This new website integrates knowledge about India’s tree wealth into one platform
Dr. Sankara Rao of the Indian Institute of Science is advocating for more scientific approaches to afforestation in India. He warns that current carbon-centric, single-species planting schemes threaten tropical biodiversity and ignore the complexity of native ecosystems.
Why it matters
It highlights the critical distinction between simple tree planting and ecological restoration, which is vital for maintaining India's terrestrial biodiversity.
Dr Sankara Rao is clearly obsessed with the arboreal world. His narrow desk at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), is covered with botanical texts, including Pradip Krishen’s Jungle Trees of Central India a nd Trees of Delhi, Endemic Vascular Plants of India published by the Botanical Survey of India and his own two-volume field guide, Trees of Bangalore.
The article presents a scientific perspective on environmental policy without inflammatory language or partisan framing.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in