Killed in cold blood

THE DEMAND for land for food production always results in an uncomfortable trade-off between agricultural expansion and species conservation. One can see an example of this tradeoff in paddy fields, whose unique combination of wet and drylands provide ideal habitats for amphibians and reptiles. These cold-blooded animals, together referred to as herpetofauna, provide immense ecological services. Frogs and toads, for instance, act as biological control agents by feeding on crop pests. Several salamanders and tadpoles of frogs help in controlling mosquito and mosquito-borne diseases by feeding on the larvae. They also help improve soil quality and aeration, aid in dispersal of seeds and in pollination-there are almost 40 species of lizards including skinks and geckos that are efficient pollinators. However, the diversity and abundance of these herpetofauna are rapidly declining with increased use of pesticides, fertilisers, land conversion, changes in cropping systems and the reduced proportion of natural vegetation. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 1,532 species of Anurans (frogs) and 825 species of reptiles in the world are critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable due to agriculture and its management practices. They appear to particularly threatened in India which has a high amphibian diversity-most of them are endemic to the region-and, as per the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, had the largest cropland area over the last decade, followed by the US and China.
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra January 01, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Recycling Innovation: How UFlex Is Setting Global Benchmarks
India's first company to recycle PET, PE, and PP for food packaging

A NEW BUZZ
Like many countries, India is in the middle of a pollinator crisis. In several states, farmers now rent honeybees to secure a decent harvest. In areas where agriculture is nearly impossible due to shortage of natural pollinators, people are manually carrying out nature's most critical operation. This artificial substitution of pollinators raises new concerns. A report by

Seed saviours
Seed banks managed by communities and non-profits are repositories of hundreds of indigenous climate-resilient crop varieties but need help in storage, technical aid and policy support to thrive

Perilous proposal
Villages near Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve oppose plans to open yet another ecotourism zone in light of rising attacks by the big cats

SOUR GOODNESS
Leaves of madhu soleng, an easy-to-grow weed, are a great souring agent
Broken lifeline
ON MARCH 13, 2020, Government of India's Press Information Bureau (PIB) released the latest life expectancy data of the country.

RESILIENT RURAL FUTURES
Ambuja Foundation Tackles Climate Vulnerability Head On ...
Sustainable cycles
Women in Himachal Pradesh switch from plastic sanitary pads to reusable menstrual hygiene products for better waste management

Uniting the Ecosystem: Empowering Smallholder Farmers and Solving India's Water Crisis
Smallholder farmers are key to solving India's water crisis, accounting for 86% of farming households. Agricultural consumption accounts for 75-90% of India's freshwater use.

WHO IS REALLY DEVELOPED
A new development metric ranks countries based on their living standards that can be scaled globally without breaking planetary limits