Using satellite data from 1973, 1991 and 2016, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, study how protected area have deteriorated over the years. The study also assesses the reason for the said deterioration of the forests.

While the readers picked their choice of stories published on the website for 2017, here are the editors’ pick. Hope you enjoy them!

Whose cup of tea is it – ours or leopards’?

Bangalore of the yesteryears was a city of gardens; cool, pleasant and green. In addition to the 2000+ species of trees -- some natural and some specifically planted -- individual gardens in small households contributed to the large biodiversity here. The undulating terrain of the city allowed formation of lakes -- natural and manmade – that were interconnected. As the ‘Garden City’ transformed into the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, the city’s rapid, uncontrolled growth turned this biodiversity haven to a concrete jungle.