In an attempt to develop a better simulation of the climatology of monsoon precipitation in climate models, this paper investigates the impacts of different convective closures on systematic biases of an Indian monsoon precipitation climatology in a high-resolution regional climate model. For this purpose, the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model is run at 45-and 15-km (two-way nested) resolution with three convective parameterization schemes, namely the Grell-Devenyi (GD), the Betts-Miller-Janjić (BMJ), and the Kain-Fritsch (KF), for the period 1 May-31 October 2001-07. The model is forced with the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data as the initial and boundary conditions. The simulated June-September (JJAS) mean monsoon rainfall with the three convective schemes is compared with the observations. KF is found to have a high moist bias over the central and western coastal Indian region while GD shows the opposite. Among the three, BMJ is able to produce a reasonable mean monsoon pattern. In an attempt to get further insight into the seasonal bias and its evolution, the probability distribution function (PDF) of different rain-rate categories and their percentage contribution to the seasonal total are computed. BMJ and KF underestimate the observations for lighter rain rates and overestimate for rain-rate categories of more than 10 mm day 21 . GD shows an overestimation for lighter rain and an underestimation of PDF for moderate categories. The seasonal patterns of evolution of PDF plots of three rain-rate categories are analyzed to determine whether the convective schemes show any systematic bias throughout the season or if they have problems during certain phases of the monsoon. This shows that the GD systematically overestimates the lighter rain rate and underestimates the moderate rain rate throughout the season, whereas BMJ and KF have problems in the initial stages. The heavy rain category is systematically overestimated by the KF compared to the other two. To further evaluate the proportionate contribution of each rain-rate bin to the total rain, the percentage contribution of each rain rate to the seasonal total is computed. Analyzing all the rain-rate simulations produced by the three schemes, it is found that KF has a moist bias and GD has a dry bias in the spatiotemporal distribution of the monsoon precipitation. Further, this paper investigates the causes behind the mean monsoon precipitation bias. It is shown that GD produces a model climate where the vertical velocity is less than that of the observations up to 500 hPa and the vertically integrated moist instability is also weaker. KF, on the other hand, shows a higher than the observed vertical velocity and a stronger moist instability. Along with this, the vertical profile of heating suggests a warmer middle level in the KF case and significantly reduced midlevel heating for GD. Thus, KF (GD) has produced a model atmosphere that has a stronger (weaker) convective instability to produce the observed bias in the model precipitation. BMJ is found to s...

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Soft shell turtles are among the most threatened groups of freshwater animals that are in need of urgent conservation attention. In Kerala (South India), two species of freshwater turtles, the Indian black turtle or Indian pond terrapin, Melanochelys trijuga coronata (Schweigger, 1812) and the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata punctata (Lacépède, 1788) are exploited from Vembanad lake and associated wetlands in Punnamada to meet the demand from local restaurants and toddy shops. Eight hundred and forty three individuals belonging to the two species (499 pond terrapins and 344 flap-shelled turtle) were observed during a field survey conducted in 2007 at Punnamada. Despite being listed at the highest level in the Indian wildlife protection act, very little law enforcement takes place and turtles are exploited and traded regularly. Collection and trade have also become an important component of the local livelihoods in Punnamada, with the involvement of around five full-time and 25 part-time collectors. Details of the collection, marketing, economics and management of the freshwater turtles in Punnamada are discussed.

Indiscriminate and illegal farming of the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus, in central Kerala has now resulted in the escape and spread of the species into Vembanad Lake, a large brackish water wetland and inland fish diversity hotspot. We collected 17 individuals of C. gariepinus ranging in size from 200 to 750 mm from different locations in the southern sector of the lake during a field survey conducted in 2007. Samples comprised of mature specimens of both sexes indicating their reproductive potential in the study area. The possible impacts of spread of C. gariepinus into natural water bodies of Kerala, especially the Vembanad Lake, and options for their management are discussed.

Lepidopygopsis, known as the peninsular-Indian hill trout, is a monotypic genus endemic to the Periyar stream-reservoir system, in the Western Ghats. Due to the morphological similarity of its only species, L. typus, with the Himalayan schizothoracine fishes, it was considered to be a relict species and a classic example of disjunct distribution. Using mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence datasets, we show that L. typus is not allied to the schizothoracine fishes. Phylogenetic hypothesis-testing unequivocally supports a scenario in which L. typus and a clade comprising various genera of Asian and African barbins such as Tor, Gonoproktopterus, Kosswigobarbus and Varicorhinus are sister groups. Based on our results, we suggest that the sheath of tile-like scales covering the anal-fin base of schizothoracine fishes and Lepidopygopsis typus could be a symplesiomorphy or a homoplasy.

This paper deals with a systematic hydrogeological, geophysical, and hydrochemical investigations carried out in SIPCOT area in Southern India to demarcate groundwater pollution and saline intrusion through Uppanar River, which flows parallel to sea coast with high salinity (average TDS 28, 870 mg/l) due to back waters as well as discharge of industrial and domestic effluents. Hydrogeological and geophysical investigations comprising topographic survey, self-potential, multi-electrode resistivity imaging, and water quality monitoring were found the extent of saline water intrusion in the south and pockets of subsurface pollution in the north of the study area. Since the area is beset with highly permeable unconfined quaternary alluvium forming potential aquifer at shallow depth, long-term excessive pumping and influence of the River have led to lowering of the water table and degradation of water quality through increased salinity there by generating reversal of hydraulic gradient in the south. The improper management of industrial wastes and left over chemicals by closed industries has led surface and subsurface pollution in the north of the study area.

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Hkkjrh; xzh"edkyhu ekWulwu o"kkZ esa vf[ky Hkkjrh; xzh"edkyhu ekWulwu o"kkZ Ja`[kyk esa fdlh fo’ks"k izdkj dh izo`fRr dk lkekU;r% irk ugha pyk gS rFkkfi ISMR dh  LFkkfud izo`fRr;ksa ds izHkkfor gksus dh fjiksVZ feyh gSA bl 'kks/k i= esa Hkkjrh; miegk}hi ds fofHkUu {ks=ksa esa xzh"edkyhu ekWulwu o"kkZ dh rhozrk dh fofHkUu Jsf.k;ksa dh nh?kZdkyhu izo`fRr;ksa dk irk yxkus dk iz;kl fd;k x;k gSA Hkkjr ekSle foKku foHkkx ds 1 tuojh] 1901 ls 31 fnlEcj] 2003 rd dh vof/k ds 1º ´ 1º v{kka’k&ns’kkarj fxzM ds LFkkfud foHksnu okys fxzM;qDr nSfud o"kkZ ds vk¡dM+ksa dk mi;ksx djds ekSleh vkSj ekfld o"kkZ dh nh?kZ vof/k izo`fRr Hkh rS;kj dh xbZA nf{k.k iwoZ] mRrj if’pe vkSj mRrj iwoZ {ks=ksa esa xzh"edkyhu ekWulwu o"kkZ dh izo`fRr esa c<+ksrjh fn[krh gSA tcfd e/; vkSj if’pe rVh; {ks=ksa esa deh dh izo`fRr n’kkZrh gSA ekfld iSekus ij] tqykbZ dh o"kkZ Hkkjr ds if’peh rVh; vkSj e/; {ks=ksa esa deh dh izo`fRr rFkk 0-1 izfr’kr egRoiw.kZ Lrj ij mRrjiwoZ {ks=  esa fo’ks"k :i ls c<+ksrjh dh izo`fRr n’kkZrh gSA vxLr ekg ds nkSjku] if’peh rVh; LFkkuksa esa fo’ks"k :i  ls 10 izfr’kr deh dh izo`fRr ikbZ xbZ gSA vf/kdka’k LVs’kuksa esa] ek/; nSfud o"kkZ ls de vkSj cgqr gh Hkkjh o"kkZ esa c<+ksrjh dh izo`fRr dk irk pyrk gSA lkekU; o"kkZ esa fofHkUu {ks=ksa ds fy, izo`fRr fHkUu&fHkUu gSA e/; vkSj nf{k.kh {ks=ksa esa lkekU; vkSj lkekU;r% mPp Jsf.k;ksa ls o`f) dh izo`fRr dk irk pyk gSA mPp vkSj vfr mPp rhozrk Jsf.k;ksa esa fo’ks"k :i  ls deh dh izo`fRr dk irk pyrk gSA mRrj iwohZ {ks=ksa esa] 10 fe-eh-@fnu ls vf/kd dh o"kkZ 0-1 izfr’kr ds egRoiw.kZ Lrj ds lkFk egRoiw.kZ o`f) dh izo`fRr n’kkZrh gSA  In general Indian summer monsoon rainfall did not show any significant trend in all Indian summer monsoon rainfall series, however, it was reported that the ISMR is subjected to spatial trends. This paper made an attempt to bring out long term trends of different intensity classes of summer monsoon rainfall  in different regions of Indian subcontinent. The long term trend of seasonal and monthly rainfall were also made using the India Meteorological Department gridded daily rainfall data with a spatial resolution of 1° × 1° latitude-longitude grid for the period from 1st January, 1901 to 31st December, 2003. The summer monsoon rainfall shows an increasing trend in southeast, northwest and northeast regions, whereas decreasing trend in the central and west coastal regions. In monthly scale, July rainfall shows decreasing trend over west coastal and central Indian regions and significant increasing trend over northeast region at 0.1% significant level. During the month August, decreasing trend is observed in the west coastal stations at 10% significant level. In most of the stations, mean daily rainfall shows an increasing trend for low and very high intense rainfall. For the moderate rainfall, the trend is different for different regions. In the central and southern regions the trend of moderate and moderately high classes show increasing trend. And for the high and very high intensity classes, the trend is decreasing significantly. In the northeastern regions, above 10 mm/day rainfall shows significantly increasing trend with 0.1% significant level.