Biological & Molecular Sciences
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Vol 2, Issue 1 (2026)
Open Access
Authors:
Dr. Anoop Kumar
Dr. Avneesh Kumar Gautam
As the world continues to see an unprecedented amount of growth, it will also begin to see incredible fluctuations in its climate. Given this combination of factors, we are now at a significant turning point where we need to make a massive shift towards more sustainable agriculture in order to provide food security for the long term. Sustainable agriculture is not just about how farmers grow food; it encompasses all aspects of growing food in a holistic manner that also includes protecting the environment from destruction while still being able to feed the growing world population today and help the next generation (future generations) with their ability to feed themselves. The projected global population will increase to approximately 9.6 billion by 2050, thus there is a need for food security alongside sustainable agricultural practices and ultimately, to provide solutions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (S.D.G.). Therefore, this article provides an overview of the latest developments and trends in sustainable agriculture and food security while also outlining the major challenges, opportunities, and policy choices that are needed to achieve sustainable agricultural systems and food security in the future. This article examines how utilizing various sustainable agriculture practices, such as agroecology, organic farming, conservation agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, can help to improve food security and soil health, protect biodiversity, and build resilience to climate change. It discusses the importance of supporting small-scale farmers by improving their access to markets and modern technologies, promoting climate resilient agricultural practices, and reducing food loss and waste along the food supply chain.
Sustainable agriculture
food security
food waste
Biological & Molecular Sciences
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Vol 2, Issue 1 (2026)
Open Access
Authors:
Nisha Verma
Rajeev Kumar Yadav
As climate changes, ecological and socio-economic systems will become increasingly vulnerable, and the likelihood of experiencing abrupt and irreversible changes (known as tipping points) will increase. Tipping points are the points of no return in terms of switching between different regimes. For example, if there are small ecological changes in an ecosystem (e.g., loss of biodiversity), they can lead to a disproportionately large response from the ecosystem (e.g., shifting from one ecosystem form to another). One of the most important aspects of climate adaptation science is understanding how these transitions occur; how to identify early-warning signals to detect them; and how to improve the resilience of socio-environmental systems to these transitions. The current study investigates several of the dynamics and factors that are involved in climate-induced tipping points, including: feedback loops; biodiversity loss; and biogeochemical stressors, as well as early-warning indicators, such as: critical slowing down; increased variance; spatial correlation; and flickering. Improved long-term monitoring and increased opportunities for continued modelling of these early-warning signals may improve our ability to anticipate climate-related tipping points. The discussion also encompasses socio-environmental resilience, noting anticipatory, autonomous, and transformative adaptations and governance models which would support society to cope with uncertainty. We must incorporate tipping-point science into policies to address ecological collapse and reduce cascading social risks. Resilience in integrated human nature systems is to be developed through coordinated governance, community involvement, ecological restoration and flexible adaptation strategies and especially as climate pressures intensify and the risk of crossing irreversible thresholds increases, the paper concludes.
Climate change; tipping points; regime shifts; socio-environmental resilience; early-warning signals; ecological thresholds; adaptive governance; climate adaptation; critical slowing down; ecosystem stability.
Biological & Molecular Sciences
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Vol 1, Issue 1 (2025)
Open Access
Authors:
Dr. Barkha
Arti Kumari
Sanjana Rani
The Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh, located in the fertile terai region, is rich in freshwater sources which include the Sharda River, Sharda Sagar Dam, Deoha Reservoir, as well as the origin of the Gomati River. These water bodies are integral to irrigation, drinking water supply, fisheries, and biodiversity. The district's rivers, wetlands, and reservoirs offer conducive conditions for fish farming and preserving water resources. Nevertheless, the construction of dams and irrigation systems radically changes the natural hydrological patterns, water quality, and fish population dynamics.
This study attempts to assess the analysis of water quality parameters and determinants of water dynamics of fish populations found in selected sites including the Sharda River, Sharda Sagar Dam, along with some other water resources in Pilibhit. The physicochemical properties of water -- temperature, pH, DO, BOD, TDS, COD -- were evaluated to study its suitability for aquatic life. Seasonal distributions were observed, indicating that water quality depends on temperature and rainfall patterns and hence directly affected fish richness and distribution. Some commercially vital fishes namely, the fish species Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala, Channa punctatus and some other catfish species were observed with different density in the survey facilities. Maximum fish abundance was recorded at post-winter level and minimum was observed under monsoon seasons where turbidity was high and oxygen saturations were low. Sustainable water and dam hydrology, controlled dam discharge, controlled release of floodwaters and wetlands conservation are vital for preserving fish population dynamics and for ensuring a healthy condition of habitat in Pilibhit, the study concludes.
Sharda River
Pilibhit
Water quality
Biological & Molecular Sciences
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Vol 1, Issue 1 (2025)
Open Access
Authors:
Gaurav Kumar Singh
Soil nematodes are a part of soil food webs and are sensitive indicators of soil ecological conditions. In this study, the diversity, abundance, trophic structure and temporal distribution of soil nematode communities in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) agroecosystem were evaluated over a period of one year. We collected soil samples on 8 occasions from June 2008 to April 2009, with cover ranging from different crop growth stages, including fallow periods, in a conventionally cultivated wheat field, Aligarh district, India. Nematodes were obtained by modified Cobb’s sieving and decantation followed by Baermann funnel technique and identified to the generic level. A total of 50 nematode genera with 10 orders and 30 families were identified. Number of genera per sample varied from 13 to 23, with total nematode abundance being between 105 to 1178 individuals. The most abundant order was Rhabditida, and Dorylaimida had the highest level of generic diversity. Within trophic groups, bacteriovores were the most common organisms (58%) and were followed by fungivores (21%), herbivores (13%), omnivores (5%), and predators (3%). The most common genus throughout the course of the study was Acrobeloides. The measured trophic diversity index was from 1.03 to 1.25, suggesting moderate trophic complexity. Seasonal dynamics were well recorded with high levels of bacteriovorous nematodes in post-harvest periods, probably as a consequence of the higher organic matter content generated due to crop residues. The evidence indicates that soil nematode community structure is highly determined by crop phenology, organic amendments and the season. Soil nematode faunal analysis was used in this study and is effective for assessing soil health and ecosystem functioning in wheat-based agroecosystems.
Soil nematodes; Wheat agroecosystem; Trophic structure; Biodiversity; Bioindicators; Soil health
Biological & Molecular Sciences
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Vol 1, Issue 1 (2025)
Open Access
Authors:
Sandhya Devi
Alok Kumar Khare
Forests contain everything a living being might possibly need: food, forage, medicine, timber, and fiber. In terms of their value to human society, fiber-producing plants have been ranked second only to food plants. The current study focuses on the natural fibers utilized by the communities residing in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve area. Field surveys and ethnobotanical data collecting using the open-ended, structured, and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique are the primary sources of the data. The study identified 22 plant species of 21 genera belonging to 7 different families. Most of the plants belonged to family Poaceae (36%) and stem (32%), leaves (27%) and stem bark (23%) are main source of fiber. The study area is rich in biodiversity and inhabited by many ethnic and subethnic communities with good traditional knowledge on fibres and the extraction processes. The purpose of the study is to promote awareness and explore the possible commercial application of the natural fibre yielding plants.
Biological & Molecular Sciences
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Vol 1, Issue 1 (2025)
Open Access
Authors:
Preeti Verma
India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries, hosting approximately 7–8% of all recorded species on just 2.4% of the world’s land area. With four global biodiversity hotspots (Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats–Sri Lanka and Sundaland), the country supports over 55,481 plant taxa and 105,244 animal species as of 2024 (Botanical Survey of India, 2025; Zoological Survey of India, 2025). Despite robust legal and policy frameworks, biodiversity faces severe threats from habitat fragmentation, deforestation (18,200 ha of primary humid forest lost in 2024), invasive alien species, pollution, overexploitation and climate change. This manuscript synthesizes the latest data from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Global Forest Watch, India State of Forest Report 2023 and IUCN Red List, while critically examining India’s biodiversity-related legislation: the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (as amended 2022), Biological Diversity Act 2002 (Rules 2004 & Amendment 2023), Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 (amended 2023), Environment (Protection) Act 1986, Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 and recent regulations under the Jan Vishwas Act 2023 and Biological Diversity (Access and Benefit Sharing) Regulations 2025 (Government of India). The analysis reveals implementation gaps, judicial interventions and emerging opportunities under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Strengthening enforcement, community rights, landscape-level planning and climate-resilient corridors is essential for achieving national targets of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030.
Biodiversity
deforestation
invasive species
