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food and forest
An indigenous community in Meghalaya offers lessons in climate resilience
india An indigenous community in Meghalaya offers lessons in climate resilience

In the village of Nongtraw in Meghalaya, one of the world’s wettest region, honey is quite sought after by the Khasi indigenous community who go to the forest to collect it. When they reach a beehive, they introduce themselves to the bee, “informing the bees” that they will only take what is required..

Assam’s wild water buffalo is treading troubled waters
environment Assam’s wild water buffalo is treading troubled waters

Breeding domestic buffaloes with wild buffalo bulls is a long-established cultural practice in Assam..

Excess paddy kept for elephants in Chhattisgarh may not have the intended impact
environment Excess paddy kept for elephants in Chhattisgarh may not have the intended impact

Due to rampant coal mining in Chattisgarh, elephants living in the Surguja and Bilaspur forest circles have now migrated to different areas all across the state..

Sweet pineapples and a variety of trees nurture each other in this patchwork plantation
environment Sweet pineapples and a variety of trees nurture each other in this patchwork plantation

The pineapple agroforestry system (PAFS) also needs more multipurpose tree species for better structure, diversity and composition for desired impacts in carbon credit schemes like REDD+ points out Nath..

Mizoram’s balancing act with palm oil’s ecological impact and economic benefits
oil Mizoram’s balancing act with palm oil’s ecological impact and economic benefits

The first instances of palm oil plantations in Mizoram were recorded at Thingdawl in Kolasib and Rotlang in Lunglei districts as early as 1999-2000..

Quick solutions for human-monkey conflicts could lead to dangerous results
agriculture Quick solutions for human-monkey conflicts could lead to dangerous results

While ‘monkey menace’ is a term that is gaining traction across the Ghats, studies, such as this 2017 paper, have shown, paradoxically, that bonnet macaque populations may have declined by up to 65 % in southern India since 1989..

Soil in Kerala’s monoculture plantations less healthy, productive than natural forests: Study
agriculture Soil in Kerala’s monoculture plantations less healthy, productive than natural forests: Study

A recent study that unpacks the effect of monoculture tree plantations on the soil organic carbon (SOC) in Kerala found that SOC levels are strongly influenced by land-use systems and decrease when converted from natural vegetation to monoculture tree plantations..

The glass ceiling has been shattered, says ZSI’s first woman director
agriculture The glass ceiling has been shattered, says ZSI’s first woman director

For Banerjee, the confidence to blend multiple scientific domains and embark on collaborative work comes from her multifaceted professional experiences at the organisation..

Misfired shot: Law to protect camel is contributing to its decline in Rajasthan
environment Misfired shot: Law to protect camel is contributing to its decline in Rajasthan

In a bid to check the declining camel population, the state government started a Camel Development Scheme in 2016 to give an incentive of Rs. 10,000 for every newborn calf in three installments..

Iron ore mining in Chhattisgarh drives deforestation
environment Iron ore mining in Chhattisgarh drives deforestation

The local people alleged that the consent of the gram sabha (village council) was not taken for seeking diversion of forests in the area..

Study examines wildlife-friendly land use for conservation beyond Nagarahole and Bandipur national parks
agriculture Study examines wildlife-friendly land use for conservation beyond Nagarahole and Bandipur national parks

The study found that a majority (84%) of the villagers reported facing losses due to wildlife, and crop damage was the major (83%) form of loss..

Tracking Russell’s vipers in rural Karnataka unravels their behaviour
environment Tracking Russell’s vipers in rural Karnataka unravels their behaviour

Karthikeyan Vasudevan, a senior principal scientist at CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), who was not associated with the study agrees, emphasising the need to understand the biology of snakes for effective mitigation of conflicts with humans..

Why are residents of low-lying Kuttanad abandoning their homes?
agriculture Why are residents of low-lying Kuttanad abandoning their homes?

The wetland agriculture system of Kuttanad is a unique one that facilitates paddy cultivation below sea level on small patches of land created by draining delta swamps in brackish waters..

Cyclone, oil spill and tarballs: a trio of troubles for Mahim village
oil Cyclone, oil spill and tarballs: a trio of troubles for Mahim village

Tarballs are little, dark-coloured round pieces, which are remnants of oil spills, leakage from the crude oil extraction and transport systems, oil, spent fuel, fuel dumped by the ships in deep seas..

All three tiger reserves of Chhattisgarh now in Maoist territory
environment All three tiger reserves of Chhattisgarh now in Maoist territory

The presence of Maoists in large parts of the states has curbed the activities of the Forest Department. The department’s officials and employees avoid stepping into the forest as they fear violence from the insurgents..