Tamanna Kalam

Electrocution, rail hits, habitat loss: Man-made hazards behind 25% elephant decline in 8 years | Dehradun News - The Times of India Dehradun: Electrocution, railway collisions, poaching, and widespread habitat loss have emerged as the leading causes of elephant deaths across India,.

According to India's first elephant census since 2017, the Asian elephant population has declined by 25% in 8 years, with electrocution, railway collisions, poaching and habitat loss as the leading causes of elephant deaths.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradu...

New Paper by @ranjmurali.bsky.social and colleagues:
"Understanding multiple pathways of the impacts of socio-economic shocks on large carnivores" out now in People and Nature
-> besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

#newpaper #socio-economic #shocks #carnivores

How is the effectiveness of terrestrial protected areas to conserve biodiversity measured? This systematic map aims to collate and synthesize global evidence on the methods and metrics used to assess the effectiveness of terrestrial PAs in biodiversity conservation.

🛡️ Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation. But how do we know whether they truly work? We reviewed 275 articles & 280 studies to map how terrestrial PA effectiveness is measured. Here's what we found:
🔗 www.biodiversa.eu/2025/10/14/h...

Building sustainability science on solid ground: our framework uses shared social-ecological units to integrate diverse data streams. Tested in Rwanda, adaptable elsewhere. Open, reproducible, and ready for interdisciplinary teams. #Rwanda #Restoration @biogeoberlin.bsky.social shorturl.at/qHaQ0

Drivers and solutions to Southeast Asia’s biodiversity crisis Nature Reviews Biodiversity - The terrestrial ecosystems of Southeast Asia are both globally important reservoirs of biodiversity, and a provider of resources and livelihoods for millions of people...

Southeast Asia covers multiple global biodiversity hotspots — but is experiencing a biodiversity crisis.

Our new article in Nature Reviews Biodiversity asks: What’s really driving the losses, and what can we do about it?
👉 rdcu.be/expy6 1/7

Unprecedented continental drying, shrinking freshwater availability, and increasing land contributions to sea level rise Drying continents, extreme drought, and groundwater depletion are shrinking water availability and increasing sea level rise.

After a long absence from Twitter, I'm now on Bluesky. Looking forward to sharing thoughts, research, and rants about the lack of attention paid to water. Let's kick this off with a new paper alert. Please share widely. Title says it all. Please help me grow followers www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Drawing on data from over 400 forest plantations in Himachal Pradesh, India, we show that improved forest outcomes (increasing forest cover, improved forest-based livelihoods) are strongly associated with long-term participation by local people in decision-making. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

The biggest publishers pulled profit margins in 2023 that rival Big Tech.

And they still charge you to publish and your library to read.

When are we going to start seriously thinking of alternatives to reform #PeerReview?

🧪 #SciPub #AcademicPublishing

2. Six Woodland Change Archetypes: six distinct patterns — three reflecting continuous woodland decline and three showing a forest transition trajectory, revealing strong regional variation in woodland dynamics.

3. Woodland Cover Strongly Linked to Threatened megafauna species.

PC: Conservation Biogeography Lab

Here, we reconstructed #tropicaldrywoodland change since the 19th century, identified #archetypes of change, and explored their relationship with current megafauna distributions.

Findings:

1. Massive Historical Loss: India has lost over 22 million hectares of dry woodland since the 19th century.

Tropical dry woodland loss in India since 1880 and its relation to current megafauna distributions Tropical dry woodlands provide ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people and support high biodiversity. Despite their importance, many dry woodlands are under high and rising human pressur...

A Century of Loss: Long-Term #DryWoodland Decline and Its Implications for India’s #Megafauna

Our latest paper, along with @matthiasbaumann.bsky.social, @arashghoddousi.bsky.social, @tkuemmerle.bsky.social and others is now out!

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

🐄🐂 Putting landless cattle on the map! 🐄🐂
New paper in Env. Research Letters on mapping cattle intensification from space - across South America's dry diagonal doi.org/10.1088/1748... @erc.europa.eu @matthiasbaumann.bsky.social @pedrofernandez91.bsky.social #SystemShift @biogeoberlin.bsky.social

Overlay of the values within the last quartile (higher values) from each climate risk metric for scenario SSP3-7.0. Areas in the map are color-coded based on their overlap with hotspots of exposure identified based on different climate metrics (Local, local velocity; Analog, analog velocity; Magnitude). Areas with no analogues within the 1500 km search radius (NA values on land) are shown as blank spots (i.e. central Greenland). Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.

📢 New in @globalchangebio.bsky.social

The Accelerating Exposure of European #ProtectedAreas to #ClimateChange

We measure climate velocity and magnitude in Europe, and estimate risk for #ProtectedAreas and species.

Paper and maps available OA
doi.org/10.1111/gcb.... @martacimatti.bsky.social

There is a new open position at our Lab!!
haushalt-und-personal.hu-berlin.de/de/personal/...

#newposition #phd

Ten dead in ‘brutal’ attacks by Isis-linked militants on Mozambique wildlife reserve | Global development One of Africa’s largest protected areas has been shaken by a series of attacks by Islamic State-linked extremists, which have left at least 10 people dead. Conservationists in Niassa reserve, Mozambique, say decades of work to rebuild populations of lions, elephants and other keystone species are being jeopardised, as conservation operations grind to a halt. On 29 April, militants attacked buildings in Niassa…

Ten dead in ‘brutal’ attacks by Isis-linked militants on Mozambique wildlife reserve | Global development

One of Africa’s largest protected areas has been shaken by a series of attacks by Islamic State-linked extremists, which have left at least 10 people dead. Conservationists in Niassa reserve,…

Drivers and benefits of natural regeneration in tropical forests - Nature Reviews Biodiversity Natural regeneration is one way that forests can recover after disturbance or deforestation, in addition to active restoration or reforestation. This Review, focused on tropical forests, discusses wha...

In our May issue: Review led by Robin Chazdon on the processes that can facilitate or impede natural forest regeneration, an important tool in the restoration toolkit. 🧪🌎
Web link: go.nature.com/3Hg5oNE
Readcube: rdcu.be/emQx2

Unpacking three decades of restoration in the Western Himalayas A review of restoration efforts in the Western Himalayas found that government-run afforestation initiatives led the way in Himachal Pradesh.

Excellent article covering a new systematic review of restoration in the Western Himalayas. Concerning findings, similar to my work, are that restoration has tended to focus on (not very successful) tree plantations on govt. land, with overuse of exotic species: india.mongabay.com/2025/05/unpa...

Secondary roads cause more deforestation than primary roads in tropical forests The first roads that cut through rainforests are well-known conduits for deforestation. However, new research finds that secondary roads, those that branch off the primary road, cause far more forest ...

The first roads that slice through rainforests are widely recognized as pathways for #deforestation. However, new research reveals that secondary roads—those branching off from main roads—are responsible for significantly greater forest loss than the primary roads themselves.
#tropicalforests

The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction | Cambridge Core The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene - Volume 2

Background review: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

New paper! India's #agriculture-#savanna mosaics are changing: less traditional crops, more sugarcane. Led by @tejasconsbio.bsky.social, we studied implications for birds - those resident in India, but also steppe birds arriving from Kazakhstan such as Pallid Harrier and Sociable Lapwing.

How can AI for #EarthObservation deliver for social good? Read our recent #openaccess IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine article, co-authored by @hostertp.bsky.social and @philrufin.bsky.social!

Photo (c): Daniel Alarcon

Mapping the functional decline of top predators in the Gran #Chaco – a global deforestation hotspot. New paper led by @alfredoromero.bsky.social just out in Diversity & Distributions 👉https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70003
@humboldtuni.bsky.social / @biogeoberlin.bsky.social

Interested in joining a new lab in our Geography department as a student assistant? Then have a close look at this add to apply for the position in the Conservation and Development Lab at @humboldtuni.bsky.social Deadline is March 8th!

Global biodiversity loss from outsourced deforestation - Nature An analysis of global deforestation linked to consumption of products in the supply chains of large economies finds greater losses for vertebrate species’ ranges outside these countries than in them.

Global biodiversity loss from outsourced deforestation

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Women are credited less in science than men - Nature The difference between the number of men and women listed as authors on scientific papers and inventors on patents is at least partly attributable to unacknowledged contributions by women scientists.

On #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience let me remind you that we are NOWHERE NEAR parity. A few examples.

1. Women are credited less in science than men.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Cultural reverence toward tigers (Panthera tigris) has fostered tolerance and permitted coexistence with humans in India. Ecological restoration, socioeconomic policies, and political stability have facilitated the recovery of tigers within their historical range, despite high human densities. This tigress has reclaimed the ancient fort within Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and made it her home.

This tigress has reclaimed the ancient fort within Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and made it her home.

Protection, prey, peace, and prosperity have been key factors in the tiger recovery within India, according to a new Science study. Learn more in this week's issue: https://scim.ag/42yn5Ra

Landscape structure is important for allowing #megafauna to share space with people – even in one of Europe's ‘wildest’ regions! New paper out Biological Conservation by Gabri Retez: doi.org/10.1016/j.bi... #Rewilding @biogeoberlin.bsky.social @humboldtuni.bsky.social

Who’s quitting academia? Data reveal gender gaps in surprising fields Even in scientific areas in which women are well represented, they are up to 40% more likely than men to leave research within 20 years.

“‘It’s very easy to assume that science is going to change organically towards equality — and what this study shows is that that’s not happening…It is an ‘important reminder for us that we need to stay vigilant in working towards equality in science’” @crsugimoto.bsky.social 🧪
#AcademicSky 👩🏽‍🔬

India's Forest Conservation Amendment Act raises important questions <em>Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</em> is an environmental science journal publishing articles that address current and emerging ecological and environmental issues.

India's #Forest #Conservation Amendment Act raises important questions

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Why doing social science research is difficult in India today With an election under way, the future of Indian science is on the ballot. Encouraging research and critical thinking should be a priority for the new government. With an election under way, the futur...

Happy to see more and more articles focussing on the harsher realities of conducting research in India! #Stillalongwaytogo!

"Why doing social science research is difficult in India today"

www.nature.com/articles/d41...