Chennai Researchers Launch City’s First Comprehensive Frog Survey
In 1981, American biologist Paul Ehrlich proposed the ‘rivet-popper’ hypothesis, likening species in an ecosystem to the thousands of rivets that hold an aeroplane together. Remove one, and it may keep flying. Remove several, and it may still stay in the air. But take out a critical rivet, and the plane could collapse.
India’s river linking project could cause an explosion of invasives, threatening native ecosystems
Researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Yenepoya (Deemed to be University) examined how the proposed network of 15,000 kilometres of canals and 3,000 reservoirs would alter India’s biological landscape. The researchers discovered that areas the government hopes to protect, such as biodiversity hotspots like the Krishna, Godavari, […]
India’s Rarest Heron Faces a Silent End as New Dam Ignores Its Home
Once a dam in the Lohit river basin is built, it could alter the water’s turbidity and flow, and lead to the local extinction of white-bellied herons. The bird was first scientifically described in 1878, based on specimens from the Teesta region. The species does not occur there today. In fact, it has been ‘critically […]
Maharashtra: Researchers Identify New Spider Species ‘Tigidia singhal’ in Ahilyanagar District
Researchers have discovered a new trapdoor spider species, Tigidia singhal, in the rocky semi-arid grasslands near the Rehekuri Blackbuck Sanctuary in Karjat tehsil of Ahilyanagar district. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of Arachnology, the journal of the British Arachnological Society.
Cities Need Tailored Restoration, Not Mass Tree Planting
Bengaluru’s record-breaking plantation drive has renewed debate over whether mass tree planting is the most effective way to restore urban ecosystems. The Miyawaki method can rapidly create dense green cover, but scientific evidence for many of its claimed benefits remains limited. Ecologists say greening cities such as Bengaluru requires restoration tailored to their native ecosystems, […]
Tree Planting on Grasslands Can Reduce Specialist Bird Populations
The lack of recognition of grassland ecosystems has meant their role in regulating microclimates and hosting endemic biodiversity has largely gone unnoticed. “There are very few studies on dry savannahs in general, and even fewer on the impacts of afforestation on them,” said Abi T Vanak, Director of the Centre for Policy Design at ATREE […]
Nature educator
Meet an Educator is a monthly series by Early Bird that features the work of educators across India who are actively spreading the joy of birds and nature. This month’s featured educator is Thanigaivel Annamalai, an environmental researcher with ATREE who aims to bridge the gap between science and people.
Enough water for 3-4 months for Bengaluru, says BWSSB; experts call for long-term measures
As the erratic southwest monsoon continues in Karnataka for the second consecutive month, Bengaluru continues to reel under a dry spell. According to the cumulative rainfall data for the city from June 1 to July 9, Bengaluru Urban has recorded a -35% departure from normal, while South Interior Karnataka recorded -24%. The scenario has raised […]
Illegal Lotus Farming Threatens Thamirabarani Wetlands
The Thamirabarani irrigation system, one of Tamil Nadu’s oldest water management networks, supports agriculture, drinking water, fisheries and livelihoods through a vast chain of canals and tanks. While the water resources department (WRD) leases many tanks for fish culture, leaseholders in several locations have illegally begun cultivating lotus for commercial sale, in violation of lease […]
India’s Worsening Fire Seasons
For nearly a century, Uttarakhand’s Van Panchayats have managed community forests, regulating grazing, protecting forest resources and helping prevent fires. For communities that depend on forests for fodder, fuelwood, and water, protecting the landscape has never been solely an environmental concern but a matter of livelihood. A report submitted to the Uttarakhand High Court earlier […]
