The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous natural resource service institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of India, was established in 1982.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling, Ecodevelopment, Ecotoxicology, Habitat Ecology and Climate Change. WII has a research facility which includes Forensics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Laboratory, Herbarium, and an Electronic Library. The founder director was V. B. Saharia while the first Director was Hemendra Singh Panwar who remained the director from 1985 to 1994. Trained personnel from WII have contributed in studying and protecting wildlife in India. The national tiger census or the All India Tiger Estimation, is done by WII along with NTCA and state forest departments.The institute is based in Dehradun, India. It is located in Chandrabani, which is close to the southern forests of Dehradun. The campus is 180 acre's, from which 100 acre's is in wilderness and 80 acre's is operational facilities. It is close to Rajaji National Park. The training of the direct recruits of the India Forest Service Officers and also those who are recruited as the State Forest Officers is done here itself.
Understanding spatial variation in biodiversity is essential for effective conservation planning. Beta diversity describes variation in species composition across habitats and environmental gradients, while the Local Contribution to Beta Diversity (LCBD) identifies sites with unique community composition. Odonates are sensitive indicators of freshwater ecosystem health, yet their spatial diversity patterns remain poorly documented in many Indian River systems. We conducted this study to understand LCBD patterns in Odonata assemblages along the Ramganga River, identify conservation-priority sites, and determine physicochemical drivers of species richness and beta diversity components. We surveyed odonates at 19 sites along the lower Ramganga River during the summer and winter of 2023 and 2024. We analyzed species abundance to calculate LCBD based on the Ruzicka index and its components–balanced variation (LCBDRUZ.BAL) and abundance gradients (LCBDRUZ.GRA). We used Principal Component Analysis to summarize environmental gradients and applied generalized linear and beta regression models to examine relationships among species richness, LCBD, and physicochemical variables. We recorded 20 odonate species across the study sites. LCBD values varied spatially, with the middle reaches of the Ramganga River contributing disproportionately to regional beta diversity and therefore requiring priority for conservation and restoration. Species richness showed a negative relationship with LCBDRUZICKA and LCBDRUZ.BAL, while LCBDRUZ.GRA exhibited a U-shaped pattern. Conductivity, pH, nitrate, and total dissolved solids significantly influenced species richness and beta diversity patterns. This study demonstrates the value of LCBD-based approaches for identifying ecologically unique sites and highlights the importance of integrating biodiversity metrics with environmental variables to guide conservation strategies.
Coexisting species can reduce competition through ecological separation across habitat, diet, or temporal activity. We investigated niche segregation between the blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) during winter (January–April 2024) in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, India. We assessed spatial distribution, habitat use based on 13 variables, and dietary overlap to understand niche segregation between these sympatric mountain ungulates. The two species exhibited low spatial overlap with segregation driven by distinct habitat preferences. Ibex preferred rugged, rocky terrain with multiple escape routes despite sparse vegetation, thereby trading off food for security. In contrast, blue Sheep favored less rocky areas with higher vegetation cover, thus balancing the need for food with the need to avoid predators. Both species relied on browse (herbs and shrubs) during winter. However,ibex consumed a significantly higher proportion of dicots and a lower proportion of monocots than blue sheep p, indicating partial dietary differentiation. These findings suggest that coexistence is primarily mediated by terrain-driven habitat segregation, with dietary differences playing a secondary role in the Trans-Himalayan landscape.
. Aerial insectivores are experiencing rapid population declines worldwide, with the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), a long-distance migratory species, declining at an alarming rate across its wide breeding range. Despite extensive study elsewhere, data on Barn Swallow ecology remain scarce in India, especially in the Himalaya, which constitutes the southern extent of its breeding range in South Asia. This study documents the diet of Barn Swallow nestlings across rural and urban settlements in the Uttarakhand Himalaya. In 2023, faecal samples of nestlings from four breeding sites (two rural and two urban) were collected to examine dietary composition, and simultaneously, aerial insects were sampled at one rural and one urban site to document prey availability. A total of 240 faecal samples were collected and analyzed, wherein six invertebrate orders were identified - Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Isoptera, and Odonata, in decreasing order of their occurrence. The prey composition between rural and urban settlements differed significantly (R2 = 0.17, F = 49.18, p = 0.001). There was no significant temporal variation in prey composition over the course of the breeding season (R2 = 0.0084, F = 1.981, p = 0.118), except for changes due to seasonal and regional emergence of certain insect groups such as Isoptera. Insects sampled across urban and rural settlements revealed the presence of Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Aranea, Orthoptera, and Lepidoptera. The community composition between available insect prey and dietary contents of Barn Swallow nestlings showed a significant difference (R2 = 0.225, F = 86.39, p = 0.001). This study serves as a baseline for future research on the diet and insect prey availability of aerial insectivores in the Himalayan region. Understanding the impact of anthropogenic activities, such as pesticide use, abandonment of farmland, and urban expansion, prevalent in the Himalayan region on aerial insectivores would be critical. It is imperative to conduct long-term studies on insect availability and abundance, and on their influence on the nesting success of aerial insectivores such as Barn Swallows.
Tigers are often targeted for their body parts, particularly bones, which are highly prized in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) market for their medicinal properties. Due to their high demand and dwindling tiger population, the illegal wildlife market has seen a rise in substitutes for tiger bone. Therefore, to support legal action and enforce regulations, verifying the authenticity of suspected tiger bone products is crucial. In the present study, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics were utilized to differentiate the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) bone samples. The ATR-FTIR bone spectra of both species were visually compared and subsequently subjected to chemometric analysis. Three chemometric tools, including PCA, SVM, and PLS-DA, were employed, which successfully differentiated the bone spectra of the two species with accuracies of 91.66%, 97.92%, and 100%, respectively. Cross-validation indicated that the PLS-DA model outperformed the SVM model, leading to further validation studies only carried out for the PLS-DA model. The external validation and blind testing of the PLS-DA model yielded 100% accuracy. Furthermore, the PLS-DA model successfully distinguished water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bone samples from those of the Royal Bengal Tiger and Indian Leopard, categorizing all three species into distinct classes with 100% accuracy. This study demonstrated a quick, reliable, and cost-effective method for differentiating the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, and water buffalo bones using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics, even in powder form without having any morphological characteristics.
Invasive plants, alongside other global changes, are transforming ecosystems globally. Strategic responses depend on monitoring invasions and arising socioecological risks particularly in the biodiverse and socioeconomically vulnerable regions. Using 16 years (2006-2022) of systematic monitoring over 277,000 km(2) in India, we analyse the nexus between plant invasions and global changes, including propagule pressure, forest warming and drying, altered fire and herbivory dynamics and rapid land-use transformation. Annually, similar to 15,500 km(2) of natural areas are invaded by at least one new species, exposing similar to 11,200 km(2) of herbivore occupancy to forage loss. These invasions potentially limit resources for tiger food chains across similar to 5,950 km(2) annually. Invasions have exposed 144 million people, 2.79 million livestock and 0.2 million km(2) of smallholder agriculture to cascading impacts. By identifying socioecological risk hotspots for prioritizing investments, our findings offer critical insights to guide targeted restoration and safeguard biodiversity and vulnerable livelihoods.
