Studies from different parts of the world have generated evidences of the effects of climate change on phenology and persistence of species. However, datasets or evidences, including climate sensitive Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. Recognizing this gap in the information and realizing wide-ranging implications of such datasets, the present study generates evidences of changes in flowering phenology of an important trees species, Rhododendron arboreum in Indian Central Himalaya.

The monsoon rainfall in 2014 is likely to be less than the long term average, with a chance of almost one in four of it being a drought, according to the forecast of the India Meteorological Department. The expected occurrence of an undesirable phenomenon – the El Niño over the Pacific Ocean, is considered to be a major factor in determining the fate of the monsoon this year. (Editorial)

Original Source

The state of Punjab, earlier regarded as an agriculturally developed region of India, has been passing through a severe economic crisis. The capital-intensive mode of production, propagated by the green revolution in the mid-1960s, is turning out to be non-viable for the small peasantry and hence, they are being involuntarily manoeuvred towards shifting away from farming. Based on a field study in Punjab during the year 2012-13, it was observed that 14.39% of the farmers had left farming since 1991.

An attempt has been made in this study to present an overview of the patenting intensity of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. Patent data originating from SAARC countries from 1995 to 2011, filed through World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), European Patent Office and United States Patent and Trademark Office were collected and analysed.

Thousands of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Earth's atmosphere exist which play an important role in various photochemical processes. However, the global model simulations of tropospheric chemistry deal with limited data of speciated VOCs. In the present study, we have used the Global Fire Emissions Database inventory of VOCs emitted from biomass burning in India during the period from 1997 to 2009.

One among three long-standing mystery diseases listed in Wikipedia is acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. This disease has remained for over two decades without determining a cause for; hence it is called mystery disease. It occurs annual seasonal outbreaks during the months of April-July, affecting hundreds of children with 40-60% mortality, according to local physicians.

Original Source

Recent rise in sea level at alarming rates is a matter of serious global concern in general and for a country like India in particular with about 5700 km of coastline. The present study reports some evidences of large scale slumping of Sajnekhali (near Gosaba and Baghmara) creek banks in the Sundarban delta complex, West Bengal, which could be attributed to rising sea level.

Original Source

Influence of exotic plant invasions on the structure and functional attributes of native ecosystems has been extensively documented and debated. The complex interactions of invasive species with native ecosystems make invasion ecology an interesting and important area of research. Prosopis julifora native to south and central America was introdouced in India to meet the fuel-wood requirements of the rural poor and to restore degrated lands. Now, it has become an aggressive weed in several parts of the country and poses a serious threat to native biodiversity.

Chilika lagoon is situated on the east coast of India and is spread over three districts of Odisha, namely Puri, Khordha and Ganjam. It is a hotspot for biodiversity, and the largest wintering ground for migratory avian guests on the Indian sub-continent. This note describes oil pollution from mechanized vessels observed during regular field surveys.

Original Source

Mountains are early and important indicators of climate change wwhic depict far-reaching consequences on our ecosystem, agriculture and livelihood of the farmers. The Himalayan mountain ecosystem is also facing serious challenges posed by climate change due to increasing aridity, warmer winter season, and variability in receiving and variability in receiving precipitation and snow.