Tropical savannas, replete with large expanses of grasslands, are often misclassified as wastelands.

Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai and Cornell University have been reviewing the models and simulations used to study interactions between humans and natural systems. Their study reveals the reason why early prediction of an approaching tipping point of an ecosystem still remains challenging.

Are grasslands and deserts wastelands? How are these ecosystems affected by change in land use due to humans? In a recent study, researchers  study these complex ecosystems to understand crucial transition points for the system, after which it cannot revert back to its original state.

Albeit irksome, termites are one of the fascinating insects we have around us that play a major role in the recycle of nutrients. Found in mounds made of soil, their nests reveal a host of information about the surroundings. In a recent study, researchers have investigated the relationship between the abundance and distribution of termite mounds, and the impact of soil properties and the fragmentation of the natural forests on the same. Since studies on termites found in Asia are very few, the researchers claim this study opens up a lot more fascinating information in the world of termites of southern India