The National Biodiversity Centre is pleased to share the Structured Internship Program Guideline for efficient and impactful internship experiences at the Centre. We hope that this guideline will help the Centre to impart and improve the knowledge and skills of our youths on biodiversity conservation.
Category: Biodiversity News
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International Biodiversity Day
Coinciding to International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May 2020, National Biodiversity Centre is please to release new publication on ‘Characterization Catalogue and Pictorial Varieties Descriptions on Traditional Paddy Varieties (oryza sativa) Conserved in the National Crop Genebank.
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Two new species of snails discovered from Bhutan
A team comprising of officials from the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), Serbithang, Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research (UWICER), Bumthang, and the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, the Netherlands published two snail species new to science in ZooKeys in April 2020 (https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/49987/). Two Erhaia species described from Bhutan are Erhaia jannei Gittenberger & Stelbrink and Erhaia pelkiae Gittenberger & Gyeltshen. The species are confirmed using DNA sequencing along with morphological descriptions.
Both the species were discovered from brooklet with a prayer wheel along the road in Geneykha, Thimphu in 2018. The specimens are deposited at the National Invertebrate Repository Centre, NBC (NBCB 1058; NBCB 1059, NBCB 1060). Shells of Erhaia jannei are obliquely ovoid, with 3½-4 convex, shouldered whorls that are separated by a deep suture; clearly higher than broad; yellowish brown with fine irregular growth lines and some blackish brown periostracal ridges, one of which runs from the apertural columellar border into the umbilicus. Shells of Erhaia pelkiae are elongated ovoid, with 3½ convex, shouldered whorls that are separated by a deep suture; clearly higher than broad; light yellowish brown with fine growth lines and some brown periostracal ridges.
The publication also reported another snail species, Tricula montana for the first time from Bhutan (Lhuentse and Mongar). The identification key for the Erhaia species in the Himalayan foothills is also presented in the article. This discovery is the one of the result from the national invertebrate project coordinated by the NBC with UWICER and Naturalis. The project is funded by the National Geographic Society, BTFEC and Royal Government of Bhutan.
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Training on botanical surveys of endemic, rare and threatened plant species
National Biodiversity Centre is conducting a three day training workshop on botanical surveys of endemic, rare and threatened plant species from 23rd to 25th December 2019 at City Hotel Thimphu. The participants are mostly from the Protected Areas and some from Territorial Divisions under the Department of Forest and Park Services, Department of Traditional Medicines Services, interns from College of Nature Resources and National Biodiversity Centre.
The training workshop includes survey methodologies, sampling designs, data collections, data analysis using ecological software – PCORD for endemic, rare and threatened plant species. Also, the participants will be introduced to ABS – Access and Benefit Sharing Regimes in the country which is very important to consider during botanical survey conduction. The other talks such as concept on rarity, Red List assessment, herbarium techniques, use of mobile, citizen science and GIS in data collections and analysis which are keys to botanical surveys will also be included.
The training workshop is conducted with the support from the Bhutan for Life Project with the Centre.