Research Matters

07/11/2025

𝗘𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗚𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮𝟯 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟬𝟮, 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗮'𝘀 𝗞𝘂𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗺𝘂𝗸𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝑷𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒖.

This major discovery also includes the first-ever female of the genus, allowing researchers to finally resolve its uncertain classification. The shy spiders were found in specific plants and were even observed being attacked by a parasitoid wasp, offering new ecological insights. The find confirms the Pilia genus is endemic to the Western Ghats.

The study is published in Zootaxa

Read: https://researchmatters.in/index.php/news/jumping-spider-genus-rediscovered-after-123-years-new-species-identified to deep-dive!

Pilia, an enigmatic genus of jumping spider has just been rediscovered in the tropical forests of Western Ghats after a staggering 123 years. The find has not only led to the description of a brand-new species, Pilia malenadu, but, also allowed researchers to document the first-ever female of the en...

07/11/2025

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗚𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀' 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁
𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 BITS Pilani 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘎𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺.
A study analyzing data from 2001 to 2023 found that land use and vegetation health are the primary drivers of change. Rising land surface temperatures were shown to reduce the region's Net Primary Productivity (NPP), a key marker of ecological health. Worryingly, the productivity of forests is declining even as forest cover expands, highlighting the need for urgent, climate-resilient conservation strategies.
The study was published in Scientific Reports.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/news/climate-and-humanitys-double-edged-sword-threaten-biodiversity-and-vegetation-western-ghats to deep-dive!

Synergistic pressures from land use changes and climate extremes are the primary drivers behind a worrying decline in the Western Ghats' ability to absorb carbon.

06/11/2025

𝗜𝗜𝗧 𝗕𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

Researchers from IIT Bombay have proposed a new control scheme that allows swarms of VTOL drones to fly in formation autonomously, relying only on on-board cameras to "look" at their immediate neighbors. This "bearing-only" system removes the need for GPS, a human operator, or a central computer.

The team, Prof. Dwaipayan Mukherjee and Chinmay Garanayak, successfully tackled the complex problem of controlling "underactuated" drones, which have six degrees of freedom but fewer direct controls. They have provided the first rigorous mathematical proof for the stability of such a system. This method is robust, works in GPS-denied areas, enables stealth operations, and can handle complex, time-varying formations.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/news/new-tech-make-drone-swarms-efficient-autonomous-and-stealth-ready to deep-dive!

Novel scheme by IIT Bombay researchers to control drones can enable complex formation flying using only camera data, without GPS or inter-drone communication.

05/11/2025

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀!
𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝟰𝟱 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁!

In this week’s stories: how the gut microbiome may not all be useful, a new framework to manage forest resources, increasing ecological droughts in India, surprising resilience of Bengaluru’s frogs, a common plastic used to correct a turbulent laser beam, and more...

Starting this week, we will list some of the new species being discovered in India. This week, learn more about a new freshwater crab and six new butterflies.

There is also STEM news from other Indian media outlets and public STEM events to attend. Don’t forget to check out Scidle - the science wordle, for a new science word every day.

Don’t forget to register for the Journalism AI Festival 2025, where HS, Director, Gubbi Labs, will be sharing about our experience building an AI tool.

Delegate registrations are now open for the 3rd Indian Near Surface Geophysics Conference & Exhibition (INSGC 2025).

Read: https://researchmatters.substack.com/p/gut-microbiome-forest-management to dive deeper into the scoop!

04/11/2025

𝗜𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 (𝘐𝘐𝘚𝘛) 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦-𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 (𝘍𝘚𝘖) 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

As lasers travel through the air, turbulence distorts them, making high-speed links unreliable. The IISST team developed a new method that uses simple PMMA (acrylic) rods to partially correct the distorted beam. The science involves complex coupled dipole oscillations within the plastic that effectively counteract the chaotic fluctuations of the atmosphere, restoring the beam's statistical order. Using a geometric measure, the team quantitatively proved the beam was more stable after passing through the PMMA.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/index.php/news/researchers-use-electric-dipoles-common-plastic-stabilise-turbulent-laser-beams to deep-dive!

Researchers from IISST used simple polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) to partially correct a turbulent laser beam and restore its statistical order.

03/11/2025

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮

𝘈 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Zoological Survey of India 𝘢𝘯𝘥 Pukyong National University 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘣.

The new genus and species, 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, was found in the highlands of the Eastern Ghats in Yercaud, Tamil Nadu. The classification was confirmed using a multifaceted approach, blending detailed morphological examination with rigorous molecular identification, including DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, to validate its unique status within the 𝘎𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘦 family.

The discovery is published in Zookeys.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/index.php/news/new-freshwater-crab-species-discovered-yercaud to deep-dive!

A new zoological discovery has been announced, with the description of a new genus and species of freshwater crab belonging to the family Gecarcinucidae.

03/11/2025

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮-𝗧𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸
A rapid survey in the Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh has confirmed six butterfly species previously unrecorded in India. The research, published in Entomon (AAE), conducted by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the Litin Community Conservation Society, provides the first evidence of three species (Tibetan Duke, Tibetan Sergeant, and Tibetan Junglequeen) outside of Metok, Tibet.

Most notably, the discovery of the Litin Onyx represents a 1,200 km range extension from Laos. These findings establish the Siang Valley as a critical, under-studied biodiversity hotspot, emphasizing the need for robust scientific documentation and community-led conservation efforts in the face of growing regional threats.
Read: https://researchmatters.in/news/six-new-species-butterflies-discovered-near-siang-valley-arunachal-pradesh to dive deeper into the scoop!

A new discovery has added six butterfly species previously unrecorded in India, with one, the Litin Onyx, known only from Laos, representing a massive range extension into the Eastern Himalayas.

03/11/2025

𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗢'𝘀 '𝗕𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗶' 𝗟𝗩𝗠𝟯 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲

The ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation has achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching the 4,410 kg CMS-03 communication satellite using its powerful LVM3 heavy-lift rocket. Nicknamed 'Bahubali,' the LVM3-M5 mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre places India at the forefront of self-reliance in space technology. The CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) is critical for national security, designed to enhance the Indian Navy's secure communication network across the Indian Ocean Region, bolstering maritime domain awareness and coordination. This success further paves the way for India's ambitious Gaganyaan crewed space flight program.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/index.php/news/indias-bahubali-rocket-lifts-heaviest-satellite-boost-navys-eye-ocean to dive deeper into the scoop!

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved another leap in its quest for self-reliance in space, successfully launching the heaviest communication satellite ever lifted from Indian soil using its formidable heavy-lift rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3). Affectionately nicknamed...

03/11/2025

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗿𝘂'𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝘆 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

New research from Bengaluru, India, reveals a surprising finding: anuran (frog and toad) communities are holding strong across different intensities of urban built-up areas. While fewer species were found in the inner city, the overall composition was largely similar. However, the study warns that localized threats—specifically sewage pollution and aesthetic wetland "restoration" (stone-pitched banks)—are destroying the crucial native plant microhabitats frogs need to breed. These findings establish a critical baseline, urging city planners to adopt ecologically informed blue-green infrastructure to protect these vulnerable populations.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/news/bengalurus-frogs-show-surprising-resilience-urban-sprawl to deep-dive!


Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) IISc Bangalore Gubbi Labs IISER Bhopal

Frog and toad communities remain surprisingly stable across both urban and rural settings, suggesting increased resilience or a lag phase with effects yet to be observed. Loss of habitat and pollution, a worry.

01/11/2025

𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
A new study by CORAL at IIT Kharagpur reveals an underexplored threat to India's terrestrial ecosystems: the increasing prevalence of ecological droughts. These long-term moisture deficits are causing widespread vegetation stress and browning in ecologically sensitive zones, including the Western Ghats and Indo-Gangetic Plain croplands. Using Random Forest modeling, the researchers quantified the primary controls: meteorological aridity (23.9%) and Sea Surface Temperature (18.2%), underscoring the non-linear role of ocean warming in the atmosphere-land-ocean nexus.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/index.php/news/ocean-warming-and-human-activity-fuel-new-ecological-drought-crisis-india to deep-dive!

Ecological droughts are on the rise in India's pristine forests and croplands, driven primarily by meteorological aridity and ocean warming, posing a major threat to the country's sustainability and food security.

31/10/2025

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗼-𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

The global shift toward Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) demands a holistic view that integrates ecological, social, and economic dimensions. Our analysis of India's existing monitoring frameworks (FSI and NWPC) found a critical deficiency: a primary focus on ecological metrics, which undermines the full valuation of forest resources and limits effective policy design for dependent communities. The proposed 28-indicator framework addresses this by introducing robust metrics for livelihood enhancement, occupational safety, and economic efficiency (e.g., costs incurred, value-added profits). This integrated system is crucial for developing a robust MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) mechanism, aligning with SDGs, and optimizing equitable benefit-sharing for a more sustainable forestry sector.

Read: https://researchmatters.in/news/indias-new-blueprint-sustainable-forest-management to deep-dive!
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal Technische Universitat Dresden

New research reveals India's forest monitoring fails to capture social and economic health, leading to a comprehensive new blueprint that include vital social and economic dimensions and introduces a comprehensive list of 28 indicators and 64 sub-indicators to create a robust, evidence-based system....