A warning to tropical mountains

Natural vegetation in different parts of the world, whether it is on the high mountains, tropical rain forests or deserts, has evolved in a particular climate with specific precipitation and temperature characteristics. There have been major changes in climate at timescales of tens of thousands of years in some regions due to glaciation and deglaciation cycles. However, climate characteristics often remain relatively stable for over several thousands of years, enabling distinctive vegetation types to evolve and maintain itself. Major changes in climate over shorter periods of time can thus have major impacts on the vegetation and all other biodiversity that exist in specific biomes or regions

Exploring Freshwater Science

Freshwater ecosystems and associated habitats harbor incredible biodiversity. They offer various ecosystem services and sustain human livelihoods. However, due to increasing developmental pressure and rising water demand, these systems are under huge threat. As a result, many aquatic species are feared to become extinct in near future. Quantifying the patterns of aquatic species diversity and composition of river systems is urgently required. With this interest, we studied four river systems in the Western Ghats region, documenting the pattern of fish diversity and identifying the factors that influence fish species richness. Maintaining undisturbed streams and river basins, especially headwater regions is crucial for sustaining freshwater biodiversity in the tropical river ecosystems

Factors influencing the local scale colonisation and change in density of a widespread invasive plant species, Lantana camara, in South India

Identifying factors that underlie invasive species colonisation and change in density could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of biological invasions and for invasive species management. We examined a suite of factors potentially influencing the landscape-level invasion of Lantana camara L., one of the most ubiquitous invasive species in South Asia. These factors included disturbance factors like forest fires, historical habitat modification, and edge effects, in addition to factors like propagule pressure and habitat suitability. We examined the relative importance of these factors on the colonisation and change in density of L. camara in the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India. We used extensive (1997–2008) datasets tracking the presence and abundance of L. camara and combined these with corresponding data on disturbances, propagule pressure, and habitat suitability. We used an information-theoretic model selection approach to determine the relative importance of each factor on the colonisation and change in density of L. camara. Colonisation was mainly a function of proximity to already established populations (i.e. propagule pressure), whereas increase in L. camara density appeared to be constrained by high fire frequency. Research and management efforts need to recognize the multi dimensional nature of mechanisms underlying L. camara’s success during different invasion phases when strategizing interventions to mitigate its effects

Frugivory of Phyllanthus emblica at Rajaji National Park, northwest India

Phyllanthus emblica Linn. (Euphorbiaceae,syn Emblica officinalis Gærtn, vern. Amla, Nelli) is a 10–15 m tall tree, common in tropical deciduous forests of South Asia. It flowers during March–April and has an extended fruiting period from October to March. The fruit is globose (15–33 mm), greenish-yellow and drupaceous, encasing a hard stony endocarp that on drying dehisces to release six kidney-shaped seeds (4–6 mm; Figure 1). The P. emblica fruit, one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C1, is edible and is used in pickle, hair-oil and traditional medicine. It is among India’s most important non-timber forest produce (NTFP)

Exploring trade-offs between SDGs for Indus River Dolphin conservation and human water security in the regulated Beas River, India

This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund through quality-related funding (QR GCRF) and the UK Natural Environment Research Council (Grant number NE/N015541/1). J. Krishnaswamy acknowledges support from the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Mitigation component of the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-being supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Google Research (Google Grant for AI on Social Good).In India’s Indo-Gangetic plains, river flows are strongly altered by dams, barrages and water diversions for irrigation, urban supply, hydropower production and flood control. Human demands for freshwater are likely to intensify with climatic and socio-economic changes, exacerbating trade-offs between different sustainable development goals (SDGs) dependent on freshwater (e.g. SDG2, SDG6, SDG7, SDG11 and SDG15). Freshwater ecosystems and endangered aquatic species are not explicitly addressed in the SDGs, but only nested as targets within SDG6 and SDG15. Thus, there is high risk that decisions to advance other SDGs may overlook impacts on them. In this study, we link a water resource systems model and a forecast extinction risk model to analyze how alternative conservation strategies in the regulated Beas River (India) affect the likelihood of survival of the only remaining population of endangered Indus River Dolphins (IRD) in India in the face of climate change-induced impacts on river hydrology and human water demands, explicitly accounting for potential trade-offs between related SDGs. We find that the frequency of low flow released from the main reservoir may increase under some climate change scenarios, significantly affecting the IRD population. The strongest trade-offs exist between the persistence of IRD, urban water supply and hydropower generation. The establishment of ecologically informed reservoir releases combined with IRD population supplementation enhances the probability of survival of the IRD and is compatible with improving the status of relevant SDGs. This will require water managers, conservation scientists, and other stakeholders to continue collaborating to develop holistic water management strategies.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Big Cats in Our Backyards: Persistence of Large Carnivores in a Human Dominated Landscape in India

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Analytical Approaches to Music of South Asia, Volume 1 (2023)

Contents: 1. Editors’ Introduction to the AAMSA journal 2. A Novel Generative Paradigm for Carnatic Rhythmic Composition Jagdish A. Krishnaswamy and Robert Wells 3. The Musical Journeys of a Goddess Paolo Pacciolla 4. Suḷādi Songs of Haridāsa Composers Arati Ra

Regional climate messages for South Asia

It was essential to understand the extent of climatic variability and the associated biophysical response to ascertain appropriate entry points for the RRP phase. To enhance our understanding of historical climate change and climate variability in the three ASSAR sub-regions, we investigated trends in temperature and precipitation in the broader landscape surrounding the sub-regions (hereafter ASSAR sub-region envelopes).International Development Research Centre (IDRC) - CanadaUK's Department for International Development (DFID) UKCollaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA