Forest & environment

Nestled beside the vast waters of the Hirakud Reservoir, Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is one of Odisha’s remarkable landscapes where forests, wetlands and wildlife exist in close connection. Spread across a rich dry deciduous ecosystem, the…

Offshore oil drilling supports energy production but can place pressure on marine ecosystems through underwater noise, habitat disturbance, waste discharge and the risk of oil spills. Its wider environmental impact also includes…

Carbon taxes place a financial cost on greenhouse-gas emissions and can encourage high-polluting companies to reduce fossil-fuel use, improve efficiency and invest in cleaner technologies. Evidence indicates that carbon pricing can…

Nepal is continuing rescue and relief operations after a devastating flash flood affected several parts of the country. Hundreds of people have died or remain unaccounted for, while roads, bridges, homes and other infrastructure have been…

Magnetoreception is the ability of animals to detect and use Earth's magnetic field as a source of directional information. It has been documented in birds, sea turtles, insects, fish and other animals, but the precise biological mechanism…

### Excerpt > Forests are not passive participants in the atmosphere. Trees continuously release **biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs)** such as isoprene and terpenes, which undergo chemical reactions in the air. These compounds…

Rivers do more than carry water to the sea. They transport sediment, nutrients and freshwater that help sustain deltas, wetlands and coastal ecosystems. When dams, water diversion and other human activities reduce this natural flow, the…

When a species disappears, the impact can extend far beyond the loss of a single organism. Species are connected through food webs, pollination, seed dispersal, competition and other ecological relationships. The disappearance of an…

India's latest Environmental Performance Index ranking offers a serious warning about the country's environmental challenges. Ranked 176th among 177 countries, India records particularly weak performance in environmental health, air quality…

Earthquakes occur when enormous stresses within the Earth's crust are suddenly released, sending seismic waves through the planet. Using sensitive instruments called seismometers, scientists can detect these waves, locate an earthquake's…