Members

I am an ecologist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore. My research investigates the linkages between climate, vegetation and disturbance, as well as relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functions. My work aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying the distribution, structure and function of savannas and grasslands worldwide. My lab investigates how interactions and feedback among climate, biogeochemistry, fires and herbivory influence the structure, composition and stability of ecosystems, along with the cycling and sequestration of nutrients. We also examine how projected changes in climate, such as increasing rainfall variability, higher frequency of droughts, heightened aridity in the tropics, nutrient deposition, and rising CO2  levels, impact ecosystem functions, stability and services.

I am currently working on the legacy effects of woody species invading native grasslands in the Shola-Grassland matrix in Upper Nilgiris. My interest primarily lies in observing how plant communities react to changes stimulated or accelerated by anthropogenic factors. Fungi, their functioning and their relationships with plants also intrigue me endlessly. The idea is to bring ever better understanding to these lifeforms/systems and ultimately affect policy for their better.

Out of ecological work, I enjoy listening to rap, obsessing over football, and getting influenced by political ideologies unequivocally rooted in empathy. I sometimes write as well. 

My research interests are in tropical forest ecology, plant-animal interactions and restoration ecology. I am passionate about understanding how the structure and functioning of forests are impacted by human-driven changes and how they can be restored. My PhD research aims to understand how plant recruitment barriers are altered through degradation and subsequent restoration of forests and its impact on community composition and function. Apart from chasing animals and observing plants as a wildlife scientist, I am a Bharatanatyam dancer and I enjoy painting.

My research interests broadly revolve around tropical forest ecology and plant-frugivore interactions. For my PhD, I am interested in examining mechanisms that structure deciduous and Dipterocarp-dominated evergreen forests that closely co-occur in the Andaman Islands. Outside of research, I enjoy sketching, snorkeling, and am always on the lookout for mustelids and forest seeds.

I'm happiest under a rainforest canopy. I'm interested in understanding the impacts of drought and rainfall seasonality on the carbon cycle in South-Asian forests and Savannas. My work is based in the long-term forest and savanna monitoring project LEMoN, which has been collecting data on the carbon cycle in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and the Andaman Islands. My thesis is centered around how water stress changes the carbon dynamics and demography in different forest systems in India, and how tree species with different traits deal with such water stress. I'm fascinated by how forests function and how different types of trees manage to survive and thrive, and I enjoy thinking about the mechanisms that allow them to do so.

I am interested in plant-animal interactions, particularly those involving animals consuming plants, and how nutrient and resource heterogeneity affects these interactions. At the BEER lab, I have been examining how invasive trees impact these interactions in montane grasslands. I prefer working in open (preferably dry) ecosystems so that I don't have to look up while trying to see a bird. Beyond science, I enjoy wild adventures, documenting life through photography and looking at maps.

My research focuses on the impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning within montane ecosystems. I am deeply passionate about biological sciences, particularly in the fields of ecology, climate change, environmental studies, marine ecosystem and data analysis. In my free time, I enjoy travelling, designing and playing football.

Currently, I am investigating the correlation between leaf and root traits in Indian grasses and exploring their roles in drought tolerance. My broader research interests lie in ecology and evolution, with a particular focus on studying biodiversity, ecological interactions, and population dynamics. Beyond this, I enjoy playing a wide range of sports, including basketball, football, and volleyball. In my leisure time, I also appreciate relaxing with anime, manga, and novels.

I am currently working on the LTEO project to examine the Carbon and Nitrogen in the soil and leaf samples. I enjoy playing sports and listening to music. In the long run, I would like to work as a teacher.

I am broadly interested in plant pathology, soil science, and climate-resilient agriculture, with a focus on how plants respond to environmental stressors. Currently, I work at the BEER lab, NCBS, studying the sensitivity of Indian forests to drought and temperature extremes through long-term ecological monitoring in the Eastern Ghats. My research lies at the intersection of plant physiology, ecosystem ecology, and restoration science, exploring how functional traits shape plant resilience under changing climates. Outside of research, I enjoy watching movies in theatres, playing football, and travelling. Whether studying forest dynamics in the field or exploring new landscapes, I find inspiration in how nature adapts, endures, and connects us all. 

I am a postdoc fellow at NCBS working on a collaborative project between NCBS and the Centre for Pastoralism (CfP). The project looks at soil carbon between grazed land and afforested grasslands. Since the tree-planting drives against global warming are gaining momentum and taking over arid grasslands predominantly used by pastoralists, the project aims to study the efficacy of these drives in sequestering carbon. Our work spans the grasslands of the Himalayas, Thar, and the Deccan Plateau.

For my PhD, I studied biodiversity (birds and plants) in the understory of invasive tree stands on the mountaintops of the Western Ghats. 

I also illustrate, primarily, birds. 

I am passionate about understanding the evolutionary origins of plants and the processes that shape their diversity. My PhD research focuses on the evolutionary history, phylogenetic diversity, and climate change vulnerability of woody plants in the dry biomes of the Indian subcontinent, including dry deciduous forests, savanna, thorn scrub, and dry evergreen forests. I study the divergence history and biogeographic patterns of these species to better understand how future climate may impact their phylogenetic diversity and alter the structure and resilience of these ecologically unique and understudied ecosystems.

I am broadly interested in how global change drivers such as climate change, herbivory, and nutrient addition shape plant functional traits and grassland community composition. Currently, I conduct research using both a long-term climate change experiment and a nutrient addition experiment in India. My work focuses on how snowmelt, rising temperatures, herbivore grazing, and nutrient inputs influence grassland communities and their functional traits, and how these changes affect species- and community-level responses in insect herbivory and fungal damage. When I am not glued to my laptop analysing data, you will probably find me with a sketchbook in hand, painting nature, doodling wildlife, or trying to learn how to swim (I’m slowly getting better, but there’s still more splash than grace!)

I'm interested in studying grassland structure and functioning. As a part of my PhD I am trying to understand the traits affecting drought tolerance in grasses across broad climatic gradients and understanding the physiological and anatomical traits affecting drought tolerance of grasses. I am also looking at the factors governing the distribution of grasses across different biogeographic zones of India.

I work as the site coordinator for the Sirsi plots. I am interested in studying rainforest carbon dynamics in the Western Ghats.

I am a research scholar with a broad interest in landscape ecology and vegetation dynamics. I am interested in understanding how various patterning drivers influence the structure of the forest-grassland mosaic under the influence of invasives and climate change. Outside of research, I enjoy playing badminton and exploring the art of origami.

I am a plant ecophysiologist interested in how plants deal with climate change-related stresses. My work focuses on understanding water use strategies in coexisting tropical tree species, especially in environments where water is limited in time and space. Outside research, I focus on teaching, mentoring, and promoting research-based learning in higher education.

I am the oldest BEER lab member - check the odometer if you'd like. With a 2.0-litre turbo engine, I flatten mountains, cut through deep water, and occasionally drift on dusty terrain. I have worked extensively on the LTEO and LEMON projects. If you are reading this, tell Mahesh I need a new paint job.

Originally trained as a geologist, my interest in angiosperm evolution developed over time. My PhD was mainly focused on constructing the paleobiogeographic and divergence history of tropical angiosperms in response to the Plate tectonics and change in global climatic conditions. My research work seeks to establish that the present Southeast Asian lowland tropical rainforests initially developed in Africa around 102 million years ago. These rainforests moved and became dominant on the Indian Plate after the plate drifted into the perhumid equatorial region during its northward journey, and finally spread to Southeast Asia post India-Asia collision. Currently, I am investigating the coevolutionary history of Madagascar endemic plant family Sarcolaenaceae and their dispersing agents based on their fossil recovery in India.

I am broadly interested in studying the linkages between global environmental changes, plant-animal (and sometimes, microbe) interactions and ecosystem processes. I swing between being very interested in questions of the fundamental kind, and being completely disillusioned by them! I predominantly work in grasslands of the Himalaya and the trans-Himalaya but am easily fascinated by other ecosystems and landscapes. My current work aims to dig deeper (pun intended!) into understanding grazing ecosystems across India better, including examining the effects of climatic changes. I have also had some really fun recent collaborations across a wide-range of questions and ecosystems.

Outside of research, I equally enjoy playing squash, occasionally baking bread, struggling with my guitar, reading, and just lying in a hammock under a tree sipping a cold beer. 

I am very much passionate about the Biodiversity and Conservation of the natural vegetation of Western Ghats, India, which is the need of the hour as we advance in protecting our forest and its natural resources, which act as a carbon sink, to overcome the problems associated with the climate change which could potentially make it inhabitable for any life forms on earth in the near future. I currently work at NCBS-TIFR, Bengaluru, as a program manager based in Ponnampet, Kodagu, overseeing an NCBS forest property for long-term ecological monitoring and conservation of the local biodiversity for scientific research.

I am an ecologist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, where I serve as the Director of the Wildlife Biology and Conservation Program. I am a community and ecosystems ecologist. My research interests include the history, ecology, function and conservation of tropical savannas, forests and grasslands. I am especially interested in approaches that understand South Asian ecosystems as coupled human-natural ecosystems that need to be managed to simultaneously conserve their biodiversity, ecosystem functionality and the human livelihoods and cultures that they support.

I am a plant ecologist and computer scientist. I am Interested in all things plants, especially how tropical forests and savannas are structured and how resilient they are to climate change. I am helping establish a new long-term ecological research network with a 100-year vision!

Plant community ecologist interested in using ecological principles to restore native ecosystems. Particularly interested in how plants establish and persistent in diverse communities. 

As a botanist, I specialize in plant taxonomy with a focus on angiosperms and bryophytes. I was part of the LTEO Grassland project, where I contributed to establishing permanent grassland monitoring plots. My research aims to provide valuable insights into the forces regulating grassland dynamics, spatial and temporal species richness changes, and the impacts of invasive species and climate change. Outside of my work, I enjoy bird watching, cooking, and baking. 

All about open ecosystems is fascinating to me, but my primary interest lies in understanding the response of grasslands and savannas to changes in climate, fire and human activities. In the lab, I worked on the Long Term Ecological Observatory (LTEO) project, which gave me the opportunity to explore the vast diversity of Indian grasslands. I love to combine field sampling with remote sensing methods to study and understand our landscapes better! 

As a GHG auditor, I specialize in assessing GHG emissions and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts by working on the conservation of tropical forests. My primary focus is on REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) projects, where I play a key role in ensuring these initiatives are effectively reducing carbon emissions. Through rigorous audits, I evaluate forest management practices, monitor deforestation rates, and assess the impact of conservation efforts on carbon sequestration. My work supports the development of sustainable forest management strategies, helping to preserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change in tropical regions.

I obtained a Master’s degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and Centre for Wildlife Studies in 2006, a PhD in Biology from NCBS in 2015, and completed postdoctoral assignments at NCF and Columbia University, USA, during 2016-19. I conduct research on biodiversity, forest dynamics, and carbon cycling and lead rainforest restoration efforts in the Western Ghats. More information here: https://www.ncf-india.org/author/675623/anand-osuri-2

I am interested in ecosystem-scale patterns and processes, particularly in scaling up individual behaviour to understand ecosystem functions. So far, my research interests have been as eclectic and all over the place as I am in daily life, ranging from the feeding ecology of amphibians and the population ecology of carnivores to predator-derived nutrient dynamics in coral reefs. My current work focuses on understanding responses of rangelands to local and global changes. I also work on long-term ecological monitoring of Indian grasslands and savannas. When I’m not staring at my laptop screen or mixing reagents in the lab, you can find me reading, belting out bathroom ballads, chatting nonsense with anyone who’ll indulge me, or chilling with a cold beer and great company. 

Molecular Ecology, Paleoecology

My research interests include community and ecosystem ecology, community forest management, and ecological history. My PhD research focused on examining the role of climate and humans in the structure and function of forest-grassland mosaic ecosystems in the southern Western Ghats, India. During my association with ATREE as a Post-doctoral fellow and then as a faculty, I established long term in-situ experiments in tropical savanna ecosystems to investigate the role of grazing and fire in grassland diversity and productivity. My ongoing research focuses on understanding the role of fire and grazing in the structure and function of tropical savanna ecosystems and the socio-ecological drivers of privately owned and community-managed tropical forest ecosystems in central and coastal India. 

During my time at the lab, I worked on restoring woodland savanna and dry deciduous forest landscapes impacted by Lantana camara, and monitoring native plant recovery in restored areas. Since then, I have worked in environmental consulting on projects across Canada, documenting the potential impacts of various development proposals on species at risk and their habitats. I currently provide science and policy advice to Ontario's provincial natural heritage resource management programs.

I am an ecologist who enjoys using an interdisciplinary approach to explore and address challenges posed by the dynamism between the environment and society. Before joining Krea University, I was an Assistant Professor of Human Ecology at School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University. I obtained a PhD from Manipal University, a Master's from Pondicherry University, and an undergraduate degree from Madras University.

Population Ecology, Herbivore Ecology

I am currently working on reconstructing the prehistory of early food production strategies in Arunachal Pradesh. My theoretical framework incorporates linguistics, plant evolutionary history and biogeography to disentangle potential past domestication events in key food plants. I am otherwise interested in documenting and describing endangered languages of Arunachal, reptile taxonomy and ethnobotany. when not busy doing science I'm busy making music, writing, rock climbing, cycling or cooking. 

I am currently working on socio-cognition and, specifically, the theory of mind development and natural contexts in which hunter-gatherers use theory of mind. My interests like in sociocognition and how is it affected by socioecological factors like schooling. I am also extremely interested in human cultural evolution and dissecting into potential evolutionary origins for universal human cultural features like music production and perception

I have been responsible for developing and testing protocols and subsequently establishing and monitoring a large-scale, replicated warming experiment to look at the effects of future climate change on community and ecosystem dynamics of alpine grasslands across elevations in Sikkim. I plan to leverage the experimental warming setup I helped establish in Sikkim for my PhD research, which will look at the effects of warming on species diversity, composition, productivity, and phenology of alpine grasslands in the region. Currently, I serve as an Assistant Scientific Officer at the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Sikkim. My work has also involved projects related to glaciers and climate change through the Department of Science and Technology. Being from Sikkim, I have a deep connection to local communities and government agencies, which aids in my research endeavors. Additionally, I have a strong interest in remote sensing and climate change, using these tools to better understand ecological dynamics. My background and expertise enable me to connect local knowledge with scientific inquiry, making me a valuable resource for interdisciplinary research collaborations. 

I am a conservation scientist dedicated to blue forests conservation, nature-based solutions, and coastal resilience, using evidence-based science and environmental justice principles to drive meaningful change. She specializes in climate impact monitoring for projects spanning diverse terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Dina holds a PhD in Geography & Integrative Conservation from the University of Georgia (UGA), and a Master's in Natural Resources Management from the Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), India. 

I am a trained biologist with an integrated BS-MS degree from IISER Pune (2010-2015). My fascination with ecology and conservation began during my undergraduate years when I engaged in diverse projects each summer. For my Master's thesis, I worked with Dr. Mahesh Sankaran to examine the habitat use of Sambar in the invaded shola-grassland ecosystem. After graduation, I joined the Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bengaluru, where I worked as a research fellow, doctoral fellow, and, eventually, postdoctoral fellow. During this period, I transitioned from natural sciences to social sciences. Currently, I am a scientific consultant for not-for-profits and educational institutions in India and internationally. My work has primarily been based in India, particularly in the Western Ghats. Since 2015, I have focused on the human dimensions of conservation, with current research interests in nature-based tourism, human-wildlife interactions, agroforestry, and protected area governance. 

My interests are in ecology and animal behaviour. I did my Ph.D. on the socioecology of elephants, with a focus on feeding competition and dominance structure within and between female groups. I also did vegetation surveys to assess the food availability for elephants in Nagarahole forests.

I joined the BEER lab with an interest in the functional role of large herbivores and some luck with the NPDF fellowship. I conducted field and ex-situ experiments to study the role of elephants in shaping the growth and competition regimes for tree saplings by redistributing nutrients in the form of dung. I also explored how forage quality of the elephant diet varies with grass and browse consumption.

Currently, I am a postdoc at the University of Turku, where I am exploring how kinship influences long-term survival and reproduction in elephants. More about me on twitter @Elephanseco. 

I am passionate about understanding how diverse landscapes react to environmental disturbances. During my time at BEER Lab, I investigated how various flammability and fire-related functional traits in grasses changed across broad environmental gradients. Currently pursuing a PhD at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, I am dedicated to exploring forest dynamics, particularly focusing on how mixed forests in the boreal-temperate ecotone around the Great Lakes in North America respond to global change. Beyond academia, my interests shuttle between hiking, art, and immersing myself into stories of all kinds.

I hold a PhD in Ecology and Environmental Science from Pondicherry University and the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc. I have worked at NCBS-TIFR as a Research Scholar and Visiting Associate on ecology and evolutionary biology projects. I later managed business development and incubation at C-CAMP, supporting life science innovation. At A Rocha India, I led projects on human-elephant conflict. My expertise includes plant taxonomy, palaeoecology, and palynology. I have conducted extensive fieldwork in the Western Ghats and the Trans-Himalayas, studying forest regeneration and reconstructing past climates. I established palynology research at the BEER lab and trained students in the field. Currently, I work as a freelance researcher and consultant, and advise Friends of Elephants on conservation, science education, and awareness programs.

I am trained in the ecology and evolution of plant-insect interactions. I have a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, where I investigated the dynamics of mutualistic interactions between an ant-plant (myrmecophyte) and its ant and insect associates. As a postdoctoral researcher, I worked at the National Centre for Biological Sciences Bangalore and investigated the effects of climate warming on floral volatiles and plant-pollinator interactions. More recently, my research interests have expanded to include the social dimensions of climate change, integrating oral history methodologies. In addition to my research, I currently oversee communications and outreach at the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria.

My research has spanned across bat ecology, echolocation, genetics, foraging behaviour, human-bat interactions, ecosystem services, and disease ecology. I use non-invasive methods and interdisciplinary approaches to study human-bat interfaces in forests, agroforestry systems, and peri-urban to urban landscapes.  For my Ph.D. at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), I studied the benefits, costs, and risks from bats to people in agroforestry landscapes of the Western Ghats. As part of my Postdoc at IIHS, I am studying ecosystem services from bats in urban ecosystems, and developing real-time acoustic monitoring methods, for long-term monitoring of insectivorous bat activity. 

I mainly work on restoration of degraded forests in the Western Ghats. Interested in birds and music as well.

I work towards understanding tropical tree dynamics under global change. Specifically, I'm interested in understanding tree and forest responses to climate and biodiversity, often using long-term datasets. I am also interested in data and knowledge equity in tropical forest research.

In BEER Lab, my PhD was focused on understanding various aspects of community and ecosystem impacts of invasion by Nitrogen-fixing woody plants in the high-altitude grasslands of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

In terms of research, my interests lie in conducting policy-relevant research which looks at human-environment interactions. I enjoy cooking and reading. 

I investigate the mechanisms that maintain diversity in ecosystems. My transition to ecology began with the realization that biodiversity was being lost at alarming rates. I went from activist to scientist because I felt that knowledge was essential to action, but I was also increasingly driven by intellectual curiosity about the complexity of life around us. More information here: https://cafelab.in/ 

I am interested in understanding impacts of human induced global changes on various natural ecosystems, and working on pragmatic, and workable solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. I hope to combine my ecological background, and interest in socio-economics to build interdisciplinary collaborations and design holistic solutions for real-life ecological problems. 

I am interested in the human dimensions of wildlife management and the interface between art, science and action.

At the BEER Lab, I worked on projects examining plant functional traits across forest types and how the floral volatile composition and insect visitation rates change along elevation gradients in the Sikkim Himalayas. After my time in the BEER Lab, I moved to Germany to pursue my PhD, where I studied plant–insect interactions using the nocturnal moth Manduca sexta as a model system.  Through behavioral assays, I explored how moths perceive environmental cues and make oviposition decisions, with emphasis on how learning and experience contribute to host-plant constancy and behavioral adaptation.  My research interests center on insect behavior and decision-making, and I continue to explore how environmental cues, internal physiological states, and ecological context influence decision-making in insects.

I am a community ecologist interested in understanding the impacts of global changes and biodiversity loss on plant interactions. I do so using theoretical models, field-based studies primarily in African grasslands and savannas, and leveraging long-term data from experiments in other ecosystems.

Conservation Planning

My interest lies in future projections of photosynthetic organisms, particularly using empirical studies on plants' responses to abiotic stressors. I enjoy playing basketball, badminton, and writing fictional stories. In the lab, I examined the sensitivity of Indian forests to extreme temperatures and drought. In the long run, I want to work in the fields of plant physiology and applied ecology as a teacher and researcher. 

I worked on a project that explored the climatic and anthropogenic factors affecting fire in the Nilgiris using remotely sensed datasets. I was also involved with fieldwork and data entry in the lab for the LEMoN project. I am in the process of exploring ecology as a field and am currently fascinated by landscape and community biology.

I spend my free time motorcycling, cycling and generally being a nuisance.

I am a science, environment, and health journalist based in New York City. I am a reporter at Chemical & Engineering News, covering communities impacted by toxic pollutants or left behind in the wake of scientific advances. Previously, I covered the COVID-19 pandemic and other health stories as National Geographic’s resident reporter. My work has appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, Science News, STAT, and BBC Earth, among others. I serve on the National Association of Science Writers board—the United States’ largest and oldest membership organization supporting science journalists and public information specialists. I have mentored early-career reporters as part of various fellowship programs. I am an ecologist by training (also a proud ex-member of the BEER lab) and a UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program graduate.

My research focuses on invasive species, ecological restoration, and plant-herbivore interactions in seasonally dry tropical forests. I examine the ecological impacts of biological invasions, particularly their effects on soil properties, native vegetation, forage availability, and herbivore biomass. Integrating functional ecology with fire dynamics, I employ rigorous field-based assessments, statistical modeling, and spatial analyses to investigate the environmental drivers of invasion processes.  My work in protected areas across India includes extensive vegetation, soil, and herbivore habitat use surveys, generating empirical data to inform evidence-based strategies for invasive species management. I am particularly interested in ecosystem resilience under disturbance regimes and the role of functional traits in shaping plant community responses. Using invasive species as model taxa, I seek to address fundamental ecological questions while advancing conservation science.

I'm a PhD student at the Savanna lab (https://savannalab.nmsu.edu/) at New Mexico State University. I'm interested in understanding how top-down factors like fire and herbivory impact savannas.

I did a Master’s in Environmental Science from the University of Pune and explored the carbon stocks in mixed land use types and butterflies in the Southern Western Ghats. It piqued my interest in understanding the communication between organizations and communities. The keenness to get closer to understanding communication and conservation made me pursue a second Master’s degree at the University of Kent in Conservation Project Management. I worked as a coordinator of Turtle Action Group (TAG), India, with Dakshin foundation. The curiosity to understand the associations between people and their environments led me to design an education program for communities living outside protected areas in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra while working with WCT India. To work with teams that work on a large scale to build capacities of nature educators while creating content, I joined Nature Conservation Foundation. Currently, I work at The Habitats Trust where I lead the Education and the Grants programs and am keen to put together initiatives that will engage students at the Shiv Nadar Schools and Conservation Practitioners to enhance their approach towards conservation as an interdisciplinary science.

I am an ecologist using plants to address problems related to savanna ecosystems. My PhD work involves using process-explicit models to forecast fire intensities and better understand the role of climate and fire in promoting tree-grass coexistence in savannas. Working on problems of applied relevance gives me the most satisfaction. Though I love being out in the field, I equally enjoy working with models of all kinds to make predictions.

As a botanist and ecologist, I am passionate about understanding the role of plants in their ecosystems and applying data driven efforts to support conservation and human needs.

I am an ecologist, entrepreneur, and data scientist with a PhD in Ecology from the University of Minnesota and a BS and MS in Biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India. I have a graduate minor in Development Studies and Social Change and have explored learning and doing in feminist studies, history of science, and science education. I am an educator creating rich learning tasks and experiences for gifted students across India and the Middle East.

I was a research intern at NCBS and NCF, collaborating on the High Altitude Program in Ladakh. My research interest lies in the impact of climate change on rangelands, grazing, and soil carbon. In my spare time, I enjoy sketching. Additionally, I have a passion for hiking, reading, and photography.

In BEER Lab, I worked on understanding the effects of climate warming on plant-pollinator interactions. After my research experience at NCBS, I pursued a PhD at the University of Arkansas, USA, studying the genetics of mating behaviours in butterflies. Currently, I am a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University studying the molecular and neuronal basis of mating-induced female behaviour in fruitflies. As a side interest, I continue exploring plant-insect interactions. You can find more information on my website: https://sdpotdar.wixsite.com/sdpotdar

I think of myself as being ‘in between’ the disciplines of science and art. As a DPhil student at the University of Oxford I am investigating how plants manage nutrients across tropical forests and savannas using a whole-plant nutrient flux approach—linking nutrient content in leaves, wood, and roots with measures of plant growth. I am also interested in microclimate modelling, vegetation dynamics,  and species exposure to climate change at varying spatial scales. As an ‘in betweener’, I am actively researching and workshopping how art and science can come together through participatory interventions to roll out research more meaningfully and urgently in the world.

My PhD at NCBS examined how atmospheric nitrogen and phosphorus deposition, interacting with fire regimes, influenced savanna tree germination and early growth. Since then, my research has centred on two key themes. First, I investigate how climate and global change threaten ecosystem resilience and food security. I develop methods to detect ecosystem resilience loss in natural, semi-natural, and agricultural systems and analyze the impact of climate change and extremes on food production. Second, I explore approaches to simplify complex socio-ecological information (e.g., the relationships between land cover, land use, land management, ecosystem function, ecosystem services, etc.) to adequately incorporate ecological contexts and constraints into sustainability planning and decision support tools. My work is primarily computational, involving statistical modelling, process-based modelling, simulations, and remote sensing.

I joined BEER lab as the Lab Manager and became involved in multiple projects on tree functional traits and shola-grassland dynamics. I developed a keen interest in plants, field research, and conservation. I was also an active snake rescuer at NCBS during those days. Driven by my interest in conservation, in 2014-2015, I worked at the Nature Conservation Foundation in Valparai, focusing on rainforest restoration and nursery management. Between 2015 and 2020, I had the opportunity to serve in the Karnataka Forest Department at MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary as a Deputy Range Forest Officer. Later, in 2020, I returned to NCF with a long-term conservation interest and began working on rainforest restoration in the Central Western Ghats in the Malenadu Landscape (Sakleshpura & Chikkamagaluru). Currently, I am involved in setting up rainforest nurseries in partnership with private landowners and actively participating in rainforest restoration in the landscape. I have also started long-term phenology monitoring trails and long-term 1 Ha Lemon plots, and I am coordinating multiple projects at the TERFC (Tropical Ecological Restoration Field Centre). 

I am fascinated by plants and their interactions with things around them, especially plant associations with fungal and bacterial partners and enemies in the soil. The primary focus of my work is to understand the consequences of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors such as eutrophication and invasion on plant, microbial and other communities, their interactions, and ecosystem processes they mediate. I am also interested in exploring long-term ecological data to gain insights into various ecological communities, their functioning and responses to factors such as changing climate and land-use patterns. Apart from research, I enjoy popular science writing, listening to Carnatic music, and trekking. 

As a MS student in the BEER lab, I tried to quantify the differences in Whole Plant Water Use Efficiency of Nitrogen fixers and Non-fixers of Indian Dry deciduous forests under experimental drought conditions. A bunch of different N-fixers and non-fixers were grown in NCBS greenhouse, where they were subjected to experimental drought and compared to those growing under no-stress conditions. Water use efficiency of N-fixers and non-fixers was measured using the gravimetric method. It was a fun experiment involving growing a large number of plants and an even larger number of discussions on the lab whiteboard ;). Interests - Ecosystem ecology and evolution, Trekking, Trying out different cuisines, new Sports, Long cycling adventures......and much more