Order of the Allahabad High Court in the matter of Suo Motu in Re: Rodents menace is SRN hospital dated 17/01/2024. The case was filed suo motu on the basis of a news item published in Amar Ujala, which highlighted the menace of rodents in Swaroop Rani Nehru hospital, Prayagraj, …
The storm of scientific criticism over claims that a genetically modified (GM) maize causes severe disease in rats shows no signs of abating. Gilles-Eric Séralini, a molecular biologist at the University of Caen, France, is under intense pressure to report the full data behind his team’s finding that rats fed …
Seven years ago, when the Arunachal Pradesh government introduced cultivation of large cardamom in Lower Subansiri and other adjoining districts as an alternative to jhum or slash-and-burn cultivation, the tribal families found it a new money-spinner. But this year has been suddenly a huge disaster because of the proliferation of …
Europe has never been particularly fond of genetically modified (GM) foods, but a startling research paper looks set to harden public and political opposition even further, despite a torrent of scepticism from scientists about the work. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, looked for adverse …
The Guassa area of Menz in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia is an Afro-alpine ecological community with an indigenous resource management system. The local community harvest different resources including collecting grass and firewood from the Guassa area. Cattle and other livestock are also grazed in the Guassa area, especially during …
Climate change can affect the phenology, population dynamics and morphology of species, but it is difficult to study all these factors and their interactions at once. Using long-term data for individual yellow-bellied marmots, these authors show that climate change has increased the length of the marmot growing season, leading to …
Demonstrations of coupled phenotypic and demographic responses to climate change are rare. But they are much needed in formulating predictions of the effects of climate change on natural populations.
Owls are natural predators of rodents, of which seven species are agriculturally important pests. Conserving owls will not only result in better rodent control preventing huge crop losses, but will also prevent indiscriminate chemical use, thus preserving the ecological diversity. Educational programs will go a long way in achieving this.
Cinnamon bug or seed bug, Ochrophora (= Udonga) montana (Distant) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a serious pest of bamboo, feeds on developing seeds and is able to destroy all available seeds during massive outbreaks. Nevertheless, its outbreaks are occasional and were recently (2011) witnessed in Karanataka. Interestingly, periodic outbreaks of O. …
The rising noise decibel is not only damaging people’s ear drums but also the livelihood of night rat killers. They are unable to meet their target of 30 rats a night because of city has become noisy.The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has hired around 300 night rat killers for the …
Scientists Wary Of Animal Welfare Act Draft Hyderabad: Punishment for causing the death of a person in an accident is an imprisonment of up to two years as per IPC section 304 (A). But kill a mouse or even injure it and you will have to serve upto five years …
I was searching for herps at a graveyard in scrub forest on the outskirts of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. Herps, for the uninitiated, is slang for herpetofauna, which means amphibian and reptile fauna. Searching under rocks and fallen logs, I came across an old, discarded cement bag and turned it …
RATS and mice can mimic human diseases and hence are important laboratory models to understand causes of ailments as well as the efficacy of drugs. For some unknown reason rats are better candidates to understand certain diseases than mice. For example, explained Aron Geurts, physiology professor at Medical College of …
AIZAWL, July 26: The relationship between plagues of rats and bamboo flowering was the focus of a workshop held in Mizoram. At the workshop, Dr F Lalnunmawia, an assistant professor at Mizoram University
Kohima, May 3: A high-level team led by the Director of Agriculture Department of Nagaland and senior officials recently visited various areas of Mokokchung district to assess the bamboo flowering in those areas. Official sources said the team, which has visited the forest areas of the district, found that the …
THE Himalaya bordering the north and the Western Ghats in the south of India form biodiversity hotspots. Given this evidence one can assume that areas with greater variety in landscape are home to a greater number of species. General observation backs this theory: mountains have more biodiversity than plains just …
