The Rainforest Initiative Certification™
Resource Portal for the Rainforest Ecologist™
The certification allows you to distinguish and select products that contribute toward a better future for people and planet. The Rainforest Initiative works with all producer organisations, traders, and manufacturers of agricultural goods. We emphasize and check on responsible and ethical sourcing of agricultural products, on the treatment of workers and the environment. We encourage people to go for reusable and subsequently recyclable products.Research at The Rainforest Initiative
The Rainforest Initiative has launched and executed a number of research projects in different parts of the Western Ghats and southern India. Based on the results of this research, The Rainforest Initiative designs and implements conservation programs. The Rainforest Initiative believes in reaching out with the results of its research and conservation to a wider audience encompassing the scientific fraternity, policy-makers, and the public, to bring about awareness and catalyse action needed to conserve India's rainforest flora and fauna. The work of The Rainforest Initiative has resulted in a number of publications in international peer-reviewed journals
Feeding habits of the bonnet macaques
Understanding the extent of intraspecific variation in primate diets is important because of the many insights it can provide into evolutionary and ecological influences on feeding behavior. It was in this context that the feeding habits of the bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) were chosen for a short-term study.
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Geophagy (soil eating) in the bonnet macaques
Bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) in the Marakkanam Reserved Forest of southern India consume termitaria soils. Samples from the ingested termite mounds are compared with samples taken from the surrounding uneaten soils in an attempt to determine why the termitaria soils are eaten.
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Phyto-ecology of the lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) habitats in southern India
In this study, the habitat quality of the lion-tailed macaque with special reference to the food-species richness and density. 48 Transects (250x10 meters each) was laid in the entire lion-tailed macaque habitat (720x40 km2). This study tries to look at the monkeys from the vegetation's point of view.
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Phenological observations in the rainforests of southern India
Phenology of 584 trees from 129 woody plant species was monitored in Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka for a period of 2 years, from 1997 to 1998. The presence/absence of vegetative and reproductive parts were recorded from 2 to 12 trees per species in two trails of 4 km and 12 km respectively.
Status and distribution of the "Hanuman langurs" in southern India
A survey, covering 8,000 km2, on the Hanuman langurs (Semnopithecus spp.) was conducted in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. This study was initiated due to the sub-species of Semopithecus entellus being made into 8 different species. This survey concentrated on Semnopithecus hypoleucos found in the Madikeri area of Karnataka.