Using satellite data from 1973, 1991 and 2016, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, study how protected area have deteriorated over the years. The study also assesses the reason for the said deterioration of the forests.

How do insects find partners of their species to mate with in vast fields and forests? Recent research from scientists at the University of Exeter and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore have shown how sounds acts as a barrier between interbreeding among different species.

The Himalayas are home  to a host of biodiversity which has yet to be studied in detail. Taking the first steps to better understand a species of song birds scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Cornell University explore if the sex of Green-backed tits can be identified by looking at the size of the beak and the thickness of the breast stripe.

Dr. Vivek Nityananda, a research associate from the Newcastle University presented a lecture titled, “Stereovision and prey detection in the praying mantis”, on the 10th of January 2018 at the Indian Institute of Science. An alumnus of the Center for Ecological Sciences at IISc, Dr. Nityananda was introduced to the audience by his doctoral guide, Prof. Rohini Balakrishnan. The research that he presented to the audience was conducted at the Newcastle University, UK, conducted as a part of research undertaken by Prof.

Tigers face threats like degradation on habitats and conflict with humans that has caused their numbers in India to dwindle. When the number of members in a population goes down, the population faces another threat, inbreeding depression. Scientists from the National Center for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, study the genetic makeup of tiger populations to mediate the ill-effects of inbreeding depression.

Researchers at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) have proposed a new approach towards restoration of the Edeyarhalli-Doddasampige Wildlife Corridor (ED corridor) near Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve by working in collaboration with the local communities.

Scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research explore whether seasonal variation in abundance of food and water have any effects on the size of elephant groups. The researchers found that although group sizes were larger in the dry season compared to the wet season at the population level, that was not so at the clan level.

Whizzing and whirring past us are these insects that most of us remember as ‘helicopters’ of our childhood. Often subjected to our harsh fascination, these winged beauties were tied a string to their bodies, and flown around. Dragonflies and damselflies, collectively known as Odonates, were once as interesting to us as dragons and damsels of stories. Yet today, we barely have the time to notice these creatures.

Human Elephant conflict in India is hardly news, but the conflict is also faced by our neighbours in the north, Nepal. Scientists from Arkansas State University explore the degree and the reasons due to which elephants come in close contact with humans.

Scientists from Sun Yat-sen University, China, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Delhi, Indian Institute of Rice Research and Agri Biotech Foundation have explored the microbiome or microbes associated with a major rice pest, Asian Rice Gall Midge.