Himalayas has one of the largest concentrations of glaciers and permanent snow fields. These are sensitive to climate change. Snow and glacier runoffs are important sources of water for the Himalayan rivers. Due to steep slopes, all these streams are potential sites for hydropower generation.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 expected in the near future as a consequence of increasing emissions will alter the quantity and quality of plant foliage, which in turn can influence the growth and development of insect herbivores.
Soil exhaustion is a major concern particularly in ferruginous soils of the tropics and restoration of soil quality through management of soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the options to combat the situation. To understand the scope of different systems to sequester organic carbon in ferruginous soils (Typic Rhodustalfs), three representative systems, viz.
Global warming risks from emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by anthropogenic activities have increased the need for the identification of ecosystems with high carbon sink capacity as an alternative mitigation strategy of terrestrial carbon sequestration. The agroforestry sector has received recent attention for its enormous potential carbon pools that reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The Nubra Valley (Trans-Himalayan region) is covered with more than 575,000 agroforestry plantations (willow and poplar). These species have been found to sequester more than 75,000 tonnes of carbon.
The African elephant's misfortune has been its teeth, in particular the well developed pair of upper incisors known as tusks for which it is being killed in large numbers. The visible ivory part of the tusks is made up of dentine with an outer layer of enamel, and when viewed in cross section it reveals criss-cross lines that form a series of diamond shapes. This is what gives the elephant ivory its distinctive lustre, and makes it so valuable economically.
A reconnaissance survey was undertaken to assess the responses of ground insect communities to habitat restoration efforts in the Attappady hills, Western Ghats. Diversity patterns of various ground insect assemblages such as ants, beetles, etc. were compared across an age trajectory of restored sites. The diversity of these assemblages was correlated with age trajectory
This article describes biotechnological modes, updated in terms of environmental remediation while exploiting natural resources. Modern biotechnology embraces not only the principles of using various organisms but also the techniques of doing so. Both the aspects are dealt with in detail.
The middle and upper Ganga plains covering the upstream part from Rajmahal Hills, were earlier considered to be free from arsenic groundwater contamination. Initially, the contamination (>0.05 mg/l) was reported in 2002 from two villages, Bariswan and Simaria Ojhapatti of Bhojpur district of Bihar.
