Forests

The green cover in India has absorbed more carbon than it emitted annually in the last decade, but the rate of sequestration declines during extreme climate events such as drought, a study has revealed. The study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, also stressed the critical role of vegetation in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Green vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and releases it back into the air through respiration. "The overall balance between this uptake and release of CO2 is known as the net ecosystem exchange (NEE). When the NEE is positive, it means vegetation is releasing more carbon than it absorbs, and when it's negative, it indicates that the vegetation is effectively storing carbon," said Dhanyalekshmi Pillai, associate professor, head of the Max Planck Partner Group Germany, and of the Earth and Environmental Sciences, IISER Bhopal. "For the last decade,

Robertson and experts with his firm captured the images of SCE's equipment by hiking to SCE towers along the ridge of foothills near Altadena and deploying drones earlier this month

With wildfires burning for a 10th day, firefighters expressed relief over withstanding recent red flag conditions of high desert winds and low humidity without either of the two monster fires growing

The newly constituted Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) rejected a proposal of the previous BJD government to amend the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property Amendment Regulation for allowing tribals in scheduled areas to sell and mortgage their land to non-tribals. In the first meeting of the TAC chaired by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday, it was resolved to explore an alternative mode to facilitate loans for tribal people for essential purposes such as marriage, higher education and business initiatives, an official statement issued by the CMO said. The previous BJD government's move to amend the regulation of Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Amendment was strongly opposed by the people across the state, following which it was withdrawn by the government on January 29, 2024. However, the Naveen Patnaik government did not reject it. The proposal was first introduced in the TAC meeting on July 11, 2023 and later ...

The Forest Survey of India defines forest as land covering at least one hectare and with a tree cover density of 10 per cent

India's total forest and tree cover stood at 8,27,357 sq km in 2021-23, representing 25.17 per cent of the country's geographical area

The state saw a combined growth of 683.62 sq km in forest cover, securing the topmost position in the country

Meghalaya lost over 84 sq km forest cover between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR). Except for Sikkim, which reported an increase of 2 sq km forest cover, all other states in the northeast region witnessed a reduction of the area under forests, it said. The region, with 7.98 per cent of land area, collectively contributes 21.08 per cent of India's forest and tree cover, the ISFR, 2023, said. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, had launched the report at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on Saturday. It showed a nationwide increase of 1,445 sq km in total forest and tree cover recorded since 2021. While the study did not specify what caused the loss of forest cover in Meghalaya, forest officials in the state said human activities, including agricultural expansion, increased settlement and infrastructure development are suspected to be the reasons. The report also made mention about jhum ...

Uttar Pradesh has recorded the second-highest increase in the combined forest and tree cover in the country with an increase of 559 sqkm, the state government said in a statement. "UP records the second largest increase in forest and tree cover. Total 559.19 sq km as per the latest ISFR released in Dehradun today," the statement said. UP's Minister of State (Independent Charge) Forest and Environment, Zoological Garden, Climate Change Arun Kumar Saxena credited Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the increase in the green cover with his directions to all stakeholders to plant trees. "And because of the collective efforts, we got positive and good results. We ranked second in the country in increasing the combined forest and tree cover, which is a significant achievement. Only Chhattisgarh is ahead of us," Saxena told reporters. "Our efforts will be to take the state to the number one position," he added. India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq km since 2021, .

India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq km since 2021, reaching 25.17 per cent of the total geographical area in 2023, according to the latest government data. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, released on Saturday, said that the country's total forest cover increased from 7,13,789 sq km in 2021 to 7,15,343 sq km in 2023, reaching 21.76 per cent of its geographical area. The tree cover increased by 1,289 sq km and now constitutes 3.41 per cent of the country's geographical area, it said. Together, the forest and tree cover amount to 8,27,357 sq km or 25.17 per cent of India's geographical area. This marks an overall increase of 1,445 sq km from 2021, with forest cover alone rising by 156 sq km. According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI), forest cover refers to all land that has a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent and spans over an area of one hectare or more, regardless of the type of ownership or legal status. This includes natural

Poor implementation and data gaps hinder India's push for ecological balance

As per Vantara's objectives, these cubs will soon be rewilded to help restore India's biodiversity

Forest loss in Brazil's Amazon dropped by 30.6% compared to the previous year, officials said Wednesday, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. In a 12-month span, the Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware. The results, announced in Brazils presidential palace, sharply contrast with President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. Deforestation hit a 15-year high during his term. Deforestation in Brazil's vast savannah, known as the Cerrado, decreased by 25.7%, the first decline in five years. The area destroyed reached 8,174 square kilometers (3,156 square miles). Located in central Brazil, it is the world's most biodiverse savannah but has fewer legal protections than the Amazon. Despite the success in curbing Amazon deforestation, Lula's government has been ...

In an ecological disaster, an estimated 50,000 trees spread over about 500 acres in the forests of Mulugu district in Telangana were uprooted following a huge gale and a sudden cloud burst. This happened on the night of August 31 because of local climatic conditions that suddenly developed there due to cloud formation, a senior forest official said on Wednesday. "We never saw such an incident in our lives," the official told PTI. With the massive wind and water gushing (in a particular width and length), it has destroyed the forest and big trees have been uprooted, he said. The other reason why the trees got uprooted was that the plants do not develop a very deep root system as moisture and nutrition are easily available for them in the area, he said. In some places, the root system is developed within one foot, he added. Had it been a very deep root system, the damage would have been less, the official said. In some places, the top part was broken as one tree fell on another tre

The Poba Reserve Forest, a rainforest located in the northeastern part of Assam, will soon be notified as a wildlife sanctuary, state Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said. The proposed Poba Wildlife Sanctuary will encompass an area of 257.29 sq km, including the Poba Reserve Forest, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and the surrounding riverine areas, he said. Making the announcement on Friday, the minister said it is a testament of the government's commitment for conservation and sustainable development of the state's natural resources and biodiversity. Known for its rich wildlife, Poba Reserve Forest serves as an important migratory route for various animals, particularly elephants, as it connects the D' Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, an official statement said. This corridor is the second significant elephant migration route from the north to the south bank of the Brahmaputra river

A major wildfire has raged across the northern suburbs of Athens, leaving at least one person dead and triggering multiple evacuations as swirling winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes. The fire department said shortly after midnight that firefighters found a body in a burnt building in the suburb of Vrilissia, but was unable to immediately provide further details. The blaze started Sunday near Lake Marathon, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of Athens, coursed across Mount Pendeli and reached the capital's northern suburbs. It burnt several homes and businesses in the city suburbs and in communities near the lake. Greece went on high alert but by late night Monday, a drop in winds offered hope and officials reported progress against the massive, fast-moving blaze that spawned flames over 25 metres (80 feet) high. Fire Department spokesperson Col Vassileios Vathrakogiannis said firefighters were longer battling a single fr

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest slowed by nearly half compared to the year before, according to government satellite data released Wednesday. It's the largest reduction since 2016, when officials began using the current method of measurement. In the past 12 months, the Amazon rainforest lost 4,300 square kilometers (1,700 square miles), an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. That's a nearly 46% decrease compared to the previous period. Brazil's deforestation surveillance year runs from August 1 to July 30. Still, much remains to be done to end the destruction and the month of July showed a 33% increase in tree cutting over July 2023. A strike by officials at federal environmental agencies contributed to this surge, said Joo Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary for the Environment Ministry, during a press conference in Braslia. The figures are preliminary and come from the Deter satellite sytem, managed by the National Institute for Space Research and used by ...

The number of tigers in the Sunderbans is likely to rise in the next census as there is no threat of saturation and sufficient prey base in the 4,200 sq km area of the mangrove forest, a senior forest official said. The number of Royal Bengal Tigers in West Bengal's Sunderbans as per the 2022 census was 101. "The 2022 tiger census count of 101 is nowhere close to carrying capacity in near future... ," Chief Wildlife Warden Debal Roy told PTI. "On a terrain like the Sunderbans carrying capacity means the number of tigers per 100 sq km. If you keep in mind that Sunderbans has an area of 4,200 sq km and calculate, the carrying capacity of tigers will be far below than any saturation level," he said. Roy said the prey bass consisting of spotted deer is regularly replenished for the tiger population and the forest department is working on steps like anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and barring entry of fishermen, honey collectors, wood collectors and other villagers living in contiguous

India gained 2,66,000 hectares of forest area annually from 2010 to 2020, securing the third spot among the top 10 countries with the most significant forest area gains during this period, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The report, released on Monday, said that China led the world with the maximum forest area gain of 1,937,000 hectares, followed by Australia with 4,46,000 hectares, and then India. Other countries in the top 10 include Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, France, Italy and Romania. The UN agency praised India for its efforts in restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry through innovative approaches. This includes the development of a new national policy aimed at better supporting agroforestry in the country. The report highlighted a significant reduction in deforestation in some countries. For example, Indonesia saw an 8.4 per cent decline in deforestation from 2021 to 2022, while Brazil's Amazon experienced

Spring initiative comes ahead of global talks in Colombia in October that aim to accelerate efforts to protect and restore nature