2 of 3 proposals to minimise green damage The Hubli-Ankola railway project has cleared another hurdle with the Railways accepting two of the three recommendations of a committee comprising engineers of the Indian Institute of Science. The committee had been set up to suggest alternative routes for …
There is growing recognition that successful adaptation of agricultural production systems to changes in climate will depend upon the improved access to, and use of, genetic diversity. In order to facilitate this adaptation, new forms of interdisciplinary research, new technologies, novel partnerships and effective policy instruments are considered essential. Given …
A rare tree rediscovered from Kerala 14 years ago is still categorised as Extinct on the Red List of International Union for Conservation of Nature. The latest version of the list released early this week has described Cynometra beddomeii , “a large tree, which has only ever been recorded from …
The Red list of threatened species, prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has listed 132 species of plants and animals as Critically Endangered, the most threatened category, from India. Plants seemed to be the most threatened life form with 60 species being listed as Critically Endangered …
It is now confined to 53 patches in Kerala Nestled in the deep valleys of the Western Ghats that is home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna are the vestiges of a pristine habitat that could yield precious information about evolutionary biology and climate change. Scientists from the …
Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity among populations of Jatropha curcas (L.) from different agro-climatic regions of India. Out of 305 amplified bands obtained with 30 primers, 291 were found polymorphic.
Bamboo is a cultural feature of south-east Asia. No country in this region is without indigenous bamboo flora. This natural resource plays a major role in the livelihood of rural people and in rural industry. In West Bengal 75 species were reported which include 49 species growing only in the …
Plant resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified (natural) form. The value of such resources rest in the amount of the material available and the demand for it.
Kerala's plant biodiversity faces a severe threat from 89 alien invasive species, which were recorded in a survey commissioned by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board. Of these, 19 present a high risk; many were found displacing and destroying a large number of native species, causing environmental and economic loss. Around …
It is a well-known fact, that worldwide thousands of plant species are endangered and facing extinction with the current trend of their exploitation and destruction. In recent years, there is a growing awareness concerning the impact of temperature rise, industrialization, desertification and shift in the growing seasons of plants, loss …
A variety of birds flock the recovered stream within 48 hours For the past couple of weeks Rakesh Kumar with his borrowed binoculars and relentless patience has been busy tracking and keeping record of the varieties and number of birds that have begun to flock to a small water body …
‘Spread of the Bt gene could make brinjal a problematic weed' An independent enquiry has revealed that the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE, also called genetically modified, or GM) Bt brinjal poses risks to the environment and possibly to human health. The occurrence of wild, weedy and also cultivated relatives …
Task force is involving forest-dwellers and farmers to protect biodiversity Ananth Hegde Ashisar, chairman of the Western Ghats Task Force, said on Monday that the task force was drawing farmers, forest-dwellers and students to join it in its drive to protect biodiversity in the Western Ghats. He was speaking after …
Exotic plant species, unsustainable constructions among challenges: survey. Introduction of exotic species, reckless harvesting of plant resources, and ecologically unsustainable methods of construction are threatening the fragile ecosystem and rich biodiversity in Idamalakkudy, the only tribal panchayat in Kerala, located in Idukki district. A week-long biodiversity assessment programme conducted by …
Help of local self-government institutions to be sought The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) is preparing to launch a campaign highlighting the need to prevent the destruction of plants during sanitation drives taken up by local self-government institutions.Board chairman R.V. Varma told The Hindu that directions would be communicated to …
Brinjal (also called eggplant or talong) is a popular vegetable in South and Southeast Asia. However, the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE, also called genetically modified, or GM) Bt brinjal poses risks to the environment and possibly to human health. The occurrence of wild, weedy and also cultivated relatives presents …
A decade ago, Chandra Pradhani, a Paraja tribal of Nuaguda village in Kundra block of Odisha's Koraput district, would migrate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to earn a living as a brick kiln worker. He no longer does this. Today, he is feted by the nation. He was one of the …
A team of researchers from the University of Calicut has discovered a new species of wild ginger endemic to the Silent Valley National Park on the Western Ghats, one of the biodiversity hotspots in India. The discovery, reported by M. Sabu, V.P. Thomas, and K.M. Prabhu Kumar of the Department …
The hydel project will cause loss of biodiversity and significant environmental impact The Gundia Hydro Electric Project (GHEP) proposed by the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) should not be executed “as the loss of biodiversity and environmental impact would be significant,” says a report by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert …
