Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item titled "Nayar river is vanishing - a yatra reveals conservation goes beyond science and policy" appearing in ‘The Down To Earth’ dated 03.06.2025. The original application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled "Nayar …
The journey of honey from bee farms to breakfast tables has become complex with time. From wild honey gatherers, honey supply has passed into the hands of cooperatives of individual beekeepers and then to big companies. The cooperatives could have helped beekeepers demand better prices, but they did not last …
The continued growth of human populations and of per capita consumption have resulted in unsustainable exploitation of Earth’s biological diversity, exacerbated by climate change, ocean acidification, and other anthropogenic environmental impacts. We argue that effective conservation of biodiversity is essential for human survival and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Despite …
Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used for extrapolation, or predicting suitable regions for species under new geographic or temporal scenarios. However, SDM predictions may be prone to errors if species are not at equilibrium with climatic conditions in the current range and if training samples are not representative. Here …
To provide alternatives to petroleum-based energy, enhance global security, and reduce carbon emissions, the U.S. government has mandated a greater proportion of energy portfolio be derived from plant-based fuels (i.e., 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act; EISA). However, the potential benefits of this nascent bioeconomy may be offset by damage …
The accelerating rates of international trade, travel, and transport in the latter half of the twentieth century have led to the progressive mixing of biota from across the world and the number of species introduced to new regions continues to increase. The importance of biogeographic, climatic, economic, and demographic factors …
There has been increased funding for wildlife conservation efforts in recent years. These funds have largely been spent on "habitat improvement" activities. In the absence of a scientific evaluation of such activities, inappropriate management of landscapes has led to human-wildlife conflicts in certain areas. Moreover, funds are being used for …
The genus Quercus (oak) is a large group of hardwood trees with about 600 species worldwide1. In the Himalayan region, extensive oak forests (35 species) occur between 1500 and 3300 m elevations. Of the various species of oaks, the white oak or banj (Q. leucotrichophora) forms an extensive belt along …
The feral domestic cat (Felis catus) is a predatory invasive species with documented negative effects on native wildlife. The issue of appropriate and acceptable feral cat management is a matter of contentious debate in cities and states across the United States due to concerns for wildlife conservation, cat welfare, and …
Planted in the early 20th century to help control erosion, kudzu is a fast-growing invasive legume that fixes atmospheric nitrogen at a high rate. The Asian native is not just swallowing landscapes and altering ecosystems in the southeastern United States, the plant may also increase ozone pollution. Jonathan Hickman et …
Addition of carbon to the soil promotes microbial immobilization of plant-available nutrients, and is being considered as a method to counter alien plant invasions, particularly in disturbed habitats. In the present study the response of three confamilial alien invasive species, Anthemis cotula, Conyza canadensis, and Galinsoga parviflora, to independent and …
Lantana camara is an invasive species that is widespread in India. Using birds as an indicator taxon, we investigated whether Lantana invasion was correlated with changes in ecosystem health of the moist and dry deciduous forests at the Mal
Invasion by exotic species is among the most important global-scale problems experienced by natural ecosystems. Studies document that floristic changes that emerge after habitat fragmentation may be due to invasion by exotic weeds. When either habitat modification or the introduction of foreign species results in changes in the community, then …
This synthesis focuses on estimates of biodiversity change as projected for the 21st century by models or extrapolations based on experiments and observed trends. The term
In 2002, world leaders committed through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. The researchers compiled 31 indicators to report on progress toward this target. Most indicators of the state of biodiversity (covering species
Invasive species are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. Means of human transport has only made it easier for some to hitch a ride and colonize new regions. Several have deliberately been introduced by humans for food and as pets. Australia has a long history of such introductions. There …
The Oku-Kom highland morphological and human stronghold of West Cameroon with rich volcanic soils has attracted farmers and breeders thereby rupturing the mountain ecological equilibrium through slope gulling and mass movements. Overwhelmed, the indigenes adapted unsuccessful regreening approaches but without slope gradient considerations. This paper identifies native and exotic plant …
