Mobilising Policy and Public Finance Levers for Land Restoration in India
Anuja Malhotra, Sanjana Nair, Sangita Ganesh, Abi Tamim Vanak Economic and Political Weekly | October 24, 2025 Identifying 20 schemes with at least one component related to land restoration under the Union Budget 2023, it was found that allocations by ministries have stayed roughly the same or decreased for restoration-related schemes since 2016–17, with underspending […]
Six New Additions to the Indian Butterfly (Lepidoptera) Fauna From Upper Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, Rajkamal Goswami, Seena N. Karimbumkara, Agur Litin Entomon | October 22, 2025 This paper reports six new additions to the butterfly fauna of India, based on photographic evidence from the community forests of Simong Village in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India.
Policy principles for sustainable and just land systems
Land systems are the nexus of many global sustainability and justice challenges. Here we present eight guiding principles (P1–8) for improved land system policies following the heuristic stages of a policy cycle. The principles are as follows: embrace recognitional justice (P1), be politically strategic (P2), consider multiple policy goals (P3), address systemic issues (P4), take […]
No Longer Standing Alone: the Systematic Position of Apollonias Arnottii in Lauraceae
Nabasmita Malakar, R. Ganesan Phytotaxa | October 14, 2025 Apollonias is one of the taxonomically understudied genera of the family Lauraceae, which consisted of two disjunct distributed species, Apollonias barbujana from the Canary Islands, Spain and A. arnottii from Western Ghats, India. The key characteristic of the genus is the presence of bilocular anthers compared […]
Restoring Drylands: Policy Pathways, Governance, and Stakeholder Synergy for Ecosystem Revival
The chapter critically examines governance structures, participatory approaches, and policy frameworks for dryland restoration, with global case studies and recommendations for strengthening policy coherence and resource mobilization.
Direct Integration of Population Genetics and Dynamic Species Distribution Modelling Improves Predictions of Post-Glacial History of Piper nigrum
Climate change has a strong impact on species ranges and the genetic structure of populations, yet conclusions are often subject to large uncertainties when both are analysed independently. Here, we develop a novel framework to directly integrate population genetics and dynamic species distribution modelling to reduce such uncertainties when reconstructing the post-glacial history of black […]
Phylogenomics and age estimation for Sri Lankan Piper (Piperaceae) species using genotyping-by-sequencing
Sri Lanka, a biodiversity hotspot in South Asia, is home to 9–10 species of the genus Piper. Although previous studies have investigated the overall phylogenetics and biogeography of this genus, Sri Lankan species have largely been overlooked. In this study, we employed restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to explore the phylogenetics, divergence times, and evolutionary relationships of […]
Croton Euryphyllus W.w.sm. (Euphorbiaceae): A New Record for the Flora of India With Notes on Its Ethnobotanical Uses by Wancho Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh (India) and Probable Route of Migration
Pokhaw Khangam, Dupjang Lepcha, Likha Rido, A.P. Das, Sumpam Tangjang and Tonlong Wangpan East Himalayan Society for Spermatophyte Taxonomy | September 8, 2025 Croton euryphyllus W.W.Sm. (Euphorbiaceae) is reported here as a new distributional record for India from the Longding District of Arunachal Pradesh. The species was encountered during an ethnobotanical survey of the Wancho […]
Sacred Natural Sites Conservation in India: Examining Supernatural Institutions Through Ostrom’s Design Principles and Gender
Shruti Mokashi, Praneeta Mudaliar Society and Natural Resources | September 4, 2025 Sacred Natural Sites (SNS), a type of sacred commons managed through supernatural institutions (SIs), may serve as conservation models due to their historical longevity and ecological benefits. Given the persistence of SNS, it is likely that Ostrom’s design principles (DPs) may be represented […]
Influence of Stand-level Characteristics on Woodpecker Diversity in Human-modified Forested Habitats Outside Protected Areas in the Eastern Himalaya, India
Aditya Pradhan , Sarala Khaling and Goutam Kumar Saha Bird Conservation International | August 22, 2025 The study aimed to identify the key forest characteristics that influence woodpecker diversity at the community and individual species levels. Data on woodpeckers were collected using point counts along transects during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter seasons. Habitat […]
