Changing climes

Climate change is a very slow process, notoriously difficult to understand. Is it happening in India? Residents of some Himalayan towns, where …

The vanishing lakes

There is more water than land in north Bihar. The rivers that ramble down from the Himalaya feed numerous depressions scattered all over the …

More than half of Indian bird species are in academic campuses, says WII study

Academic campuses and similar fragmented areas could secure a wide variety of species, say authors

Here is why forest fires now pose a threat to the very survival of Uttarakhand’s unique biodiversity

Forest fire season in Uttarakhand coincides with flowering & breeding months of several vulnerable species, many of them native to Himalayas 

Funga: UN wants us all to say it along with ‘Flora & Fauna’

The global organisation says it is time that fungi are recognised and protected equally with plants and animals

Odisha government proposes state’s second biosphere reserve at Mahendragiri

The Mahendragiri hills host a rich biodiversity of fauna and flora and are part of the Eastern Ghats

What makes an animal clever? Research shows intelligence is not just about using tools

Species that use tools aren’t necessarily better at solving problems than species that don’t

A multi-pronged attack

The people of southern Zimbabwe have found a variety of ways and means to upgrade the quality of the environment in their part of the world

Climate change severely affecting biodiversity in Hindu Kush Himalayas: ICIMOD

Biodiversity will suffer even if the global temperature rise is maintained at 1.5 degrees Celsius  

My bears and other animals: ‘The Wildlife Stories of An Armyman’ is a fine literary accomplishment

This book, given the experience and the range of experiences of the author, is long overdue and the narrative is both a historical and ecological …

How Nanak used nature in his verses to drive home his point

Down To Earth speaks to musician and singer Rabbi Shergill about the poetry of Sikhism’s founder and its many allusions to facets of …

Five actions Madagascar's president must take to save country's biodiversity

Andry Rajoelina’s term represents the last chance to save some of Madagascar’s incredible natural heritage

Reworking of times past

In the race to make a fast buck from Jurassic Park, Spielberg lost a cinematic shot at recreating the complex ecosystem where dinosaurs ruled Earth

Meet thy neighbours

Every existence has its excuse, it is said. Every year taxonomists in India venture into uncharted landscapes and scan every nook and corner to …

Species census

Total number of known species on Earth are rising. A report by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University, US,…

Growing old in the wild

The conventional belief is that animals don't live into old age, but succumb much earlier to "unnatural" causes. Recent research, however, …

Global pet trade in amphibians is bigger than we thought

There is a strong bias for certain types of amphibians; six amphibian families contributed disproportionately high numbers of traded species

Climate change forces Red-tailed Hawk to skip migration

According to experts, the bird has become a year-round resident, giving up embarking on a long journey southwards

Catch a tiger by its pug

Accurate tiger census methodology assumes significance in the context of the recent controversy over the declining number of tigers in the Indian …

Looking beyond hype and nostalgia

To most modern Indian writers, the environment means trees, birds and animals -- and human beings, in aesthetic or metaphysical communion with them.

Making a start

Ground realities alone will determine the future of Himalayan biodiversity and the people of the area

The Earth's biodiversity could be much greater than we thought

A widely touted study proposes a total of 8.7 million species, but they could be 10 times more

Mira Behn: A friend of nature

The urge to be close to nature guided Madeleine Slade, who came to be known as Mira Behn, throughout her life

Himalayan yew to fight cancer

Taxol, an effective anti-cancer drug that was approved for use in the US last year, will soon be available in India at half the cost

Notch in the mountains

HIMALAYAN BIODIVERSITY-ACTION PLAN·Edited by Uppeandra Dhar·Himvikas Publication No. 10, published for the G B Pant Institute of …