Ruchi Badola

• Ph.D
• Professor (Full) at Wildlife Institute of India

Changes in fluvial characteristics, water flow regimes, and anthropogenic pressure have severely impacted the middle Ganga River, leading to resource scarcity for aquatic biodiversity. Despite the importance of habitat assessment in managing these ecosystems, gaps remain in understanding the process to fluvial stress factor, maintenance of minimum...

Understanding future plant invasion under climate change can enhance conservation strategies aimed at preserving the unique values of natural areas. In this study we aimed to map the current and future distribution of eight invasive plant species within Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve, Assam, India, under future climate scenarios (SSP 2–4.5...

Understanding the thermal dynamics of nests is critical for crocodylians, as they rely on optimal environmental temperatures for physiological processes, developmental success, and sex determination. Each of these factors is critical for maintaining population dynamics and the long-term persistence of species in the wild. In the present study, we a...

Land-use/land-cover change is an essential factor for understanding the ecological degradation of forests under threat from different climatic and human-mediated activities. This study investigates the biodiversity and ecological significance of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, situated in the Brahmaputra floodplain of Assam, India, known for its rich flor...

Understanding the watershed’s topography and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) is essential for developing a watershed management policy. In this research, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, Survey of India (SOI) Toposheet, and multispectral satellite imagery were used to analyse Himalayan rivers (Bindal and Rispana) watersheds hydrology and topography a...

Pollution from both point and non-point sources, over-extraction of freshwater, and significant climatic changes in recent years are some factors that put substantial pressure on worldwide water resources. As the demand for potable water increases globally for human, agricultural, and industrial uses, the need to evaluate the river risk assessment...

Life on earth has evolved in response to the spatial, temporal, and spectral properties of natural light. However, with the advent of electricity and artificial lighting, the planet's nocturnal light environment has changed dramatically. This changing light environment is accompanied by altered behaviors in wild organisms, often resulting in drasti...

The Doon Valley is well known for its diverse biodiversity, shaped by its distinctive geography and climate, which supports numerous rivers and streams, creating moist habitats throughout the region. In 2023, Verbena incompta, a species native to the New World, was reported in India for the first time. This paper documents the first recorded occurr...

This study enhances drone capabilities for wildlife detection, focusing on swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii). We used YOLO V3, V5, V7, V8, Object Detection V3, and DETR models. We prepared a non-GPU Real-time detection using frame sampling technique, making it cost-effective and accessible, suitable for conservation efforts and adaptable to other sp...

Uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proven to be successful tools for ecological monitoring, providing excellent visual resolution and the ability to cover large areas with spatial accuracy. Artificial Intelligence has further improved the capabilities of UAVs vision through object detection. While deep learning has shown significant success in pa...

This paper presents the first report of Cyperus surinamensis, a newly naturalized sedge species, from the Gangetic plains of West Bengal, marking its second record in India. Initially documented in 2013 from the coastal regions of Kerala in India, the species is native to the New World. Its occurrence in West Bengal highlights the expanding range o...

This study investigates the temporal and seasonal trends of key climatic parameters within the Doon Valley, including maximum temperature (°C), minimum temperature (°C), precipitation (mm), and relative humidity (%). Utilizing data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Modern...

The morphometric analysis of the watersheds is essential for the conservation of natural resources, including soil, water, and vegetation. The Morphometric analysis defines the linear, areal and relief aspects of the watershed. It involves the comprehensive analysis of various factors such as drainage network, surface water flow, and other topograp...

An important challenge for large carnivore conservation is negative human-wildlife interaction. Livestock depredation by carnivores is one important aspect of this negative interaction. Hence, it is critical to understand the extent of livestock depredation by large carnivores through their diet profiles and feeding habits for managing and strategi...

This study documents the first record of Lindernia tamilnadensis (M.G.Prasad & Sunojkumar) in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Previously, 16 species of Lindernia have been reported from different parts of India. The newly acquired specimen exhibits distinct morphological characteristics compared to previously describ...

The occurrence of landslides is a costly and cataclysmic natural hazard that mainly occurs in hilly areas due to factors like earthquakes, cloud burst, extreme rainfall, human pressure, etc. leading to loss of biodiversity, property, and life. Effective and comprehensive landslide risk management is crucial to address landslide susceptibility. Util...

Ecological niche partitioning is fundamental for the coexistence of sympatric species. However, the relationship between herbivore body size and forage availability on resource segregation and selection remains debatable. This study quantifies the niche differentiation and selectivity of forage species consumed by six Asian large herbivores (SLH),...

Dietary exposure risks of 39 multi-class Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) to the threatened Gangetic dolphins (Platanista gangetica) were investigated in a conservation-priority segment of the Ganga River. Elevated EDCs bioaccumulation was observed across prey fish species, with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP)...

The forest corridor connecting the Similipal and Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha, India is vital for several wide-ranging animals and the sustenance of a unique lineage of tigers in the landscape. However, this corridor is fragmented in its status quo with mining, road, and rail networks, along with heavy human dependency on the forest. Highlighti...

Environmental protection and sustainable natural resource management are being recognised worldwide as essential goals to safe guard human health and wellbeing. Riparian zones, that face the highest decline in freshwater biodiversity, are of prime conservation priority because they are essential for regulating climate, preserving aquatic-terrestria...

Birds are excellent indicators of biodiversity and due to their selective association, are ideal for providing insights into the diversity of vegetation, insects, and aquatic life. Bird census, therefore, is an important tool for ecological monitoring. Birds, however, particularly migratory birds, often flock together in large numbers and bird coun...

For rewilding the depleted crocodylian populations in India, a targeted ‘one-species one area’ based conservation approach was adopted in the early-1970s. Suitable habitats were identified and designated as protected areas, specifically targeted to recover a particular crocodylian species. A ~ 610 km stretch of Chambal River in the Ganga River Basi...

bstract The complex and dynamic networks of river system, vital for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services, are under pressure due to human-induced water stress disrupting ecological processes. Recognition of the importance of rivers as source of life though has led to efforts towards protecting large rivers, nevertheless the conser...

Freshwater fauna is facing an uphill task for survival in the Ganga Basin, India, due to a range of factors causing habitat degradation and fragmentation, necessitating conservation interventions. As part of the ongoing efforts to conserve the freshwater fauna of the Basin, we are working on rehabilitating rescued freshwater chelonians. We carry ou...

The three-striped roofed (Batagur dhongoka) is a semi-aquatic turtle that belongs to family Geoemydidae. Due to anthropogenic pressure, it has been facing an intense decline of over 80% in its distribution range in the past 50 years. It is considered as 'Critically Endangered' so effective conservation strategies are needed to protect the species b...

Tourism is a rapidly developing industry in ecologically sensitive remote areas, especially in developing countries. Although a lucrative livelihood alternative, it is often responsible for degrading the environment and stratifying the socio-economic setup, if not managed prudently. We assessed the impact of tourism on ecological integrity and loca...

Background The Ganga River System (GRS) is a biodiversity hotspot, its ecological richness is shaped by a complex geological history. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity, spatial connectivity, and population structure of the Asian Silurid catfish, Wallago attu, across seven tributaries of the GRS. Methods and results We employed three...

Technological interventions such as remote sensing can play a crucial role in conserving inaccessible wetlands and their associated species. The floating meadows of Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) in Manipur, India, are the only home to the last remaining wild population of the endangered and endemic Eld’s Deer, locally known as Sangai (Rucervus...

This study was conducted between June 2017 and December 2018 to assess the bird community structure, diversity, feeding guilds, and the residential status of birds in Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary (GBWS). Avian diversity and guild organization in five different habitat types were classified according to the forest type present in the landscape....

Bird census or bird count is an important tool for ecological monitoring. Birds are excellent indicators of biodiversity and are ideal for providing insights into the diversity of vegetation, insects, and aquatic life. However, birds, especially migratory birds often ock together in large numbers and bird count estimation of such congregations are...

This study focused on the urban river management using geospatial techniques of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) and its associated watersheds of the Bindal River and Rispana River. Shutter Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data with a spatial resolution of 30 m was used for the delineation of watershed boundarie...

Watershed prioritization, management, and development are crucial for conserving not only the water resources but also associated soil and vegetation. This furthermore depends on the hydrological assessment of a specific river basin. The present study aims to evaluate and understand various topographical as well as morphometric characteristics of t...

Large mammals are susceptible to land use and climate change, unless they are safeguarded within large, protected areas. It is crucial to comprehend the effects of these changes on mammals to develop a conservation plan. We identified ecological hotspots that can sustain an ecosystem for the endangered Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), an umbr...

Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) represents the world’s most trafficked and highly threatened species due to poaching and habitat destruction (Newton et al., 2008). In India, two species of Pangolin; the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), also called thick-tailed Pangolin and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), are distributed throu...

The range extension of animals is influenced by various factors, particularly environmental variables and ecological requirements. In this study, we have attempted to quantify the potential current distribution range of the Burmese Python Python bivittatus in and around the Ganga Basin. We collected the Burmese Python sightings between 2007 and 202...

Globally, the conservation value of tropical grasslands, unlike tropical forests, is underappreciated, and their degradation is widespread. Conservation of this vulnerable ecosystem requires scientifically validated management strategies. The present study examines the impact of flooding, herbivory, and other management practices on the riverine gr...

As the world embraced Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) and its numerous benefits, the transforming nocturnal environment witnessed the negative impacts of this contaminant of emerging concern, and its consequent Light Pollution, on the fitness and populations of numerous organisms. Over the decades, India's unbridled population growth and rapid urb...

Remote sensing provides multi-dimensional and multi-temporal information about habitat, insights into the significant drivers of change, and the key factors affecting landscape dynamics. Such information is crucial to provide perspective and a more profound understanding of ecological surveys. This study utilizes Google Earth Engine's capability to...

Globally, the river ecosystems are threatened due to human-driven exploitation and indiscriminate resource use. The rate of species loss is a magnitude higher in these ecosystems, hence, identifying conservation priority areas as refugia, using the flagship-cum-indicator species approach can aid in long-term conservation of multiple species and ens...

The wellbeing of mountain communities is determined by the availability and accessibility of ecosystem goods and services. We assessed the relationship between forest quality and wellbeing of local communities of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in the Upper Ganga River Basin, Western Himalayas, India. We used 14 relevant Sustainable Development...

As a traditional water source, springs are vital for Himalayan communities and it is essential to consciously focus on springs conservation. We report oxygen isotopes (δ18O) of spring water before, within, and after the tectonically active zones of the Alaknanda Valley, Uttarakhand. Higher variation of δ18O in the spring waters is found in highly t...

The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) also known as the Himalayan black bear is a Vulnerable species. Its range is distributed throughout southern and eastern Asia. Here we report the first photographic evidence of the species in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve situated in the northeast of India. The photo-captured image of the species has unfolded var...

Citation: Badola, R., Shaikh, S.M., Abidi, A., Mani, A., Ramachandran, A., Hussain, S.A., and Mathur, P.K., 2022. Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, Lucknow and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, pp. 286.

Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is prone to climate shock and is highly sensitive to minor climate variance. Yet, there is a dearth of studies evaluating the adaptive capacity and vulnerability of the socio-ecological system. We assessed the household (n = 1346) and village (n = 77) level adaptive capacity and vulnerability to climate stress in Beas,...

Biomass and bioenergy are important for energy security in the rural areas of the developing countries. The sustainability of using biomass for energy security and reducing carbon emission for climate adaptation is an area of concern. Here we assessed the forest biomass use pattern in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and factors influencing the us...

Jarman–Bell (1974) hypothesized that in the dry savanna of Africa, small-bodied herbivores tend to browse more on forage with high protein and low fibre content. This implies browsing on high nutritive forage by meso-herbivores, and grazing and mixed feeding on coarse forage by mega-herbivores. We tested this hypothesis in the riverine alluvial gra...

Across the large part of Indian Himalayan Region, women form the backbone of local economy, which is an integrated system of traditional agriculture and livestock rearing, dependent on forest (phyto)resources. The study was conducted in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary Landscape, a Western Himalayan Protected Area. The inhabitants of the landscape are...

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a “Green List of Species” (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species’ progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 s...

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 s...

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 s...

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a “Green List of Species” (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species’ progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 s...

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 s...

Escalation of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a barrier to the conservation of ecological corridors across the globe. The existing mechanisms to counter HWC are either economically and socially taxing, or ineffective for long-term management. We assessed HWC in the corridor linking the Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves in Uttarakhand, India, and i...

Damming and diverting river water alters the channel characteristics and natural flow regime. The change in biotic and abiotic factors results in dissimilar habitat conditions upstream and downstream of the barrage. Given the habitat dissimilarity and therefore resource availability, we hypothesized the dissimilarity in waterbird abundance and spec...

Agricultural communities in the Himalayas are especially vulnerable to the shocks of climate change. An improved understanding of how residents perceive changes to climate and agroecosystems is critical to creating and implementing locally appropriate adaptation strategies. In this study, we administered a questionnaire to 251 residents within 16 v...

River conservation planning is complicated by its inherent connectivity, variations in habitat features and difficulties in conserving entire rivers. Economic and social constraints in human-dominated river systems, such as the Ganga, further complicate planning. A multistage systemic analysis was performed to identify policy gaps and recommend the...

Himalayan communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we compare local perceptions of climate change from a household survey (n = 251) to climate data obtained from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS 2.1) and MODIS Terra Snow Cover data product datasets. The study...

The population of the globally endangered hog deer (Axis porcinus) has declined severely across its geographic range. Intensive monitoring of its demographic and genetic status is necessary. We examined the demographic and genetic structure of a small hog deer population in Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), located on the western fringe of the In...

Sitas, N., Z. V. Harmáčková, J. A. Anticamara, A. Arneth, R. Badola, R. Biggs, R. Blanchard, L. Brotons, M. Cantele, K. Coetzer, R. DasGupta, E. Den Belder, S. Ghosh, A. Guisan, H. Gundimeda, M. Hamann, P. A. Harrison, S. Hashimoto, J. Hauck, B. Klatt, K. Kok, R. M. Krug, A. Niamir, P. J. O'Farrell, S. Okayasu, I. Palomo, L. M. Pereira, P. Riordan,...

Freshwater habitats are the most vulnerable habitat in current global change scenario. These habitats occupy less than 1% of the world’s surface area and provide shelter to many Endemic and Threatened species. Among the freshwater habitats, river ecosystems are more prone for large-scale modifications due to various river course modifications and l...

Mountains make up 24% of the world’s land area, are home to 20% of the world’s population, provide 60–80% of the world’s fresh water, and harbour 50% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots (well-established). The United Nations recognized the importance of mountain ecosystems, both for conserving biological diversity and for sustaining humanity, in C...

Protecting the Ganga River has become a national priority and the responsibility has been shared and undertaken by various government and non-government organisations. Various issues in terms of pollution, river water abstraction and allocation, river bank development, village development, etc are being resolved. However there needs to be a mechani...

The trade of Himalayan caterpillar fungus, or Ophiocordyceps sinensis, is believed to have transformed the rural economy of certain Himalayan villages. Most scholarly work on the caterpillar fungus focuses on its ecology, physiology, and pharmacological attributes, followed by conservation and sustainability issues. Few studies have tried to unders...

Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only last remaining home for endangered deer species Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii). Assessment of socio-economic status and estimation of forest dependency of the local people on the Park's resources was studied using quantitative method through household questionnaire survey and monitoring of different entry/exit...

Tourism has the potential to advance biodiversity conservation through the creation of societal constituency by providing alternative livelihood to resource-dependent communities. Institutional arrangements play a crucial role in ensuring equitable benefit sharing of tourism gains among different stakeholders. We examined this role of institutional...

This study explored the resilience of mountain forests in a protected area in Alaknanda River basin, Western Himalaya, to various disturbance scenarios. The resource dependency of village communities in the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary Landscape was studied through a questionnaire survey in 10 villages situated along an elevational gradient. Vegeta...

The Terai Arc Landscape in the foothills of the Himalaya is a critical tiger conservation unit straddling India and Nepal. The Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary (NWS) located in the eastern part of this landscape, is an important corridor for the movement of large mammalian species. This landscape is under tremendous pressure due to increased human popul...

Monitoring of streamflow may help to determine the optimum levels of its use for sustainable water management in the face of climate change. We reviewed available methods for monitoring streamflow on the basis of six criteria viz. their applicability across different terrains and size of the streams, operational ease, time effectiveness, accuracy,...

Located in the foothills of the Indian Himalaya, Rajaji National Park was established to protect and enhance the habitat of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and tiger (Panthera tigris). In 2002 the Van Gujjars, indigenous forest pastoralists, were voluntarily resettled from the Chilla Range (an administrative unit of Rajaji National Park) to Ga...

Global climate change has numerous implications for members of mountain communities who feel the impacts in both physical and social dimensions. In the western Himalayas of India, a majority of residents maintain a livelihood strategy that includes a combination of subsistence or small-scale agriculture, livestock rearing, seasonal or long-term mig...

This paper presents the results of research conducted in a village on the south-eastern boundary of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) which has experienced rapid and dramatic social–ecological change as a result of tiger-related tourism. Our aim was to better understand the impacts of wildlife tourism on the forest ecosystem, village structure, solidarit...

We examined existing policy instruments of the Indian forest, wildlife, and environment sectors for the period 1927-2008 to (a) assess their strengths and weaknesses in addressing information, market and policy failures in ecosystem service provision in the Indian Himalayan region and (b) determine if they were informatory or regulatory in nature a...