India, May 22 -- The Central Ridge of Delhi, an offshoot of the Aravalli Hills covering 864 hectares (ha), is located barely 300 metres away from the Presidential Estate of India. This hilly mosaic of tropical dry forest, grasslands, streams and rocky outcrops has been historically beset by a range of human interventions, starting with large-scale planting of the vilayati kikar(Neltuma juliflora) during the early 20th century. This foreign tree spread invasively over the Central Ridge and left the native forest restricted to tiny fragments.

Through the mid-20th century, the Central Ridge saw numerous encroachments in the form of roads, sports facilities, and buildings, due to the escalating demand for land. Some sections of the forest we...