Article
Zoology
Md Niraul Islam, Wasim Ahmad
Summary: A new nematode species, Tahamina indica gen. nov., sp. nov., belonging to the superfamily Tylencholaimoida (Dorylaimida), was discovered in the rhizosphere of grasses in the Western Ghats. The characteristics of this nematode species include specific body length, lip region width, amphidial fovea shape, odontostyle length, as well as unique reproductive system and tail morphology.
Article
Environmental Sciences
K. G. Sreeja, C. G. Madhusoodhanan, T. Eldho
Summary: The forest-agricultural landscapes of the humid tropics are undergoing transformation, with processes such as state confiscation of plantations, simplification or abandonment of agricultural practices, casualization and feminization of labor, and non-agricultural diversions. These changes are driven by the global plantation crisis and changes in national forest policies, resulting in out-migration of labor and a significant decline in population. There are contrasting trajectories of incipient forest regeneration and increased degradation in these contested spaces.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Harish Gupta, Upendra Badimela, D. Venkat Reddy, Rama Mohan Kurakalva, Devender Kumar
Summary: The study investigated the POC contents of 70 sizeable tropical coastal rivers in the Western Ghats region of India, highlighting the significant influence of land-use, climate, and topography on the sources and transport characteristics of organic carbon.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
M. Tripti, L. Lambs, G. P. Gurumurthy, I Moussa, K. Balakrishna
Summary: This study investigates the environmental mechanisms controlling precipitation distribution in the Indian Monsoon and the southwest coast of India using stable isotope ratios. The results show that the isotopic composition of rainwater is influenced by factors such as evaporation and moisture recycling. The study also reveals the importance of regional moisture circulation in regulating atmospheric water balance.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Harikrishnan Venugopalan Nair Radhamoni, Simon A. Queenborough, A. Z. Andis Arietta, Hebbalalu S. Suresh, Handanakere S. Dattaraja, Subramanya Shravan Kumar, Raman Sukumar, Liza S. Comita
Summary: In this study, we investigated the importance of water and light availability in shaping the diversity of understory herbaceous angiosperms in a seasonally dry tropical forest landscape in India. Our results showed that water was not the limiting factor for herb diversity, but rather light availability, which was negatively correlated with rainfall. As a result, conservation and restoration efforts for different plant lifeforms should consider unique strategies.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Arundhati A. Das, Jayashree Ratnam, Devcharan Jathanna
Summary: In the Western Ghats montane forest-grassland mosaics, land cover conversion has led to habitat loss and invasion of shola forest understoreys by an exotic shrub species, Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl. The presence and abundance of this invasive species is negatively related to distance from tea plantations and is more intense in areas with greater seasonality of temperature and lower mean annual precipitation. The invasion has negatively affected the regeneration of native shola tree species and abundance of native shola understorey shrubs.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maya Ammathil Manoharan, Konickal Mambetta Prabhukumar, Sujana K. Arjunan, Sojan Jose, Suresh Veerankutty
Summary: A new species of Elaeocarpus, Elaeocarpus gadgilii, from the southern part of Western Ghats in India is described in detail, including distribution, phenology, and photographs. The differences between this new species and similar Elaeocarpus variabilis Zmarzty and Elaeocarpus serratus L. are also discussed.
Article
Microbiology
Sandra Hilario, Micael F. M. Goncalves, Artur Alves
Summary: DNA sequence analysis is crucial for species delimitation in Diaporthe, but combining multiple genes without genealogical concordance criteria complicates species delimitation. Using GCPSR and PTPs methods, the D. eres complex was identified as a single species, contrary to the current recognition of multiple species. Absence of reproductive isolation and low genetic diversity indices suggest D. eres constitutes a population rather than distinct lineages.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Girish Gopinath, Nalukudiparambil Jesiya, Ashokan Laila Achu, Arun Bhadran, Udayar Pillai Surendran
Summary: In this study, a GIS-coupled fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique was used to evaluate landslide-susceptible zones in a highland segment of the Southern Western Ghats. The results showed that the landslide susceptibility map generated was reliable for future hazard mitigation and land use planning in the study area, with an AUC score of 79% and F1 score of 85%.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jose Mathew, Regy Yohannan
Summary: This article describes a new species of plant, P. sanatanadharmae, from the southern part of Western Ghats in India, providing detailed taxonomic description and color photographs, as well as a key to the section Eriococcus in Kerala region of Western Ghats.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Siti Zafirah Ghazali, Sebastien Lavoue, Norli Fauzani Mohd Abu Hassan Alshari, Danial Hariz Zainal Abidin, Jamsari Amirul Firdaus Jamaluddin, Min Pau Tan, Siti Azizah Mohd Nor
Summary: This study used an integrative taxonomic approach and a large set of specimens to reveal the rich species-level diversity within the genus Ambassis in Peninsular Malaysia, calling for a complete taxonomic revision. The study also uncovered regional-scale hidden diversity and identification conflicts.
Article
Zoology
Puthoor Pattammal Sudhin, Souvik Sen, John T. D. Caleb
Summary: This study describes two new species from the southern Western Ghats of India, one belonging to the colorful group and the other to the black and white group. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and distribution maps are provided. Additionally, new distributional data for three other species are presented.
ZOOSYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Marimuthu Muthukatturaja, Chellaiah Balasubramanian
Summary: In this study, a new species of mayfly, Sparsorythus nanjangudensis sp. nov., is described based on nymphs and male adult from the Western Ghats in southern India. This new species is distinguished from all known species by specific characteristics, such as the extended anterolateral margin of pronotum and absence of subapical teeth on claws. Distribution and ecological information are also provided for this new species.
Article
Water Resources
Merin Mariam Mathew, K. Sreelash, Micky Mathew, P. Arulbalaji, D. Padmalal
Summary: This study examines the spatiotemporal changes in rainfall patterns in the Western Ghats region of Kerala, India, finding a weakening of monsoon rains, decreasing monsoon season rainfall, increasing pre-monsoon season rainfall, and a more symmetric distribution of rainfall over the years. El Niño events were not found to significantly affect rainfall variability, and changes in rainfall characteristics have a strong impact on the hydrological regime of the region.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Shashika Abeysekara, Helani Samarasinghe, Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi, Himash Adhikari, Sonali Premarathne, Champika Bandara, Ushani Perera, Nayana Wijayathilaka
Summary: Pseudophilautus conniffae, a newly described species from the lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka, is questioned for its validity due to its strong morphological resemblance to P. limbus. This study used 16S DNA sequences and re-examined external morphological characters to assess its taxonomic distinctiveness. The results showed that P. conniffae is closely related to P. limbus, with negligible genetic distance and overlapping clusters in morphometric analysis. Therefore, it is concluded that P. conniffae should be treated as a junior synonym of P. limbus.
