A5088276832- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Cassava research and cyanide
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Plant and animal studies
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Orthoptera Research and Taxonomy
- Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy
- Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Studies
- Conservation Techniques and Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Forest ecology and management
- Forest Management and Policy
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
Texas A&M University
2019-2025
Michigan State University
2024-2025
Mitchell Institute
2023
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
2019-2021
Abasaheb Garware College
2015-2018
Fergusson College
2014-2016
Anusandhan Trust
2016
Significance The idea that grasslands can be ancient, particularly in climates also support forests, is not widely recognized. Consequently, scientists and conservation planners often misinterpret old-growth to low-diversity, successional vegetation, from which little lost through conversion tillage agriculture or tree plantations. We used a global analysis of herbaceous plant communities show after are destroyed, the recovery diversity requires hundreds thousands years. Such slow rates...
Understanding relationships among grass traits, fire, and herbivores may help improve conservation strategies for savannas that are threatened by novel disturbance regimes. Emerging theory, developed in Africa, emphasizes functional traits of savanna grasses reflect the distinct ways fire grazers consume biomass. Specifically, trade-offs related to flammability palatability predict highly flammable species will be unpalatable, while palatable impede fire. We quantified six culm leaf 337...
Plant functional traits are fundamental to ecosystem dynamics and Earth system processes, but their global characterization is limited by the availability of field surveys trait measurements. Recent expansions in biodiversity data aggregation, including large collections vegetation surveys, citizen science observations, measurements, offer new opportunities overcome these constraints. Here we demonstrate that combining diverse sources with high-resolution observation enables accurate...
Abstract Biodiversity of tropical grasslands and savannas (tropical grassy biomes, TGBs) remains poorly documented compared with forests. This is in part due to the misplaced notion TGBs being anthropogenic forest derivatives that support negligible biodiversity endemism. For Indian savannas, legacy colonial forestry has led their misinterpretation as wastelands low conservation value. One key assumption underlying devaluation against forests presumed absence endemic species. Through a...
Abstract The consequences of land‐use change for savanna biodiversity remain undocumented in most regions tropical Asia. One such region is western Maharashtra, India, where old‐growth savannas occupy a broad rainfall gradient and are increasingly rare due to agricultural conversion afforestation. To understand the change, we sampled herbaceous plant communities three alternative types: tree plantations, tillage agriculture fallows ( n = 15 sites per type). Study spanned 457 1954 mm mean...
Woody plant encroachment is a pervasive global driver impacting grassland structure and functioning, we know very little about efficacies of management techniques for restoring woody plant‐encroached tropical grasslands. In the Banni grasslands India, which are extensively encroached by an invasive legume, Prosopis juliflora , test two methods—mechanical removal lopping—to restore native Across eight sites in Banni, using randomized block design, monitored herbaceous recovery treatments,...
Grassland restoration efforts typically aim to recover lost biodiversity, guided by biologically diverse old‐growth grasslands as a benchmark. In most grasslands, forbs greatly outnumber grasses in terms of richness and therefore contribute diversity, but globally, practitioners continue disproportionately focus on increasing perennial grass cover. While such grass‐centric approaches might be appropriate for meeting some goals, an number studies reveal negative effects cover forb total plant...
Abstract We monitored native forest regeneration over 11 y in a eucalyptus plantation and compared it with the neighbouring primary forest. For forest, we hypothesized that species richness, density, basal area densities of old-growth would increase time, to have higher richness but lower species. In 2016, repeated protocol study sampled 2005, thirty 10 × 10-m plots enumerating trees (≥10 cm diameter), saplings (>1 <10 diameter) seedlings (<1 diameter). for trees, density gap,...
<p>The present study was aimed at determining the vascular plant species richness of an urban green-space- Fergusson College campus, Pune and comparing it with results past flora which documented in 1958 by Dr. V.D. Vartak. For this, data obtained both secondary sources intensive surveys from 2009–2014. The primary resulted documentation 812 belonging to 542 genera under 124 families, 534 (65.8%) exists today as compared 654 (net loss 120 species). Of listed, 278 were observed only...
The fact that plant spatial aggregation patterns shape insect herbivore communities in a variety of ways has resulted large body literature on the subject. landmark resource concentration hypothesis predicts density insect-herbivores per will increase as host increases. I examined this prediction across temporal samplings using Jatropha nana and associated specialist system. Through 12 field samplings, modelled effect insect-herbivore loads. initial (2–3) provided evidence for with loads...
In the present communication, we resurrect E. khandallensis and synonymize panchganiensis under it owing to overlap of distinguishing characters, as inferred from literature first hand observations. We further provide an amended description along with critical notes on its taxonomy distribution.
The Vetal Hill complex, an urban green space, is located in the heart of city Pune, India. aim present work was to evaluate total species lost prior 1997 as well record new additions flora. most recent flora this hill complex has been used a central reference. Past published records and herbaria data were consulted for plants that have not recorded opportunistic visits made hills resulted study disclosed loss 84 from (54 reported along with 30 mentioned earlier literature) over period more...
Within Magnoliales, Annonaceae is the most species-rich family (Chatrou et al. 2012). Miliusa Leschenault ex De Candolle (1832: 213) placed in tribe Miliusae, subfamily Malmeoideae, according to recent infrafamilial classification Chaowasku (2014) provided insights into evolutionary relationships of and & Keßler (2013) reconstructed phylogeny with four well-supported clades. distributed across Austro-Malesian region species exhibiting a restricted distribution certain areas (Mols Kessler...
Jatropha nana is an endemic and threatened taxon with restricted distribution. A lectotype for this name designated in the present communication. var. benghalensis was recently described as a new variety based on stipule morphology size of root. On examining specimens from type locality, these characters were found to be but also variable. Hence, J. proposed now synonym nana. critical taxonomic treatment species provided along notes anthropogenic threats around locality.
Global and Indian long-term ecological research The Fergusson College initiative Potential insights from an urban biodiversity network
Trissolcus jatrophae Rajmohana et al. 2011, a parasitoid wasp has been observed to parasitize hemipteran eggs laid on Jatropha nana Dalzell & Gibson (Euphorbiaceae) growing in Pune city, Maharashtra. In the present communication, this reported for first time new host plant species, and occurrence of also forms distributional record.
The Spotted Owlet Athene brama is a common nocturnal raptor widely distributed in the Indian Subcontinent and neighbouring regions. Though subject to some studies, there only fragmentary data available on its behaviour. Hence, we undertook study an urban habitat construct comprehensive behavioural ethogram of species. A pair Owlets with two juveniles was observed near their nesting site Fergusson College campus, Pune. Following focal animal sampling method, owlets were for 303 hrs (89 nights...
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This study was aimed at assessing the richness and obtaining allied ecological data of harvested rice fields two sites around town Lonavala, northern Western Ghats, India. A total ten were sampled (five each site) using quadrate method for five post-harvest months. 82 species observed belonging to 74 genera 31 families with Poaceae being dominant family. Flora on bunds field proper dissimilar. The natives dicots outnumbered exotics monocots respectively, a gradual decline in from December...