A long term study of warblers in the Himalayas reveals a surprising contrast in the effects of warm springs as opposed to warm summers on a signaling trait, emphasizing the need to consider year-round influences of the environment on morphological variation.

The complete genome sequence of 5.77 Mb is reported for Paenibacillus sp. strain IHBB 10380, isolated from the cold desert area of the northwestern Himalayas and exhibiting amylase and cellulase activities. The gene-coding clusters predicted the presence of genes for hydrolytic enzymes in the genome.

This paper gives a synthesis of this special issue on the sensitivity to climate change of the main bio-physical processes in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayas. It also describes the impacts on the water resources with a special focus on the Ganges. Consequences of changes in water resources and possible adaptation measures for different sectors are discussed.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Predation potential of the dytiscid beetle, Rhantus sikkimensis Regimbart 1899 and the larvae of Toxorhynchites splendens Wiedemann 1819 occurring along with the larval stages of the mosquitoes in the annual lentic water bodies of Darjeeling was evaluated using the larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say 1823 as preys, in the laboratory under simulated natural conditions....

To quantitatively evaluate the effect of carbonaceous aerosols on the south edge of the Tibetan Plateau, aerosol samples were collected weekly from August 2009 to July 2010 at Qomolangma (Mt. Everest) Station for Atmospheric and Environmental Observation and Research (QOMS, 28.36 N, 86.95 E, 4276 m a.s.l.). The average concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-solub...

More than 350 new species, including a flying frog and the world's smallest deer, as well as a new species of primate, have been discovered in the eastern Himalayas in recent years, according to a new report from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). But this biodiversity is now threatened by climate change, it warns. The report has been published ahead of the key climate change meeting in Copen...