We extended our research on the architecture, growth and age of trees belonging to the genus Adansonia, by starting to investigate large individuals of the most widespread Malagasy species. Our research also intends to identify the oldest baobabs of Madagascar. Here we present results of the radiocarbon investigation of the two most representative Adansonia rubrostipa (fony baobab) specimens, which are located in south-western Madagascar, in the Tsimanampetsotse National Park. We found that the fony baobab called "Grandmother" consists of 3 perfectly fused stems of different ages.

The book is structured to cover a range of gender issues in various forest, trees and agroforest management areas from tree species identification to landuse decision-making.

The purpose of this project is to explore agricultural diversification through the use of trees on farms in communities in China, Nepal, and Pakistan to support people’s capacity to adapt to change, particularly climate-related change.

Baobabs (Adansonia spp.) are iconic trees, known for their immense size, strange forms, sources of food and as the subjects of myths and mysteries. It is thus surprising that little is known regarding the fungi that infect these trees. During a survey to determine which wound infecting fungi occur on baobabs, synnematous structures were observed and Graphium-like isolates were obtained. Culture characteristics and micro-morphology, together with DNA sequence comparisons for the SSU rRNA, rRNA-ITS and TEF-1α gene regions were used to characterise these fungi.

Farmland biodiversity is greatly enhanced by the presence of trees. However, farmland trees are declining worldwide, including in North America, Central America, and parts of southern Europe. We show that tree decline and its likely consequences are particularly severe in Australia's temperate agricultural zone, which is a threatened ecoregion.

Subhash Chandra N S and Sandeep Moudgal, June 27, Bangalore, DH News Service:

Long cherished for being a part of the City

Citizens are crying foul over the Government

Biodiversity measurement is necessary to evaluate conservation alternatives and understand how to maximize biodiversity returns on conservation budgets. In the economics literature, most studies focus on species level diversity. Existing measures based on species' pairwise genetic differences do not perform optimally.

Fifteen years ago the hillside of Karsog Tehsil in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh was covered with pine mono cultures. The officials of the forest department preferred pine as it is not eaten by cattle, grows quickly after a fire, is hardy, requires minimum effort and had a good survival rate.

A few months before the festival of Lord Jagannath in Majhiakhand village in Nayagarh District of Orissa, the village women get together to knead a mixture of ant hill clay, cow dung and cow urine into egg shaped balls and seeds of siali are preserved within them.

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