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Animal-vehicle collision on the roads is a major cause of mortality of a wide range of animal taxa both within and around protected areas. This study has been conducted in the National Highway 715 (new) covering a continuous stretch of 64 km that passes through Kaziranga National Park (KNP) of Assam (India). The area falls between the boundary of KNP on its north and North Karbi Anglong Wildlife sanctuary on the south. The survey concentrated on the mortality study of four groups of vertebrates viz., amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals resulting from collisions with vehicles from October 2016 through September, 2017. A total of 6036 individual roadkills were registered, belonging to 53 species, 23 other taxa and 30 families of vertebrates, with herpetofauna being the most affected group followed by birds and mammals. The study evaluated seasonal variation in the overall roadkill pattern with highest mortality in the monsoon season 38.27% (n = 2310) and with peak casualties starting with the onset of rainfall (February and March) and during monsoons (July and August). The amphibian mortality was also found to be highest during the monsoon with 43.28% (n = 1575) of kills, as compared to the other three groups. NH-715 (new), therefore serves as a challenging passage for the animals, forming a major barrier for the faunal component of the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape. This study thus tried to reflect the often overlooked issue of roads and highways in terms of direct mortality of animals due to traffic and thereby can be helpful in understanding the seriousness of the situation and identifying prospective measures to be taken for sustainable coexistence of both animals and human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the natural ecosystems, forests and wetlands emit a sizable amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) through autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration and bacterial activities. Interestingly, some evidence suggests that a significant amount of CH4 is generated by the trees in forested ecosystems. The net ecosystem exchange (NEE), measured by the eddy covariance (EC) method, typically represents the net CO2 flux arising from the photosynthetic and respiration processes in the biosphere. This flux is subsequently partitioned into two components, the respired carbon and the assimilated carbon. However, the usual method of partitioning introduces significant errors in each of these fluxes. The present study was undertaken to address this issue where the NEE partitioning was constrained by using the carbon isotopic ratios of CO2. We used a real‐time in situ analyzer in a tropical forest in northeast India, the Kaziranga National Park. The greenhouse gas analyzer provided CO2 and CH4 concentrations, as well as their carbon isotopic ratios. The isotopic data were used to partition the EC‐derived NEE values and derive the isoflux values. Additionally, the isotopic data provided evidence of plant‐generated CH4 in conformity with some recent studies, which requires further investigation. Plain Language Summary: The terrestrial vegetation absorbs a vast amount of carbon in the photosynthetic process. They also emit a sizeable amount of carbon through respiration. Eddy‐covariance‐based technique is often employed to quantify these two opposing fluxes. An eddy‐covariance‐based system measures carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations along with wind speed, and covariance of their fluctuations is used to calculate the net ecosystem exchange (NEE). The NEE is then partitioned into the photosynthetic and respiration components through a series of numerical operations and environmental constraints. Flux measurements in association with carbon isotopic ratios can provide a unique way to partition NEE. We have measured the concentration and isotopic ratio of CO2 and the eddy covariance‐based measurements to obtain the respiratory and photosynthetic fluxes of CO2 in a tropical forest in India. In addition, methane (CH4) concentration and its isotopic ratio have been measured to identify if trees can be considered a CH4 source in this ecosystem. Key Points: The net ecosystem exchange was measured using an eddy‐covariance technique in a forest in IndiaSeparately the greenhouse gases isotopic data were collected and used to determine the "isofluxes"Partitioning of the respiratory and the photosynthetic fluxes was carried out [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the abundant literature on metal contamination through road dust (RD) in urban/suburban and residential/highway regions, the RD of highways traversing through the Kaziranga National Park, NE India, has not been studied and lacks baseline data. The objective of the present study was to ascertain the possibility of highway microzonation based on temporal and spatial variability of metal pollution level and ecological risk. It was found that the RD contains an average content of (1.7–33.5 mg/kg) for Cd, Co, Cu and Pb and (121–574 mg/kg) for Ni, Zn, Cr and Mn across the highway passing through the national forest attributed by various sources. The study revealed three possible microzones present in the studied highway NH-37 based on spatial trend of metal as well as human interference. An attempt was made to understand the possible source of metals by principal component analysis, and four sources were identified: Three were of vehicular origin, and another was related to road surface and subsurface condition. The use of noise barrier walls as an effective measure to control the translocation of RD from one place to other was recommended to reduce the hostile effects of metal accumulation in the sensitive ecosystem. Thus, the study suggested and necessitated micronizing the system based on human interference level, ecological risk factors, spatial variability of pollutants and traffic pattern for their efficient management and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new and one known species of dorylaim nematodes are described and illustrated from Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India. Prothornenema vulvatum sp. nov. is characterized by having body 1.06–1.17 mm long; lip region cap-like, slightly rounded, offset by constriction with moderate labial and post-labial sclerotization; 10–11 μm long odontostyle; vulva a transverse slit; cuticle both anterior and posterior to vulva with two or three deep invaginations; female tail long filiform, male tail short conoid with 13 or 14 contiguous ventromedian supplements. Allodorylaimus kazirangus sp. nov. is characterized by having body 1.84–2.16 mm long; truncate, slightly offset lip region; 30 μm long odontostyle; amphids duplex; cardia short conoid, an asymmetrical ring-like structure surrounds the junction between pharyngeal base and cardia; transverse vulva; uterus characteristically long, tripartite with wide proximal portion followed by a long narrow intermediate portion with moderately sclerotized inner lining joining a wider pars dilatata distalis; short conoid tail with no sexual dimorphism and males with 13 or 14 contiguous ventromedian supplements. Thornia propinqua (Paesler, 1941) Andrássy, 1957 is redescribed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Carbon sequestration in the Kaziranga forest is high during the premonsoon season. • In the pre-monsoon, it acts as a sink of carbon; in winter it acts as a source. • The year 2016 acted as a net source, while 2018 acted as a moderate sink of carbon. • For the first time, multi-year CO2 flux data from northeast India is presented. Tropical forest ecosystems play a significant role in controlling the global carbon cycle. Several bio-meteorological parameters control the carbon dynamics of a forest ecosystem. We have studied the bio-meteorological processes of a tropical semi-deciduous forest in northeast India to understand the dynamics of the net ecosystem exchange (NEE). On a monthly scale, it is observed that mostly the leaf area index, incoming radiation, vapor pressure deficit, and air temperature control the carbon transfer processes. Furthermore, the diurnal patterns of rainfall and associated cloudiness during the monsoon season indirectly control the carbon uptake by modulating the incoming radiation. The pre-monsoon season is the most preferred, while the winter season is the least favorite time for carbon uptake by this forest. The respiration component of the studied forest ecosystem is higher than the other similar ecosystems in India. The estimated annual NEE of the forest was +177 and -31 gC m−2 yr−1 for 2016 and 2018, respectively. The forest's annual gross primary productivity (GPP) for 2016 and 2018 was estimated as 2693 and 2564 gC m−2 yr−1, respectively. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Last few decades many animals, birds, reptile and fish species were wiped out from the planet due to human activity. Many more species are likely to lose their existence because of lost their natural habitat, increased human land use and poaching. Rhino is one of them which can be found now only in few protected areas such as Assam, West Bengal etc. of India because of poaching. In this paper, we propose a model of wireless sensor network's application to protect the Rhino against poachers in Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India. In the model, we place the sensor nodes in the boundary region of the Rhino inhabited area to take necessary action upon detection of human movement. Then, we propose a routing algorithm for the model where a sensor node selects a next hop sensor node based on a fitness function. We also propose a linear programming formulation for the proposed algorithm. Finally, we simulate the proposed algorithm for varying number of sensor nodes and BSs and compare different results in terms of various performance metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-based flood assessment for extent and severity is very crucial input before, during, and after a flood event has occurred. Though optical remote sensing data has been widely used for flood hazard mapping, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is preferred for detecting inundated areas and providing reliable information during a flood event due to its capability to operate in all weather and day/night time. Availability of cloud-free optical images during monsoon over north eastern India is a rarity. SAR data also has the advantage of detecting inundation under vegetated areas due to its penetration capabilities and sensitivity to soil moisture. The present study is an attempt to use SAR data for flood monitoring of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) during monsoon, 2017. Every year, animals are washed away by floods and most of them migrate to higher grounds in order to escape from the rising water levels. Flooding events are common in the study area during the monsoon season due to high rainfall and its close proximity to the Brahmaputra River. Dual polarized (VV and VH) Sentinel-1 SAR images obtained for the entire monsoon period in 2017 were used to create inundation maps of the KNP. Two flood waves were observed in July and August, the second of which is considered to be one of the worst flooding events inundating most areas of the park. The use of SAR data for monitoring of flood events can be very crucial for identifying locations for building animal shelters and finding routes for rescue and relief operations during the disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]