Abstract The impact of environmental conditions on the birdsong has been long established. According to the acoustic adaptation hypothesis, birds configure their song’s structure for its optimal transmission in the local environment. The impact of vegetation cover, temperature and human disturbance on bird vocalization has been well established. However, the impact of elevation has not […]
How does birdsong change with altitude? Read More »
Charles Darwin’ “Theory of Evolution”, explains that the traits which aids the survival and reproductive success of an individual will be selected and passed down to the offspring.[1] According to this definition, the evolution of altruistic behaviour seems highly impractical. This is because altruism is defined as the behaviour of an organism which, at
How has reciprocal altruism evolved in the Animal Kingdom? Read More »
Deep, dark, wet and eerily silent they may seem; but caves are one of the most striking natural formations of the Earth. From the world’s longest cave in sandstone situated in Meghalaya to the marvellously sculptured Ajanta and Ellora caves; humans have always been fascinated – more of being dependent on caves. Prehistorically, we needed
The Mysterious Ecosystems of Caves Read More »
Trespassers is knowingly enter private property, either for recreation or for criminal purposes. Forest trespass includes the entrance into any reserves without the permission of the specified authorities. Trespassing into protected areas is a major concern. Although this may seem a small issue at a first glance but this gives rise to major issues. This includes
Forest Trespassing- “Exploring the Prohibited Zones’’ Read More »
Pollinators provide a wide range of benefits to society in terms of contributions to food security, farmer livelihoods, social and cultural values. They also play a role in the maintenance of wider biodiversity and ecosystems (Potts et al., 2016). In the tropics, plant animal mutualisms are vital for ecosystem function (Wright, 2002). Pollinators increase Plant
Why are pollinators so important? Read More »
Interactions between flora and fauna occurs in three primary forms, namely pollination, herbivory and parasitism. Extensive chemical communication facilitated these interactions. Plants produce volatile organic compounds. These primarily function to either attract pollinators or provide protection against to herbivores. In response, numerous modes of chemical communication have evolved in fauna species. This is in effort
What is the role of chemical comunication in the co-evolution of species? Read More »
Coevolution is the phenomena where interactions between two species fosters reciprocal evolutionary adaptations. The evolution of these adaptations must display specificity and reciprocity. This means both traits should evolve simultaneously as a product of each other. As such, coevolution can be induced both by agonistic interactions, such as those between predator-prey, or through mutualism, particularly
How has the coevolution of flora and fauna species contributed to biodiversity? Read More »
Many of the pristine forests and natural ecosystems of the world are today at grim danger of degradation due to the immense amount of anthropogenic pressure on them, India has an ever expanding population many of which still lives in villages in or around natural areas, forest areas, and even in the protected areas, this
How are birds responding to a changing Central Indian forest landscapes? Read More »
Disconnecting from Nature In this age of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook, the one thing we can all agree on is how we like to spend more time on the internet, rather than in actual reality. I call this an age of ‘unnaturalists’, meaning people who would rather spend each day Netflix-ing rather than heading
Why is nature journaling important? Read More »
Nature is often known to spring surprises to an audience capable of appreciating it. This was proved true for 14 members of Nature Watch (an Eco-Club from Bangalore) during their 1-day stint at Srirangam Tropical Butterfly Conservatory in Tiruchchirappalli (popularly also known as Trichy). With an area of 10 hectares, as the largest butterfly conservative