Analogous environments across the tropics have similar levels of tree species alpha diversity Shumei Xiao, Jonathan M Adams, Shufeng Li, Ferry Slik, Daniel M Griffith, Adriano Quaresma, Aisha Sultana, Andes Hamuraby Rozak, Andres Avella Muñoz, Andrew R Marshall, Arellano Gabriel, Ashaq Ahmad Dar, Asyraf Mansor, Ayyappan Narayanan, Bruno Herault, Carlos Alfredo Joly, Daniel Piotto, David J Harris, Donald R Drake, Douglas Sheil, Diogo S B Rocha, Eddie Lenza de Oliveira, Eddy Nurtjahya, Eduardo van den Berg, Edward L Webb, Faridah Hanum Ibrahim, Felipe Zamborlini Saiter, Florian Wittmann, Francisco Mora Ardila, Giselda Durigan, Gopal Shukla, Guillermo Ibarra-Manríquez, Hidetoshi Nagamasu, Ida Theilade, Irie Casimir Zo-Bi, Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, J Orlando Rangel-Ch, James Grogan, Javid Ahmad Dar, Jochen Schöngart, John Herbohn, John R Poulsen, John N Williams, Jon Lovett, Jose Don De Alban, José Rafael Lozada, José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto, Juan Ernesto Guevara-Andino, Jurgi Cristóbal-Azkarate, Jürgen Homeier, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Khalid Rehman Hakeem, Kenneth Feeley, Kyle W Tomlinson, Ladan Rasingam, Layon Oreste Demarchi, Yves Laumonier, Luciana F Alves, Luis Torres Montenegro, Manichanh Satdichanh, Manuel J Macía, Marcelo Tabarelli, Marcio Seiji Suganuma, Marcos Antonio Ríos Paredes, Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade, Mark Schulze, Mattheas van de Bult, Meredith L Bastian, Mohammed Latif Khan, Mohammad Shah Hussain, Michael Kessler, Michael J Lawes, Miguel A Munguía-Rosas, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Naret Seuaturian, Naveen Babu Kanda, Naveenkumar Jagadeesan, Nigel Pitman, Onrizal Onrizal, Ole R Vetaas, Pantaleo Munishi, Phourin Chhang, Polyanna da Conceição Bispo, Rahmad Zakaria, Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri, Rajkumar Muthu, Rama Chandra Prasad, Ramachandran V S, Rhett D Harrison, Rizza Karen Veridiano, Robert Steinmetz, Robin L Chazdon, Roven Tumaneng, Samir Gonçalves Rolim, S C Garkoti, Selene Báez, Serge Wich, Sharif A Mukul, Shijo Joseph, Simone Aparecida Vieira, S Muthuramkumar, Somaiah Sundarapandian, Sumit Chakravarty, Subashree Kothandaraman, Tânia Wendt, Thiago Metzker, Timothy Whitfeld, Tao Su, Tinde R Van Andel, Verbeeck Hans, Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez, Wanlop Chutipong, William F Laurance, Yrma Andreina Carrero, Zhekun Zhou National Science Review, 2026 Different regions of the tropics vary in overall tree species diversity, with the tropical Americas exhibiting strikingly higher regional tree species richness than Africa and Southeast Asia. We investigated whether these differences also occur at the local scale and whether the environmental conditions associated with tree species richness are consistent across tropical regions despite highly dissimilar species pools. A spatial random forest model was trained by using a network of 429 1-hectare plots across the tropics, together with 24 environmental variables, to predict plot-level tree α diversity. A combination of climatic, soil and topographical variables explained ∼86% of the variation in richness. Despite differences in regional species pools and the potentially disruptive effects of different geological, climatic and evolutionary histories, the relationship between environmental variables and local-scale tree species richness is closely similar across different continents. Our findings imply a pervasive role of niche-based mechanisms in structuring local tree species richness, regardless of the regional species assemblages. This pantropical convergence in the richness–environment relationship poses a challenge for ecology to explain.
Drivers and barriers towards achieving SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation for all - an Indian perspective Selvaraj Rajendrakumar, D. Mavhaire, S. Shimly, Dil Bahadur Rahut, N. Tharanidevi, V.S. Ramachandran, Raja Rajendra Timilsina World Development Sustainability, 2025 • India showed strong commitments towards SDG 2030, with a special focus given to SDG 6 because it is a foundation for livelihood development and betterment of peoples in India. • Key programs on water and sanitation, technological advancements, public-private partnerships and community participation have significantly improved water access and sanitation facilities. • Increasing water scarcity, groundwater depletion, inadequate wastewater treatment, lack of integrated water-sanitation infrastructure, climate change impacts and poor institutional coordination affect the water and sanitation practices. • Strengthening institutions, efficient water use, wastewater recycling, climate-resilient infrastructure, decentralised governance, and innovative financing models can accelerate progress toward SDG 6. Access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental requirement for sustainable development. However, many low and middle income countries, such as India, continues to face significant challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), i.e., access to clean water and sanitation. Despite enormous initiatives taken by India, issues such as groundwater depletion, water pollution, and sanitation gaps persist. Population growth, urbanisation, and industrial expansion have put pressure on water resources, reducing water quality and sanitation services. This paper assesses the key barriers and drivers influencing India’s efforts and on the way forward to achieve the global 2030 Agenda. The present study follows the PRISMA methodology approach, combining secondary data, policy reviews, case studies, and government reports to assess the progress, barriers, and future outlook for SDG 6 in India. The key findings revealed that India's major drivers to SDG 6 are substantial progress in toilet construction,water supply expansion through government missions, technological breakthrough, public awareness campaigns, and public-private partnerships. Key barriers to achieve SDG 6 include inadequate wastewater treatment capacity, over-extraction of groundwater, rapid population growth, the adverse effects of climate change on water availability and sanitation infrastructure. Strengthening regional institutions, developing climate-resilient infrastructure, and innovative financing models could accelerate progress towards SDG 6. Additionally, the study recommends water and sanitation courses in the school curriculum and policy reforms, could help in realizing SDG 6 by 2030.
Sociocultural heritage of India: a review of studies of the sacred groves of Kerala A. R. Amritesh, V. S. Ramachandran, A. A. Ormsby, P. K. Viswanathan Forests Trees and Livelihoods, 2025 Sacred groves range in size from a single tree to large intact forest areas containing deities that are worshiped and protected by people through belief systems. India has over 100,000 groves, known by various local names. Groves are shrinking due to changes in lifestyle, sociocultural change, and waning trust in associated myths and beliefs. The primary objective of this study was to explore the sociocultural practices and management systems that support the sacred groves in Kerala. We conducted a systematic review of studies about aspects of sacred groves, with a focus on the state of Kerala. Our review used a survey of online databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, Pubmed, and Web of Science, as well as offline libraries. We grouped articles into: sociocultural aspects; management; and biodiversity. Decline in size of groves poses a threat to both the biological diversity of the groves as well as the sociocultural systems that have been handed down through generations. There is a need to document the significance and diversity of sociocultural systems associated with the sacred groves and also the dynamic changes impacting the biodiversity supported by the groves, which are testimonials of social and cultural heritage and belief systems in Kerala.
Rural livelihoods sustainability in South Asia and Africa: a systematic review with bibliometric analysis Emmanuel Der Tambile, Vilayannur Subramanian Ramachandran, Selvaraj Rajendrakumar, Moochikkal Remesh, Jancirani Ramaswamy, Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh Discover Sustainability, 2024 The study explored rural livelihood sustainability in South Asia and Africa through a bibliometric analysis and systematic review approach. The purpose of the study was to identify the trend of scholarly discourse, the dominant themes that have attracted scholarly interest over the past decade, and to shed light on the emerging opportunities for enhancing rural livelihood sustainability. The study carefully selected 139 articles sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and other institutional websites. Our findings revealed noticeable growth in scholarly output over the past decade and identified some scholars with noteworthy contributions. Notably, it was found that the impact of climate change, drought, poverty, and food security on rural livelihoods has largely dominated the scholarly investigations over the period. However, the potentials of pyrolis, biochar, and dryland forestry for rural livelihood sustainability were found to be underexplored. In light of these insights, we recommend the scholarly community develop much interest in less explored areas that equally hold great potential for enhancing rural livelihoods. We also recommend that rural livelihood programming by policymakers must seek the integration of indigenous knowledge and be tailored to strengthen the resilience of rural households against the perils of climate change and weather variability.
Potential Geographical Distribution of the Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus and its Impact on Food Security: Prediction Based on Modelling Using Climatic Factor Emmanuel Der Tambile, Raji Pushpalatha, Vilayannur Subramanian Ramachandran 2024 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference Ghtc 2024, 2024 Climate change has a major effect on the world's food production systems through outbreaks and spread of vector-borne and non-vector-borne crop diseases that affect farmer's incomes and national economies. This study predicts the distribution of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) from 2021-2040 using historical and future climate data and WSMV species data. Using a maxent species distribution model with a Training AUC of 0.899, Test AUC of 0.884, and a True Skill Statistic of 0.697, potential regions for WSMV distribution are identified. Isothermality of 15-33, precipitation in driest month between 10mm-300mm, mean diurnal temperature of 11°C and above; annual temperature range of 25°C-34°C; precipitation seasonality not exceeding 7; precipitation in coldest quarter of 50mm–250mm; and precipitation of driest quarter of 25mm-250mm will influence WSMV distribution. We recommend strict enforcement of cross-border plant protection regulations, empowerment of local farmers, and integration of national-level response in risk's preparedness plans.
Selective logging intensity alters the population stand structure of cullenia-mesua-palaquium dominated tropical wet evergreen forest of the western ghats, South India V S RAMACHANDRAN Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2019 The present study was conducted in a population structure of selectively logged tropical wet evergreen forest, Cullenia-Mesua-Palaquium (CMP) forest series in the tropical wet evergreen forests of the Nelliampathy Hills, Western Ghats. The study was aimed to focus on how selectively logged treatment influences the density and basal area of CMP forest series stand structure. We sampled the number of individual trees (≥ 1 cm dbh, diameter at breast height) of CMP at 30 sites (20 × 50 m quadrat size), covering an area of 30.8 hectare (ha) in total. A total of 5936 tree individuals sampled had a mean density of 246 ha-1 and basal area of 20.73 metre square (m2) ha-1 from an area of 0.1 to 2.5 ha. Tree density per hectare and basal area differed significantly among plots with different logging treatments. Tree density and basal area were significantly lower in highly logged plots as compared to moderately logged and unlogged plots. The density of smaller trees was significantly higher in moderately logged plots. We suggest that heavy logging treatments might be a serious threat to the CMP forest series and may possibly alter its population structure and that the moderately logged treatments showed positive impacts on CMP stand structure and regeneration.
First record of Elytraria acaulis (L.F.) Lindau (acanthaceae) from the Kerala state and its distribution extension in India V. S. Ramachandran, M. Remesh Check List, 2016 Elytraria acaulis (L.f.) Lindau (family Acanthaceae) is a perennial herb that is distributed in tropical Africa and Peninsular India. In India, this plant has been recorded from Northern Circar, Deccan, and Carnatic regions, on the eastern side of Peninsular India. We present here a new record from the Walayar Reserve Forest in Palakkad District, Kerala, which is the first known occurrence of this species from the western side of the peninsula. This species is added to the flora of Kerala state.
Status and distribution of Humboldtia bourdillonii (Leguminosae), an endangered tree species of the Western Ghats, India Tropical Ecology, 2014
