National Edu News: AstroSat’s Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope spots rare ultraviolet-bright stars | Parent Interventions: Randomized trials could help to return children safely to schools | Parent Interventions: How fellow students improve your own grades | Parent Interventions: School-made lunch 'better' for children | Teacher Insights: Second Anniversary of India Science, Nation’s OTT Channel | Leadership Instincts: Participation of MGIEP in the Implementation of NEP 2020 | Teacher Insights: World of Puzzling Patterns | Education Information: HKUST Collaborates with Hang Lung to Foster Young Mathematics Talent | Leadership Instincts: Global Environment Outlook 6 Chinese version launched | Leadership Instincts: Peking University academics visits Beijing Representative Office of World Bank | Teacher Insights: U of T prof uses virtual reality to beam engineering lab into students' homes | Science Innovations: AI algorithm that can detect leaks instantly in gas pipeline networks | Parent Interventions: Smacking young children has long-lasting effects | Technology Inceptions: NUS engineers create ‘smart’ aerogel that turns air into drinking water | International Edu News: Free online tool calculates risk of COVID transmission in low ventilated spaces |

May 03, 2019 Friday 03:58:59 PM IST

IISc database of plants

Nature enthusiasts have a reason to cheer. They now have free access to peer-reviewed information on over 10,000 species of plants from peninsular India, thanks to the Digital Flora of Peninsular India, a website developed by IISc’s Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES).The online database draws on the information available in the herbarium - a collection of dried, pressed plant specimens and their associated data - housed at CES. The online database contains comprehensive information about each plant species - its vernacular name, taxonomic description, habitat, geographic distribution, flowering time, conservation status and more. The data has been prepared after extensive ecological surveys. It also features photographs taken from the team’s field trips as well as scanned images of the herbarium specimens. The availability of the database is expected to address issues related to conservation of both plant species as well as habitats.