Biodiversity studies have traditionally focused on species rank, yet recent research highlights the inadequacy of this approach alone. Instead, scientists emphasise taxonomic and functional surrogacy methods, such as indices of taxonomic distinctness and functional diversity, to grasp the relationships among species and their functional characteristics within ecosystems. Despite being a significant river in the Deccan Plateau region, understanding of the taxonomic distinctiveness and functional diversity of the fish community of the Bhima River basin remains elusive. Thus, we conducted this study to understand the relationship between these indices and environmental drivers affecting the fish community in the Bhima River basin. We studied taxonomic distinctness ( Δ + ), variation in taxonomic distinctness ( λ + ), functional dispersion (FDis), functional divergence (FDiv) and functional evenness (FEve) of the fish community. By correlation and regression analyses, we found a significant association between taxonomic distinctness and functional diversity indices. We also found that these indices are mainly influenced by annual temperature range, mean temperature diurnal range and precipitation of the dry season. We recommend conducting a comprehensive assessment of fish populations and studying the potential effects of climate change on fish diversity to improve understanding of their distribution in the Bhima River basin.

Gourami fishes of the genus Trichogaster are widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia but pose taxonomic challenges due to strong morphological similarity. This study applied an integrative landmark-based morphometric framework combining the truss network system (TNS) and geometric morphometrics (GM) to quantify interspecific phenotypic variation among T. fasciata, T. lalius, and T. chuna. Truss distances were size-adjusted to remove allometric effects, while GM analyses were conducted following generalized procrustes analysis to isolate shape variation independent of size, position, and orientation. Multivariate analyses, including discriminant function analysis (DFA) for TNS and canonical variate analysis for GM, revealed statistically significant phenotypic differentiation among species. TNS-based DFA showed overlap between T. fasciata and T. chuna but clear separation of T. lalius, primarily driven by differences in head morphology and caudal peduncle structure. GM-based canonical variate analysis further resolved all three species, highlighting shape variation associated with the head region and body depth profile. Contrary to earlier assessments that synonymized T. lalius with T. fasciata, the present findings support its recognition as a valid species. Overall, the combined use of TNS and GM offers a robust approach for resolving taxonomic ambiguity in morphologically similar gourami species, with implications for biodiversity assessment and conservation planning.

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.

Freshwater, though vital for all forms of life, represents less than 0.5

Freshwater-dependent birds are among the most threatened vertebrate groups globally, yet their spatial distribution remains poorly understood in large river basins. The Indian Ganga Basin (IGB), despite being rich in biodiversity, lacks basin-scale assessments of habitat suitability for threatened wetland birds. We conducted this work to map the spatial distribution and habitat suitability of threatened freshwater-dependent bird species across the IGB and evaluate the alignment of suitable habitats with existing protected areas using a digital citizen-science approach. We extracted occurrence records (2021-2025) for 14 threatened birds (4 Endangered, 10 Vulnerable) from the eBird database. We performed species distribution models using Random Forest algorithm with selected bioclimatic and topographic predictors. We classified habitat suitability into low, moderate, and high categories and overlaid with protected-area boundaries. We observed that highly and moderately suitable habitats were concentrated mainly in the north-western and western IGB, particularly the Shivalik hills and the Yamuna-Chambal river system. Collectively, only 24.93% of the basin was highly suitable, while merely 1.67% of this area fell within protected areas, indicating a substantial spatial mismatch between conservation priority and formal protection. Most climatically and topographically suitable habitats for threatened freshwater birds lie outside the current protected-area network and often span multiple states, which may limit the effectiveness of existing conservation frameworks. Integrating citizen science with spatial modelling reveals conservation gaps in the IGB and highlights the need to expand protected areas, strengthening inter-state coordination, and engaging local communities through participatory monitoring to safeguard freshwater avifauna in changing riverine landscapes.

Community-led citizen science (CCS) involves engaging the public through effective training for low-cost data collection, monitoring, policy development, and the dissemination of scientific information. This research aimed to train local fishers to capture and share images of Indian shad (Tenualosa ilisha) using Smartphones obtained from the coastal shelf of five river mouth systems (RMS)-Narmada, Tapi, Hooghly, Mahanadi, and Godavari. These images were employed to identify T. ilisha specimens and analyze their population structure using geometric morphometric (GM) techniques based on body shape. The GM approach validated the fishers' ability to correctly identify the species with 100 % accuracy. Additionally, variations in the body shape of T. ilisha were noted between the east and west coasts and among RMS on the east coast (Hooghly, Mahanadi, and Godavari), but not among those on the west coast (Narmada and Tapi). The findings of the present study suggest that CCS is promising in effectively contributing to marine and coastal biodiversity monitoring. Nevertheless, challenges such as electricity shortages, poor internet connectivity, limited technological resources, and low voluntary participation in poverty-stricken remote areas may impact CCS programs. These challenges can be addressed through promoting socio-economic development of local communities through remuneration-based CCS and alternative livelihood options. Coordinated efforts among all stakeholders, including environmental managers and policymakers is essential for better utilization of CCS in sustainable marine policies and improving ocean governance.

The freshwater catfish Sperata lamarrii (Valenciennes 1840) is a medium to large-sized species of family Bagridae, distributed in Ganges–Brahmaputra-Meghna river basins of the Indian subcontinent. A specimen measuring 118.0 cm in total length, 100.0 cm in standard length and weighing 8.0 kg in total length was recorded at Uzan Bazar landing centre, Guwahati, which was captured from the Brahmaputra River, Assam. This represents the largest documented individual of S. lamarrii from its distribution range, contributing valuable information to ichthyofaunal records. Such maximum length–weight observations indicate ecologically stable and productive habitat. The study is important for updating fisheries databases, understanding species’ growth potential, and developing strategies for sustainable consumption and conservation.

Rapid urbanization in India is reshaping land use and governance priorities, often marginalizing biodiversity within city planning. Butterflies, as sensitive bioindicator and pollinator, provide an effective lens to assess and integrate biodiversity into urban sustainability agendas. This study reviews the status of butterfly diversity in urban India, evaluates existing conservation initiatives and governance mechanisms, and identifies policy gaps and opportunities for mainstreaming biodiversity into urban development. We reviewed literature indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, along with policy documents, conservation reports, and citizen science platforms, to assess research coverage, species representation, conservation actions, and institutional frameworks across Indian cities. We found that butterfly diversity of only 23 cities has been studied, yet urban India supports at least 360 butterfly species across all major families. Conservation efforts include butterfly parks, urban forests, legal protection, NGO-led programs, social media engagement, and citizen science initiatives such as the Indian Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. However, these efforts remain fragmented, unevenly distributed, and weakly embedded in statutory urban planning and governance processes. Urban biodiversity conservation in India is constrained more by governance and integration failures than by ecological potential. Cities possess significant capacity to support butterfly diversity if conservation is embedded in planning, monitoring, and public participation frameworks. We also proposed policy-relevant recommendations to integrate butterfly conservation into urban governance, including biodiversity indices, management committees, planning mandates, education, and cross-sector collaboration, positioning butterflies as practical indicators for biodiversity-positive urban development.

Abstract Rapid urbanization threatens biodiversity, yet well‐managed urban green spaces can support wildlife. Butterflies provide pollination, environmental indicators and conservation engagement, but remain understudied in India's cities. This study synthesizes the current status of butterfly diversity and conservation initiatives in urban India, identifies major gaps in research and management and proposes targeted strategies for strengthening urban butterfly conservation. We conducted a comprehensive literature search of Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed for studies published between 2001 and 2025. We also reviewed relevant legislation, protected areas, government programmes, NGO activities, citizen science initiatives and international examples to develop recommendations for urban butterfly conservation in India. We found that studies on urban butterfly diversity were conducted in only 23 Indian cities. These studies documented 360 species belonging to 180 genera and 6 families. Guwahati recorded the highest richness (247 species), followed by Thrissur (139) and Nagpur (119). Among these species, 71 are protected by Schedules of Wildlife (Protection) Act of India. Only 41 species have been assessed by the IUCN, revealing a critical conservation‐assessment gap. Existing urban butterfly conservation initiatives include butterfly parks, urban sanctuaries, institutional campuses, urban forests, butterfly corridors, citizen science and community monitoring. Urban India supports considerable butterfly diversity but remains sunder‐surveyed and inadequately integrated into biodiversity governance. We proposed 10 actions encompassing biodiversity‐sensitive urban planning, standardized monitoring, habitat connectivity, native plant restoration, research, citizen participation, education, symbolic recognition and stronger government–NGO collaboration. Integrating these measures into urban development can transform cities from biodiversity sinks into resilient conservation landscapes.

Community-based conservation (CBC) through alternative livelihood approaches (ALAs) has demonstrated efficacy in both environmental conservation and economic growth. However, its utilization remains suboptimal in the sustainable management of Indian freshwater resources and the socio-economic advancement of local communities. This review aims to synthesize existing knowledge on ALAs implemented in Indian freshwater systems and to identify gaps for improving their effectiveness. A structured literature review was conducted using major scientific databases and gray literature sources, including policy documents and reports from national and international organizations. Out of 22,969 retrieved publications, 446 studies focused on Indian freshwater systems, of which a subset was critically analyzed for livelihood interventions. The review identifies four major ALA categories in India: ecotourism, religious tourism, aquaculture, and handicrafts with uneven representation and limited integration into conservation frameworks. Overall, the findings indicate that although ALAs contribute to income diversification, their impact on long-term conservation outcomes remains constrained. The study concludes that scaling up, better integration with policy frameworks, and improved socio-economic targeting are essential to enhance effectiveness. Strengthening institutional support and expanding underutilized livelihood sectors are recommended to achieve sustainable freshwater resource management and community well-being.

Morphologically similar sympatric mullet species present long-standing taxonomic challenges due to overlapping distributions. This study combines Truss Network System (TNS) and Geometric Morphometrics (GM), to discriminate three grey mullet species namely, Chelon parsia, Mugil cephalus, and Rhinomugil corsula. Altogether, 24 samples of three grey mullet species were collected from Attangarai, situated in the estuarine area of the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu, India. In TNS, out of 120 truss variables extracted, one variable (standard length) was excluded due to size correction, and therefore 119 were analysed. Univariate one-way ANOVA was performed between species which revealed significant (p < 0.05) variation in 113 characters. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) extracted 10 principal components cumulatively accounted for 96.9

Ontogenetic role reversal is a fascinating ecological phenomenon where adult prey species actively attack juvenile predators, a behavior that serves to mitigate future predation risks despite the absence of immediate nutritional needs. This behavior has been observed across various ecosystems, yet there remains a significant gap in mathematical models that can adequately explain these dynamics, particularly in scenarios where adult prey kill juvenile predators without consuming them. In this work, a modified Leslie-Gower prey-predator model was developed with Holling type II functional response to understand this interaction. Findings indicate that in the absence of juvenile killing behavior by adult prey, population dynamics tend to reach stable equilibrium or oscillate in limit cycle, thus maintaining ecosystem stability. However, if adult prey or pest species engage in killing juvenile predators, their populations could experience unchecked growth, posing challenges in conservation and pest management strategies. To conserve apex predators and effectively control pests, this study suggests selecting prey species that do not pose a threat to juvenile predators and choosing biological control agents that can withstand predation by adult pests during their juvenile stages.

Small Indigenous Fishes (SIFs) play a significant role in the nutrition and livelihood of rural communities, particularly in the riverine ecosystems. The present study evaluated the Length–Weight Relationship (LWR) of eleven SIFs collected from the Brahmaputra River, Guwahati, Assam. Total length (TL) and body weight (W) of the sampled fishes were measured and analyzed. The regression analysis revealed moderate to strong correlations between length and weight for all studied species, with relatively high coefficients of determination (r2), indicating a reliable relationship between these variables. The condition factor (K) values ranged from 0.496 to 3.464, indicating the differences in wellbeing and nutritional status of the species. The value of the parameter slope (b) of LWRs of the 11 species ranged from 1.7596 to 2.9846 which are less than 3 for all species, indicating a negative allometric growth pattern, where fish increase in length faster than in weight as they grow. Such growth variation may be influenced by environmental conditions, food availability, and habitat characteristics of the river ecosystem. The findings provide essential baseline information on the growth patterns of SIFs in the Brahmaputra River system. Such information is valuable for fishery management, stock assessment, and conservation planning, particularly in the context of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as overfishing, habitat alteration, and siltation.

India’s freshwater ecosystems are ecologically vital and socio-economically indispensable, yet their governance is constrained by complex, multilayered challenges. Despite progress under the Digital India initiative, freshwater governance faces ten critical bottlenecks: fragmented institutional frameworks, uneven digital infrastructure, weak local governance capacity, low digital literacy and public awareness, lack of standardized data protocols, cyber security vulnerabilities, overemphasis on major rivers, environmental costs of digital expansion including e-waste and carbon footprints, unregulated online trade of invasive species, and chronic underfunding. These issues disrupt data integration, marginalize rural stakeholders, compromise ecological monitoring, and hinder responsive decision-making. To address these systemic barriers, a transformative digital governance strategy is essential one that prioritizes integration, inclusivity, and ecological equity. Key recommendations include creating centralized digital platforms with inter-agency data sharing; expanding solar-powered internet and offline tools in rural regions; empowering Panchayats with GIS devices and digital literacy training; and launching vernacular, gamified stewardship campaigns to engage local communities. Establishing standardized national data frameworks, robust cyber security protocols, and inclusive monitoring systems for small wetlands will ensure better coordination and ecological sensitivity. Addressing digital externalities through green procurement and e-waste traceability, regulating e-commerce to prevent invasive species spread, and securing long-term, multi-source financing via a dedicated Digital Freshwater Fund are also crucial. Together, these actions will enable adaptive, secure, and participatory freshwater governance for a sustainable future.

Color patterns in mammals depend on melanin pigments, with anomalies like albinism causing a lack of melanin and leucism resulting in partial or total pigmentation loss. These conditions are poorly documented in Funambulus squirrels globally. This report documents the first leucistic Common Palm Squirrel ( Funambulus palmarum ) in Karnataka, India. The white-coated female had a pinkish snout, ears, and limbs, and normal eye coloration. Its white fur contrasted sharply with dark tree trunks but blended with lighter ones.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are computational tools utilized to predict the geographical range of species by analyzing occurrence data and environmental conditions. While multiple algorithms are available for implementing SDMs, studies focusing on pollinators like bumblebees (genus Bombus) in the Himalayas remain scarce, despite their ecological importance in forest and agroecosystems. We performed this work to identify the most effective SDM algorithms for modeling the distribution of genus Bombus in the Himalayas, thereby improving conservation strategies. We compared eight SDM algorithms, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Classification Tree Analysis (CTA), Flexible Discriminant Analysis (FDA), Generalized Additive Model (GAM), Generalized Boosting Model (GBM), Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Maximum Entropy Model (MAXENT), and Random Forest (RF), along with an ensemble method. Evaluations were based on metrics such as the area under the curve (AUC) for receiver operating characteristic (ROC), true skill statistic (TSS), and statistical properties like skewness and kurtosis. Among single models, RF stood out for its strong ROC, TSS, and statistical properties. The ensemble approach, however, was overall the best option across these metrics. Researchers are encouraged to select SDM algorithms after careful evaluation of study-specific factors such as geographic area, sample size, species diversity, and spatial variables. The scientific community should develop and authenticate optimal standards that integrate biodiversity concepts, ecological traits, environmental factors, ecosystem-based approaches, and field data to ensure effective model assessment, informed decision-making, and policy formulation for conserving biodiversity and advancing sustainable development goals in the Himalayas.

Integrated pest management (IPM) combines chemical and biological control to maintain pest populations below economic thresholds. The impact of providing additional food for predators on pest-predator dynamics, along- side pesticide use, in the IPM context remains unstudied. To address this issue, in this work a theoretical model was developed using differential equations, assuming Holling type II functional response for the predator, with additional food sources included. Strategies for controlling pest populations were derived by analyzing Hopf bifurcation occurring in the system using dynamical system theory. The study revealed that the quality and quantity of additional food supplied to predators play a crucial role in the system's dynamics. Pesticides, combined with the introduction of predators supported by high-quality supplementary food, enable a quick elimination of pests from the system more effectively. This observation highlights the role of IPM in optimizing pest management strategies with minimal pesticide application and supporting the environment.

Ecological studies help us understand the influence of environmental factors in shaping the spatial structure of biological communities. Beta diversity examines variations in community composition across habitats and provides crucial insights into the factors contributing to these variations. The local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD) measures the variance in total species composition and sheds light on the drivers of beta diversity. In this study, we examined the relationship between LCBD and species richness, identified the environmental factors (bioclimatic and geographic) influencing the species richness and LCBD of the fish community in the Bhima River basin of the Indian Deccan Plateau. We observed that the precipitation and diurnal anisotropic heat index had significant effects on species richness. We observed a negative relationship between LCBD and species richness and found that annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality and precipitation in driest and warmest seasons were the important factors influencing LCBD in the fish community of the Bhima River basin. Impoundment by dams and extensive irrigation have altered the hydrology of the Bhima River basin, causing water shortages and emphasizing the importance of elevation and dry-season water availability in shaping the community composition. We recommend further research to estimate population structure, examine the impact of exotic species, identify species with limited distribution ranges, and assess the influence of climate change for the proper conservation and management of the ichthyofaunal resources in the Bhima River basin.