Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Research:

My research interests lie in the fields of community ecology, landscape ecology, plant ecology, plant-animal interactions and conservation planning. I am specifically interested in the impact of anthropogenic climate change on ecosystems. My study area is in the Western Ghats.

Guide: Dr. Kamaljit Singh Bawa
Co-Guide: Dr. T. Ganesh
Committee Members: Dr. Robert John Chandran, Dr. Harini Nagendra

Education:

• Ph.D. Scholar, June 2008-present, ATREE, Bangalore, India
  Registered at Manipal University.Completed coursework, including courses in conservation genetics, advanced statistics, quantitative ecology, plant taxonomy and geostatistics.
• MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, May 2000
  Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
  Master's project: Effects of stand-level and landscape-level factors on breeding bird species distribution in Duke Forest.
• BACHELOR OF ARTS, cum laude, May 1996
  Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, USA
  Major: Environmental studies with an emphasis in biology.

Publications:

- Mukherjee,S., Krishnan, A., Tamma, K., Home, C., Navya,R., Joseph, S., Das, A., Ramakrishnan, U. 2010. Ecology Driving Genetic Variation: A Comparative Phylogeography of Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) and Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in India. PLoS ONE 5(10): e13724. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013724

- CEPF. 2007. Ecosystem Profile; Western Ghats and Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot, Western Ghats Region. Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund, Washington, DC. http://www.cepf.net/Documents/final.westernghatssrilanka_westernghats.ep...

- Das, A., Krishnaswamy, J., Bawa, K.S., Kiran, M.C., Srinivas, V., Kumar, N. S. and Karanth, K.U., 2006. Prioritization of conservation areas in the Western Ghats, India. Biological Conservation, 133, 16-31.

- Krishnaswamy, J., Kiran, M.C., Davande, S., Das, A., Irfan Ullah, M. 2005. Eco-climatic vegetation classification for the Western Ghats using multi-season NDVI. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore.

- Varghese, P., Singh, T.P., Das, A. 2003. Potential impact of climate change on forests: a case study in Uttaranchal in Environmental Threats, Vulnerability, and Adaptation; Case studies from India. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, India.

- Smith R.K., P.L. Freeman, J.V. Higgins, K.S. Wheaton, T.W. Fitzhugh, K.J. Ernstrom, A.A. Das. 2002. Priority Areas for Freshwater Conservation: A Biodiversity Assessment of the Southeastern United States. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, U.S.A