Bustards are magnificent, tall, long-necked and long-legged birds belonging to the avian family Otididae. There are about 26 species of bustards in the world, and the Great Indian Bustard (GIB; Ardeotis nigriceps) is the most endangered among these. The Indian Board of Wildlife, in late 1960s had considered this bird as a possible choice of the National Bird along with the Peacock. The GIB, the state bird of Rajasthan, is a shy bird living in arid and semi-arid (dry) grasslands and scrubs containing scattered bushes and some cultivation. The GIB, once abundant in the grasslands across the...

A very severe earthquake measuring magnitude of 8.9on Richter scale struck northern Sumatra, Indonesia at 06.28 A M IST on 26 December 2004. It caused a severe tsunami to strike parts of south-east Asia, India and Sri Lanka. Sea water inundated several coastal towns and villages taking over 250,000 human lives and affecting close to five million people. The devastating impact of this tsunami on human life became immediately apparent and kick-started massive relief and rehabilitation efforts on a global scale. Its effect on wildlife and their habitats was much less known.The areas with...

Marine ecology is the branch of ecology dealing with the interdependence of all organisms living in the ocean, in shallow coastal waters, and on the seashore. The marine environment for all organisms consists of non-living, abiotic factors and living, biotic factors.Mangrove forests provide diverse goods and services and many communities are dependent on these formations for survival. In spite of this, only a small portion of global mangrove resources is currently under any active management. However, considerable information and knowledge on the sustainable management of this forest type is...