Abstract: Let us first express our respectful thanks to the founder of Journal Dr. R. C. Dalela, who has entrusted us the responsibility to look after the Processing and Editing of research papers submitted to the Journal of Environmental Biology. We have humbly accepted the responsibility and are committed to follow his footsteps to further enhance the scientific quality and popularity of the Journal of Environmental Biology. Journal's launching: In 1975, there were only a few research Journals available in India to the researchers of Biological Sciences. To cater to the needs of Environmental Biologists, Dr. Dalela mooted the idea of introducing research Journal in 1975 & after a pan India consultation launched the title “Journal of Environmental Biology ” after due registration with the Government of India. The International Editorial Board of Journal was constituted, the Editorial Policy and Guidelines for authors were prepared and the first issue was released on 7th October 1978 in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. Since then, the Journal is being published uninterruptedly in-spite of varied problems and difficulties faced time to time. In the beginning most of the research papers received were from Indian researchers but with passage of time overseas research papers started pouring. Gradually, Journal became a favored choice of the International Scientific Community. From 1978 to 1997, the periodicity of Journal was quarterly and currently, it is bimonthly i.e. six issues in a year. The Journal is sponsored by Dalela Educational Foundation (DEF) - a charitable educational trust. The Journal neither receives any financial grant from Government nor from Non-government organizations. The Journal is independent and financially depends largely upon subscriptions and the publication fees. . Growth and Progress: In 1997, the Registered Office and the secretariat of the Journal was shifted from Muzaffarnagar to Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. The worldwide acceptance of our Journal grew exponentially because of its scientific merit, print quality and its double-blind peer review system. Peer-review system and editing of research papers became more intense and recommendations of reviewers became the sole criterion for publication of research papers. The Marketing & Distribution of the Journal was given to Triveni Enterprises - an educational setup, to make this important task efficient. As the Journal's credibility grew over a period of time, new policies were promulgated to meet the increasing needs of International Scientific community. These are as follows: 1) Website: In 2001, Journal developed its website (www.jeb.co.in), where in all relevant information of the Journal and the published papers were uploaded. Open Access of research papers was made available. 2) R & D Division: In 2008, Journal established its own Research & Development (R & D) division under the guidance of a consultant and scientists to scrutinize all submitted manuscripts for unethical practices and recommend ways to improve quality and scientific merit. Looking to its relevance, the reviewer selection and monitoring of the review process were also handed over to this division. Our reviewers, Editorial Board members and R & D experts voluntarily and generously contribute their expertise to upscale the Journal. We highly value their role. The contributions of the reviewers are appropriately acknowledged by publishing their names in the Reviewer's Panel of the Journal. 3) Digital Object Identifier: Journal took the membership of Crossref in 2016, so as to allot the DOI number to each paper published in the Journal of Environmental Biology. 4) JEB International Awards: In 2018, the Journal introduced “JEB - International Award (IA)” for the best paper published in a calendar year to recognize and appreciate the outstanding research paper published in the Journal. In 2019, the Journal introduced, “Young Researcher Award (YRA)” – another International Award for innovative research paper published by a young research scholar. The papers are evaluated by an International Scientific Committee and the awardees are given “Certificate of Excellence” and cash prizes of USD 500 to IA and USD 200 to YRA, respectively. Scientific Leadership: In September 2020, the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad organized an online training program and the JEB editor was invited as an expert in a panel discussion on "Science of Writing Good Research Papers". Dr. Sumati Gaumat, Editor-JEB based on her vast experience highlighted many short comings normally committed by the young research scholars while writing research papers and what should they do to avoid rejection. COPE Membership: In December - 2020, we have applied for the registration of Journal for the membership of “Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)” to follow the highest standards of ethics for scholarly publication. Year 2020, has been the most challenging and disruptive year for the entire world due to Covid-19 global pandemic. The pandemic and various regulations of the Government to curtail the pandemic have affected the normal working of secretariat. The secretariat is slowly resuming the regular functioning. Our priority now is to enhance efficiency of Editorial office and to clear the backlog of accumulated research papers. Further, we are keen to work with more enthusiasm to attract high level, innovative and impactful researches for publication in the Journal. Future Strategies: We are pleased to share that our current research credibility & acceptance has made the Journal one of the most acceptable International Research Journal for publication of scientific research related to Environmental Sciences and Toxicology. We wish to concentrate on the following in 2021: 1. To seek more active participation of Editors of JEB. 2. To attract more authentic and transparent research for publication. 3. To follow the best publication practices and ethics laid down by COPE for scholarly publication. 4. To accord priority to innovative research. 5. To adopt stricter review and editing systems of papers. We acknowledge the efforts of all the contributors, readers, researchers, scientists and subscribers of the Journal - Libraries, organizations and laboratories for their continued cooperation and support. We also thank the members of the Editorial Board, for rendering their expertise voluntarily to the Journal and also the reviewers for their robust and critical review of papers. The services of Information System Consultant are sincerely acknowledged for supervising the designing and for managing Journal's website. The reputation and popularity of Journal is due to hard and sincere working of the secretariat staff. At last but not the least, we express our highest gratitude to the Managing Editor of the Journal for her constant support and encouragement.

Abstract: The Western Ghats, a range of ancient hills extends between 8° N and 21° N latitude, and 73° E and 77° E longitude(from the tip of peninsular India at Kanyakumari to Gujarat). The Western Ghats runs parallel to the west coast of India, covering approximately 160,000 sq. km, which constitutes less than 5% of India's geographical extent. Numerous streams originate in the Western Ghats, which drain millions of hectares, ensuring water and food security for 245 million people and hence are aptly known as the water tower of peninsular India(Ramachandra and Bharath, 2019; Bharath et al., 2021). The region is endowed with diverse ecological regions depending on altitude, latitude, rainfall, and soil characteristics. The Western Ghats are among the eight hottest hotspots of biodiversity and 36 global biodiversity hotspots with exceptional endemic flora and fauna. Natural forests of Western Ghats have been providing various goods and services and are endowed with species of 4,600+ flowering plants (38% endemics), 330 butterflies (11% endemics), 156 reptiles (62% endemics), 508 birds (4% endemics), 120 mammals (12% endemics), 289 fishes (41% endemics) and 135 amphibians (75% endemics). The Western Ghats, gifted with enormous natural resource potential, and the mandate of sustainable development based on the foundation of prudent management of ecosystems, is yet a reality. Various unplanned developmental programs, which are proclaimed to be functioning on sustainability principles, have only been disrupting the complex web of life, impacting ecosystems, and causing a decline in overall productivity, including four major sectors: forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and water (Ramachandra and Bharath, 2019).The prevalence of barren hilltops, conversion of perennial streams to intermittent or seasonal streams, frequent floods and droughts, changes in water quality, soil erosion and sedimentation, the decline of endemic flora, and fauna, etc. highlights the consequences of unplanned developmental activities with a huge loss to the regional economy during the last century. The development goals need to be ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable, which can be achieved through the conservation and prudent management of ecosystems. Sustainability implies the equilibrium between society, ecosystem integrity, and sustenance of natural resources. Water sustenance in streams and rivers depends on the integrity of the catchment (watershed), as vegetation helps in retarding the velocity of water by allowing impoundment and recharging of groundwater through infiltration (Ramachandra et al., 2020). As water moves in the terrestrial ecosystem, part of it is percolated (recharging groundwater resources and contributing to sub-surface flow during post-monsoon seasons), while another fraction gets back to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration. Forests with native vegetation act as a sponge by retaining and regulating water transfer between land and the atmosphere. The mechanism by which vegetation controls flow regime is dependent on various bio-physiographic characteristics, namely, type of vegetation, species composition, maturity, density, root density and depth, hydro-climatic condition, etc. Roots of vegetation help (i) in binding soil, ii) improve soil structure by enhancing the stability of aggregates, which provide habitat for diverse microfauna and flora, leading to higher porosity of the soil, thereby creating the conduit for infiltration through the soil. An undisturbed native forest has a consistent hydrologic regime with sustained flows during lean seasons. Native species of vegetation with the assemblage of diverse native species help in recharging the groundwater, mitigating floods, and other hydro-ecological processes (Ramachandra et al., 2020; Bharath et al., 2021). Hence, it necessitates safeguarding and maintaining native forest patches and restoring existing degraded lands to sustain the hydrological regime, which caters to biotic (ecological and societal) demands. A comparative assessment of people's livelihood with soil water properties and water availability in sub-catchments of four major river basins in the Western Ghats reveals that streams in catchments with 〉 60% vegetation of native species are perennial with higher soil moisture (Ramachandra et al., 2020). The higher soil moisture due to water availability during all seasons facilitates farming of commercial crops with higher economic returns to the farmers, unlike the farmers who face water crises during the lean season. In contrast, streams are intermittent (6-8 months of water) in catchments dominated by monoculture plantations and seasonal (4 months, monsoon period) in catchments with vegetation cover lower than 30%. The study highlights the need to maintain ecosystem integrity to sustain water. Also, lower instances of COVID 19 in villages with native forests emphasize ecosystems' role in maintaining the health of biota. The need to maintain native vegetation in the catchment and its potential to support people's livelihood with water availability at local and regional levels is evident from the revenue of Rs. Rs.2,74,658 ha-1 yr-1 (in villages with perennial streams and farmers growing cash crops or three crops a year due to water availability), Rs. 1,50,679 ha-1 yr-1 (in villages with intermittent streams) and Rs. 80000 ha-1 yr-1 (in villages with seasonal streams). Also, the crop yield (at least 1.5 to 1.8 times) is higher in agriculture fields due to efficient pollination with the prevalence of diverse pollinators in the vicinity of native forests. The study emphasizes the need for maintaining the natural flow regime and prudent management of watershed to i) sustain higher faunal diversity, ii) maintain the health of water body, and iii) sustain people's livelihood with higher revenues. Hence, the premium should be on conserving the forests with native species to sustain water and biotic diversity in the water bodies, vital for food security. There still exists a chance to restore the lost natural ecosystems through appropriate ecological restoration approaches, with location-specific conservation and management practices to ensure adequate and clean water for all. GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a measure of the current economic well-being of a population, based on the market exchange of material well-being, will indicate resource depletion/degradation only through a positive gain in the economy and will not represent the decline in these assets (wealth) at all. Thus, the existing GDP growth percentages used as yardsticks to measure the development and well-being of citizens in decision-making processes are substantially misleading, yet they are being used. The traditional national accounts need to include resource depletion or degradation due to developmental activities and climate change. The country should move toward adopting Green GDP by accounting for the environmental consequences of the growth in the conventional GDP, which entails monetizing the services provided by ecosystems, the degradation cost of ecosystems, and accounts for costs caused by climate change. The forest ecosystems are under severe threat due to anthropogenic pressures, which are mostly related to the GDP.The appraisal of forest ecosystem services and biodiversity can help clarify trade­-offs among conflicting environmental, social, and economic goals in the development and implementation of policies and to improve the management in order biodiversity.Natural capital accounting and valuation of ecosystem services reveal that forest ecosystems provide (i) provisioning services (timber, fuelwood, food, NTFP, medicines, genetic materials) of Rs 2,19,494 ha-1 yr-1, (ii) regulating services (global climate regulation - carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and soil fertility, water regulation and groundwater recharge, water purification, pollination, waste treatment, air filtration, local climate regulation) of Rs 3,31,216 ha-1 yr-1 and (iii) cultural services (aesthetic, spiritual, tourism and recreation, education and scientific research) of Rs.1,04,561 ha-1 yr-1. Total ecosystem supply value (TESV), an aggregation of provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, amounts to Rs. 6,56,172 ha-1 yr-1, and the Net Present Value (NPV) of one hectare of forests amounts to 16.88 million rupees ha-1. NPV helps in estimating ecological compensation while diverting forest lands for other purposes. The recovery of an ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity, and sustainability is evident from an initiative of planting (500 saplings of 49 native species) in a degraded landscape (dominated by invasive species) of two hectares in the early 1990s at the Indian Institute of Science campus (Ramachandra et al., 2016),and the region has now transformed into a mini forest with numerous benefits such as improvements in groundwater at 3-6 m (compared to 30-40 m in 1990), moderated microclimate (with lower temperature) and numerous fauna (including four families of Slender Loris). While confirming the linkages of hydrology, ecology, and biodiversity, the experiment advocates the need for integrated watershed approaches based on sound ecological and engineering protocols to sustain water and ensure adequate water for all. A well-known and successful model of integrated wetlands ecosystem (Secondary treatment plant integrated with constructed wetlands and algae pond) at Jakkur Lake in Bangalore (Ramachandra et al., 2018) provides insights into the optimal treatment of wastewater and mitigation of pollution. Complete removal of nutrients and chemical contaminants happens when partially treated sewage (secondary treated) passes through constructed wetlands and algae pond (sedimentation pond), undergoes bio-physical and chemical processes. The water in the lake is almost potable with minimal nutrients and microbial counts. This model has been functioning successfully for the last ten years after interventions to rejuvenate the lake. This system is one of the self-sustainable ways of lake management while benefitting all stakeholders - washing, fishing, irrigation, and local people. Wells in the buffer zone (500 m), now have higher water levels and are without any nutrients (nitrate). Groundwater quality assessment in 25 wells in the same region during 2005 (before the rejuvenation of Jakkur Lake) had higher nitrate values. Adopting this model ensures optimal sewage treatment at decentralized levels, and letting treated water to the lake also provides nutrient-free and clean groundwater. The Jal Shakti ministry,the Government of India, through Jal Jeevan Mission, has embarked on the noble and novel mission of providing tap water supply to all rural households and public institutions in villages such as schools, health centers, panchayat buildings, etc. The success of this program depends on the availability of water. The imminent threat of acute water scarcity due to climate changes with global warming necessitates implementing integrated watershed development (planting of native species in the watershed of water bodies), rainwater harvesting (rooftop harvesting at individual household levels, and retaining rainwater in rejuvenated lakes, which also helps in recharge of groundwater) and reuse of wastewater through treatment at decentralized levels (a model similar to Jakkur lake at Bangalore). These prudent management initiatives at decentralized levels throughout the country aid in achieving the goals of providing clean and adequate water to the local community.

Abstract: Insects (Insecta, Arthropoda), undeniably represent the most triumphant group of living organisms, in terms of evolutionary achievement, existing on earth. With over one million described species, they account for more than 75 percent of all known species, and it is estimated that at least 4-5 million insect species still remain undiscovered and undescribed (Stork, 2018). They represent one of the largest components of biodiversity in the world, closely associated with human's wellbeing in different forms like pests, natural enemies, producers of economic products and facilitators of pollination. In contemporary times, despite notable progress in agricultural output and economic prosperity in many regions, the problem of food insecurity persists as a significant concern affecting substantial segments of the global population (Palli, 2022). To cater the food demand of the fast expanding global population, intensive agricultural practices like extensive use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides, greater tillage and irrigation, as well as heavy mechanization are followed. The result is frequent outbreak of phytophagous insect pests along with a rapid decline in the biodiversity of beneficial insects including natural enemies and pollinators. It is estimated that crop losses caused by insects are a major problem in both developed and developing countries, destroying 18 to 20 per cent of the annual crop production globally, having worth over US$ 470 billion (Srivastava and Chakravarty, 2021). Initially, when pesticides were used to control or prevent insect pest outbreaks, the chemicals were often applied as soon as a problem was perceived, without accurate identification of the insect's identity or discovery of why the problem had developed in the first place. This lack of understanding of the cause of outbreak meant that the same problem could reoccur. Sustainable pest management requires a more scientific approach. The first step in this direction is the correct identification of the insect species. Accurate species identification, whether of the pest or its associated natural enemy along with their biological systematic studies provide backbone information for the success of any integrated pest management programme (Chakravarty et al., 2022). Traditional systematics or taxonomy was primarily reliant on morphology-based taxon identification systems. However, the process of morphological identification poses significant challenges in numerous insect taxa, mostly attributable to the absence of dependable diagnostic traits or the presence of cryptic species complexes (Shashank et al., 2022). Moreover, due to a decrease in the number of proficient morpho-taxonomists, specifically those specializing in lesser-known insect groups, there is a need for alternate approaches to species identification. Presently, entomologists are leveraging a wide array of molecular techniques that were previously untapped, while also embracing novel technologies under the paradigm of a "technology-driven revolution" in the field of systematics (Srivastava et al., 2019). Molecular techniques present a highly advantageous strategy for the identification and classification of insects, offering distinct benefits when compared to traditional morphological methods. Over the past twenty years, DNA barcoding has emerged as a swift and dependable technique for the identification of species, thereby revitalizing the field of taxonomic study. It refers to the technique, where short fragment of the conserved mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, the “DNA barcode,” is sequenced from a taxonomically undesignated specimen and comparisons are made with the DNA sequence of species of known origin for establishing a species level identification (Hebert et al., 2003). This approach has been frequently employed in various studies focusing on insects (and other arthropods in general), leading to the identification of previously unknown or cryptic species. Additionally, it has helped identify species complexes and evolutionary significant units, thereby establishing a basis for further comprehensive integrative taxonomic research (Firake and Behere, 2021). DNA barcoding considerably facilitates the monitoring of invasive species, vectors, and economically important endangered and/or endemic arthropod species. Furthermore, the utilization of DNA metabarcoding in ecological and surveillance initiatives has become increasingly prevalent. This approach enables the rapid evaluation of biodiversity in certain geographical regions, as well as the study of arthropod biosystems and communities that would otherwise be inaccessible. In recent times, entomologists in India have efficiently identified various invasive insect pest species, such as the elephant beetle, tomato pinworm, rugose spiralling whitefly, coconut case caterpillar, fall armyworm, and cassava mealy bug, by incorporating molecular systematics either as the sole method or in conjunction with traditional taxonomical tools (Srivastava and Chakravarty, 2021). In addition, there have been endeavours to offer extensive data through molecular characterization and/or DNA barcoding of indigenous organisms that serve as natural enemies and pollinators within diverse agricultural systems of India (Srivastava et al., 2019). A good number of insect genomes, particularly the mitochondrial genome have also been wholly sequenced in the country, including both crop pests and beneficial insects (Firake and Behere, 2021). However, our nation renowned for its exceptional biodiversity, exhibits a mere 3.73% coverage of DNA barcodes for its documented insect species. Notably, the orders Lepidoptera and Hemiptera are the most extensively represented in this limited dataset (Shashank et al., 2022). Such a delay in developing DNA barcode reference libraries for insects will set us back in our efforts to effectively document and preserve our rich biodiversity. The introduction of molecular systematics has also precipitated a revolution in our understanding of intraspecific genetic diversity and population genetic structure of several key insect pest species of agricultural importance in the country, helpful to detect the changes they adapt to overcome hurdles of various selection pressures including insecticides (Chakravarty et al., 2020). A necessity for the development of effective and safe management techniques for a target pest is the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge pertaining to its population structure and dynamics. Despite the emergence of inconsistencies between morphological and molecular phylogenies, as well as conflicting results from different molecular research, the utilization of phylogenomic analysis has proved helpful in resolving numerous controversial connections within insects. Over the past decade, our working group has devoted its research efforts entirely to this particular issue. Based on the molecular characterization with RAPD markers (Deepa and Srivastava, 2011) and COI gene (Chakravarty et al., 2021), phenotyping of immature and adult stages (Chakravarty and Srivastava, 2020; Chakravarty et al., 2023b), and other biological traits (Chakravarty et al., 2019 and 2023a), existence of sub-specific level variations among Helicoverpa armigera populations from diverse agro-ecologies of India has been deciphered. Similar studies for Leucinodes orbonalis (Padwal et al., 2022), Spodoptera litura (Ganguly et al., 2023) and Maruca vitrata (Mahalle et al., 2022) revealed genetic homogeneity for these pest species in the country. Further, Mahalle et al. (2023) have also screened publically accessible expressed sequence tag resources to identify microsatellites and evaluate their suitability as DNA markers for investigating gene flow patterns among populations of M. vitrata from pigeonpea fields throughout India. Molecular systematics has also proven to be a valuable tool in the identification of convergent evolution phenomena, such as the emergence of eusocial behaviours and caste systems among Hymenoptera (Berens et al., 2015); comprehending predator-prey dynamics within trophic food web investigations (Novotny and Miller, 2014), as well as resolving challenges associated with limited specimen availability or local species populations (Deng et al., 2019). Nevertheless, it is important to note that relying solely on molecular analyses to determine the identity of a species or assess population diversity can be precarious. This is due to potential biases introduced by the improper utilization of neighbor-joining trees, fixed distance thresholds, bootstrap resampling, interpretation of the barcoding gap, as well as limitations associated with DNA barcode repositories such as the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) and the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). For instance, in a study conducted by Kvist (2013), it was found that 42% of invasive insects were not included in the BOLD database. Furthermore, the outcomes of phylogenetic analyses can be affected by various factors, such as the occurrence of recent speciation events, the presence of paraphyly, inadequate taxonomy, interspecific hybridization, and the high prevalence of endosymbiotic bacteria like Wolbachia, that hinders the replication or detection of the target sequence from insect specimens during the polymerase chain reaction, as highlighted by Shashank et al. (2022). Therefore, it is recommended that molecular methodologies should be utilized in conjunction with, rather than in lieu of, morphological identification in order to achieve optimal outcomes (Chakravarty et al., 2023b). Last but not the least, a note of appreciation for the “Journal of Environmental Biology” is also appropriate at this juncture. We are pleased to share our research experience and expertise through this editorial in the aforementioned journal, with which we have been affiliated for several years in various roles such as author, reviewer, and editor. This open access journal is notable for its comparatively modest processing charges, which enable researchers to publish their original work at an affordable cost. The enduring anticipation for highly critical reviews has contributed to the continued prominence of this journal within the realm of environmental science and related disciplines. We appreciate the visions of late Professor R.C. Dalela and his dedicated team, who have worked tirelessly over the years to make this journal a valuable resource for the global environmental outlook, with the ultimate aim of promoting societal well-being. Currently, the responsibility of overseeing this journal rests with Dr. Divakar Dalela, the Executive Editor, and Dr. Sumati Gaumat, the Editor, together with their dedicated publication team. They are diligently working towards upholding the international standards of this esteemed journal. We extend our best wishes for the continued success of the journal in the years to come.

Abstract: Aim: Deforestation due to unplanned developmental activities leading to the loss of carbon sequestration capability and the release of stored carbon to the atmosphere has been a prime mover of global warming, with changes in the climate evident from the spatio-temporal changes in the rainfall, increase in temperature, and higher instances of vector-borne diseases. Unregulated land cover changes have necessitated prioritizing ecologically sensitive regions to develop location-specific management strategies. This entails estimating spatio temporal LULC changes using multi-resolution spatial data to understand landscape dynamics, which helps in the prudent management of natural resources. Methodology: The current communication accounts for land use transitions in the Belgaum district, part of central Western Ghats, through classifying spatial data over a temporal scale using a supervised classifier. Ecologically sensitive regions are prioritized by integrating bo-geo-climatic, ecological, hydrologic, and social parameters. Results: Temporal land use analyses reveal a loss of forest cover by 2.99% (90.29 sq km) with an increase in the built-up area during two decades (1989 to 2019 and a decline of contiguous interior forests from 16.26% to 6.77%. Geo-visualisation of likely land uses through a hybrid Fuzzy MCE AHP MCA modeling indicates a further decrease of forest cover of 5.6% by 2029. Hence, it necessitates the conservation of ecologically sensitive regions (ESR) at disaggregated levels. Interpretation: Regions with exceptionally high sensitivity (ESR1) cover 15% of the spatial extent of the district, 27% (52 grids) cover higher sensitivity (ESR2), 52% (99 grids) are high to moderate sensitive (ESR3), and the rest 6% (12 grids) are minimal sensitive (ESR4). Prioritization of the region based on its ecological sensitiveness would facilitate decision-makers in the implementation of effective conservation policies focusing on maintaining the ecological integrity through prudent management of natural resources to support livelihood with the sustenance of natural resources. Key words: Forest fragmentation, Hybrid modeling, Livelihood of people, Land use Land cover, Natural Resource Management

Abstract: The global demand for plastic is increasing year by year due to its indispensable uses and excellent properties. Plastic wastes persist for many years due to their slow deterioration and cause severe environmental problems. Therefore, there is a growing focus worldwide on plastic waste disposal methods to overcome adverse environmental impacts. As plastics are petroleum-based materials, the pyrolysis of plastics to fuel oil, gases, and char, has more concern than the other plastic waste management methods of recycling and landfilling. A yield of 70-80 wt.% of liquid fuel from pyrolysis waste has been reported elsewhere, emerging the importance and aptness of this method in plastic waste management. The common reactor types for the pyrolysis process are batch reactor, semi-batch reactor, spouted bed reactor, and fluidized bed reactor.  The common catalysts employed in plastic pyrolysis were zeolites, including ZSM-5, HUSY, Zeolite X, and Y. The pore structure and the catalyst’s acidity are the most influencing parameters in increasing the liquid yield and the quality of the oil produced in the pyrolysis process. This paper reviews the existing literature on pyrolysis processes developed for HDPE and LDPE wastes globally and their governing factors. Furthermore, emissions in the pyrolysis process and engine combustion of the fuel oil, performance, and emission characteristics were discussed. Although plastic waste separation prior to its management is a challenging process, this review highlights the conversion of waste plastic into energy as a smart way to meet the rising demands.

Abstract: Coral reefs are sensitive to environmental perturbations, and an unprecedented decline in corals has been reported globally as a result of increasing global and local stressors including excessive input of anthropogenic nutrients. This study investigated the effect of land-based sources of nutrients (N and P) associated with sewage, on ocean water quality and the health of corals in Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve in Kenya to inform integrated coastal zone management and ocean governance. A year-long study was conducted to determine water quality according to protocols described in Grasshoff et al. (2007). Coral health status was also monitored using Underwater Visual Census (UVC) to record coral reef ecological parameters. The study area’s temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were within the recommended standards for healthy coral reefs. The study indicated that land-based nutrients, Chlorophyll-a (Chl a) and total suspended solids (TSS), are the key factors affecting corals and could be the reason for the observed coral health, which ranged from fairly healthy to unhealthy. On average, nutrient concentrations were higher than recommended to maintain at least 50% coral coverage. Ammonia was the dominant form of nitrogen ranging from 0.105 to 0.4130 mg/l, while nitrate concentrations were 0.0348-0.0468 mg/l, indicating the possibility of blooming algal species in the area. Total suspended solids were above the recommended values, ranging between 33.5 and 79.3mg/l and Chl a 0.7114 and 1.58 μg/l. The study concluded that land-based nutrient load influenced coral reef health during the study period. It recommends that land-based pollution needs to be addressed as part of a holistic, integrated coastal zone management approach supporting practical, sustainable and legal management of nutrient discharge into the marine environment to preserve the water quality of Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve.

Abstract: The connection between the central dogma of biology [DNA --(Transcription)---› RNA –(Translation)--› Protein] and the 'omics' resources obtained from each molecule are now being exploited by conservation managers to protect biodiversity and ecosystems for sustainable development. Biodiversity doesn't necessarily mean the total number of species, it is more complex and includes genetic diversity within species and the diversity of habitats. Land-use changes, direct harvest, various forms of pollution, and climate change are the biggest threats to biodiversity, most of which are hardly documented at the molecular level to guide conservation actions and stop extinctions. Justifying the plasticity of species adaptability could ensure informed decisions on proposing suitable habitats for species translocations if the current distributional range is disturbed. The 'omics' resources (especially generated by high-throughput RNA and DNA sequencing approaches) have intervened on a larger scale recently to understand species physiology, evolutionary biology and ecology. This has supported enriched information on the evolution and evaluation of adaptive phenotypes in natural populations as well as the mechanism of physiological responses to various environmental perturbations (Alvarez et al., 2015; De Wit et al., 2015; Evans, 2015; Connon et al., 2018). Transcriptomics can unravel unparalleled mysteries in the context of conservation of sensitive and economically important species. Being smaller than genomes and tissue-specific, it reduces the amount of data generated and focuses on candidate gene expressions, understanding a species' response to environmental changes. It gives sufficient scope for studying the biology of a non-model species at the molecular level by de novo assembled transcript generation and annotation involving predicted gene function. Apart from the ontology and homology-based functional annotations, the transcriptomes can also be mined for the discovery of genetic markers such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) vital for assessments of genetic diversity and exploring species from newer habitats. Ultimately, such resources should be effectively integrated into management decisions and policies to contribute towards conservation. Utilization of transcriptome knowledge in conservation remains rare due to unfamiliarity of the interpretation of complex molecular data for managers. Hence, to overcome such a knowledge divide, the physiologists and the data scientists need to build partnerships with regulatory agencies and resource managers to translate transcriptomic evaluations to well-characterized molecular thresholds that can act as sensible markers to predict a species' adaptive plasticity in invoking compensatory mechanisms leading to recovery or non-recovery. Until and unless such conservative benchmarks are designed, the utility of the transcriptomes into management actions and policies seems debated. I have been associated with the Korean threatened species initiative for the past eight years as a researcher. The initiative has prioritized the Illumina HiSeq-based short-read platform for transcriptome generation and the Trinity suite for de novo assembly of clean reads. Further, a locally-curated database known as the PANM database (Protostome DB) has facilitated gene discovery in Red List molluscan and butterfly species of Korea that are threatened of extinction. Mostly, the transcriptomics pipeline adopted under this initiative has cataloged the functional resources in the context of immunity, growth and reproduction of species. Large-scale screening of SSR markers from transcriptome has highlighted the possibility of addressing species richness and diversity in disturbed natural habitats and the feasibility of finding species in newer habitats. This initiative has provided the first report to record ecologically-relevant traits from endangered lycaenid butterflies such as Protantigius superans and Spindasis takanosis and the nymphalid butterfly, Fabriciana nerippe (Patnaik et al., 2015; Hwang et al., 2016). Further, the transcriptome profile of the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia was able to screen new genes to understand the physiological attributes of the wasp enlisted as threatened species in Korea (Patnaik et al., 2016). Among the threatened molluscan species of Korea, the land snails such as Aegista chejuensis and Aegista quelpartensis (Kang et al., 2016), Koreanohadra kurodana (Kang et al., 2016), Satsuma myomphala (Kang et al., 2017) and Ellobium chinense (Kang et al., 2018) were pr ioritized for transcriptome sequencing. The detailed molecular components ascribed to innate immunity pathways were also screened from the transcriptome of a freshwater mussel, Cristaria plicata endangered in Korea (Patnaik et al., 2016) and an air-breathing land slug, Incilaria fruhstorferi (Patnaik et al., 2019). The discovery of the immunity components was useful in drafting a conceptual map of innate immune signaling in molluscs by addressing the putative involvement of the orthologs at different stages of pathway. Such resources are vital for functional genomics applications as they serve to understand the resistance or susceptibility of the host to microorganisms. De novo transcriptome of endangered triton shell, Charonia lampas sauliae identified transcripts that are channel proteins blocked by tetrodotoxin synthesized by symbiotic bacteria inhabiting the shells. Additionally, conotoxin superfamily peptides were discovered that could be synthesized for therapeutic interventions such as anti-cancer and pain-relief agents (Fassio et al., 2019; Yao et al., 2019; Hwang et al., 2021).The transcriptome of endangered diving beetle, Cybister japonicus and endangered dung beetle Copris tripartitus also enriched information on molecular resources including SSR discovery (Hwang et al., 2018; Hwang et al., 2023). With the large-scale availability of 'omics' resources, the threatened species initiative is taking proactive steps to complement local conservation efforts in the country. In India, there is a lack of similar consortium-based initiatives for understanding the local biodiversity of a region. This has restricted access to high-throughput molecular resources from the local biodiversity for meeting the challenges in health, agrifood and the environment. Hence, a consortium such as the National Biodiversity Genomics (NBG) consortium addressing the genome or transcriptome-guided discovery of molecular resources can act as a knowledge hub supporting environmental sustainability (Fig. 1). The consortium will be able to develop expertise in database development, bigdata analysis and bioinformatics, genetic diversity analysis and functional genomics resources. The consortium will also facilitate new opportunities in bigdata science, research-academia-industry partnerships for new product development, entrepreneurship, and outreach activities and invoke a forum for collaborations with International genomics consortiums. Such a consortium will keep the academics interested in the research supporting environmental sustainability with opportunities for workshops/ training, open-learning and modular courses, environmental education programs to encourage local action groups and conservation managers and create avenues for convergence research for resource utilization. Building 'omics' data infrastructure in a consortium to study the conservation of sensitive and economically-important species is needed in the country to invigorate attention on biodiversity conservation. In summary, such a consortium will build large-scale data resources, maximize the impact of national research infrastructure, build scientific capabilities, catalyze scientific collaborations and international linkages, and would accelerate research and translation into industry. I sincerely wish that the reference transcriptome characterization of native flora and fauna would be taken up in a consortium mode to unravel the unparalleled benefits of the resources in multi-dimensional research and development objectives. I am happy to share my research experience and expertise through this editorial on the 'Journal of Environmental Biology (JEB)' platform- a journal that I have been associated with for the last 15 years in different capacities as an author, reviewer, and editor. I appreciate the visions of Professor Dalela and the hardworking team over the years to make this journal a global environmental outlook tool for the benefit of society. Acknowledgment: This research was supported by Korea Basic Science Institute (National research Facilities and Equipment Center) grant funded by the Ministry of Education (2022R1A6C101B794), the National Research Foundation (NRF-2021R1A6A1A03039503 / NRF-2017R1D1A3B06034971) and Soonchunhyang University Research Fund.Further, the authors solicit the support received from the Agreement of Cooperation between Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, India and KNAR, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea.

Abstract: Beacon Sciences is an excellent example of how technology from an American university can be developed and commercialised resulting in applications across multiple industries and a spin-out company utilising the technology in totally new directions for the global marketplace. The pioneering work of renowned scientist, Dr Eric V. Anslyn, has led to new discoveries in the field of chemiluminescence. Financing from a life sciences venture firm, Emergent Technologies, Inc. (ETI), in an agreement with the University of Texas at Austin where the intellectual property was developed, led to the launch of Beacon Sciences and the commercialisation of the company's proprietary ‘glow chemistry’ technology and dye synthesis. The technology has wide-ranging applications, including medical diagnostics, biowarfare detection, molecular tools, environmental monitoring, food and beverage testing, chronic disease monitoring and pre-clinical drug safety testing. Funding and strong technology commercialisation management expertise provided by ETI has already led to Beacon Sciences spawning a spin-out company, Reveal Sciences, which is capitalising on Beacon Sciences technology in innovative applications for the cosmetics and personal care products industries.

Abstract: The concept of sustainable development attained prominence after the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held at Johannesburg in September, 2002. Earlier, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), also known as Brundtland Commission Report (1987), named after its chairperson Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway, had warned the global community on unwise use of natural resources for economic development. It defined sustainable development, “ the development that meets the need of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The report highlighted the fundamental components of sustainable development, environment protection, economic growth and social equity. Much could not be done till September 2015, when 70th session of UN general assembly adopted 17 sustainable goals. These goals together constitute a blue print of development by the people and for the people conceived by active participation of UNESCO. Amongst these, five goals viz. good health and well- being, clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, life below water and life on land, fall under the ambit of toxicology. National Toxicology Program (NTP) that was established by US Department of Health and Human Services in 1978 with its headquarters at National Institute of Environment Health Sciences, administers a unique collaboration between several federal agencies to develop new ways to test adverse effects of substances on human health. This program is known as Toxicology in 21st century (Tox- 21) (http://tox21.gov). The Tox21 collaboration was formalized in 2008 through a MOU between the National Institutes of Health, NTP, National Chemical Genomics Centre and the National Centre for Computation Toxicology. FDA joined Tox21 in 2010.The goal of Tox 21 is to research, develop, evaluate and translate innovative test methods that will better predict the effects of chemicals on human and environment health. The new focus areas include – development of expanded portfolio of alternative test systems to predict human toxicity, to address limitations of in vitro test systems, to curate the legacy of in-vivo testing, to establish confidence in in-vitro test systems. Excellent job has been done by Toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast). Through robotic screening system housed at NCATS, toxicologists are screening 10.000 environmental chemicals for their potential to cause toxicity (www.ncats.nih.gov). Toxicology is also contributing to Planetary Health initiative launched by Lancet (2015). The European Union (EU) has introduced a regulation – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) by legislation in 2007. Other programs that address the goal of good health and well being include, International Program on Chemical safety (IPCS), Inter-organization Program for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOSMC), Inter-government forum for Chemical Safety (IFCS),Health and Environment Linkage Initiative (HELI), Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM) and Global Chemical Outlook. The next goal of clean water and sanitation is addressed by regulatory toxicology through Clean Water Act (1972; amended 1977, 1978, 1987), Safe Drinking Water act (1974, amended in 1977, 1986, 1996) and Water Quality Act of 1987. In India, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1974) addresses this issue. The sub-discipline of aquatic toxicology nicely embraces this particular goal of sustainable development. Decent work or safe work environment is directly associated with human health. Science of toxicology considers it under another sub-discipline, i.e., occupational health/ industrial health or hygiene. Agencies like Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and International Labour Organization (ILO) have enacted suitable laws/ regulations to safeguard human health. Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA, 1976) remains to be the most powerful act. In India, National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), an ICMR institute located at Ahemdabad, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) located at Lucknow and Factory Advice Service Labour Institute (FASLI) Mumbai, are contributing to sustainable development through their commitment to safe work environment. Universities in India and abroad do teach occupational toxicology, thus generating a good human resource to work for sustainable development. Next goal, i.e., life below water is covered by aquatic toxicology. This discipline by definition is the study of the effects of chemicals and other anthropogenic and natural materials on aquatic organisms and ecosystems. The concepts of eco-magnification or bio-magnification emerged from aquatic toxicology. A toxicologist understands that life below water is vulnerable to toxins. Famous episodes related to aquatic toxicology include acid rain, toxic oil syndrome and contamination of water bodies with pesticides, heavy metals, TCDD and phenols. Therefore, the powerful acts like Federal Insecticides Fungicides and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and TSCA have been enacted to deal with health issues raised by the presence of hazardous materials in water. Accidental release of hydrocarbons in sea and their effects on flora and fauna have been studied by toxicologists. Efforts are being made to restore ecosystems like Great Barrier Reefs. Sustainability of life on land is a big issue. It includes- animal toxicology, plant toxicology, wild life toxicology and veterinary toxicology. Eco-toxicological problems, soil contamination by chemicals, air pollution, solid waste pollution and bio hazards, fall under the scope toxicology. Clean Air Act (1970, amended in 1974, 1977, 1990 ) and Central Air Pollution Control and Prevention Act (1981), Wild Life Protection Act (1972) are available to safe guard life on land. The foregoing paragraphs establish a link between toxicology and sustainable development. It offers an opportunity to ponder that principles of environment management viz. environmental impact assessment (EIA), environmental auditing, Environmental Impact Assessment and risk assessment - need to be supplemented with toxicological assessment/ monitoring of exposure to chemical hazards ( Rana ,2018 , Everyman Science.,103,373-380).Quantitative concepts, i.e., NOEL, LOEL, PEI, BEI etc., need to be introduced in parameters that monitor sustainable development. Putting toxicological inputs into the selected goals of sustainable development will help in making our planet chemically safe. In other words, multiphase science of toxicology too, is a partner of other sciences that are working towards sustainable development. Efforts being made by Journal of Environment Biology in encouraging the activities related to sustainable development deserve profound appreciation. It is my proud privilege to describe, in brief, my association with Journal of Environmental Biology since its inception in 1980. I am a witness to its journey of 42 years and persistent growth. There were no computers at that time and publication of a journal was an ardous task. I have seen its Editor-in-chief Dr. R. C. Dalela devoting most of his time and energy to the regular publication of journal. With the increase in the reputation of journal, number of foreign contributors also increased and it succeeded in becoming an international journal. Today, it is very popular amongst Asian Environmental Biologists. Special issues on a particular theme were also published from time to time. It encouraged the young scientists by awarding them JEB Award every year. Dr. R. C. Dalela Oration Lectures were also organised under the aegis of this journal. It was enlisted as online journal in 1988 and continues to maintain the same status even today. Its h index today is 48. This all could be possible due to tremendous energy and efforts put by Dr. R. C. Dalela in this journal. I fondly cherish my association with Dr. R. C. Dalela, as his student and with JEB as a contributor, the member of its editorial board, research advisor and editor of special volume(s). My articles published in this journal achieved good citations. I must appreciate the present Editor of Journal, Dr. Sumati Gaumat and her publication team for their efforts in maintaining the standard of this journal. I wish it all success in coming years