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Giving the cold shoulder: why and how do we conserve farmland herpetofauna in India?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2025

Deyatima Ghosh Open the ORCID record for Deyatima Ghosh [Opens in a new window]
Deyatima Ghosh*
Affiliation:
SM Sehgal Foundation Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India
*
Corresponding author: Deyatima Ghosh; Email: [email protected]
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Summary

Numerous studies highlight the adverse impacts of agriculture on farmland biodiversity. Balancing increased agricultural production along with biodiversity conservation is a critical global challenge, especially in India. Amphibians and reptiles face the greatest threats from agriculture. This perspective article highlights the need to conserve amphibian and reptile diversity in farmlands, presenting evidence of their decline and emphasizing their ecological importance. It calls for forward-looking research and policies to combat unprecedented biodiversity loss. Furthermore, I propose strategies aimed at redesigning agricultural landscapes to transition towards ecological intensification, thereby maintaining productivity and profitability while safeguarding biodiversity and regenerating rather than undermining the ecological processes that sustain food production. As agricultural intensification increases, it should be aligned with nature, leveraging biodiversity to sustain ecological functions rather than replacing them.

Keywords

Agricultural intensificationecological intensificationecosystem service approachhedgerowherpetofauna
Type
Perspectives
Information
Environmental Conservation , First View , pp. 1 - 6
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation

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