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Conservation genetics
Plant and animal genetic resources have been under tremendous pressure from high rates of deforestation, habitat alteration and indiscriminate extraction of forest products. It is feared that continued impacts on natural populations would irrevocably affect their genetic diversity with far-reaching consequences on their survival, adaptability and productivity. Molecular genetic studies have been used in recent years to study the ecology and evolutionary biology of plant and animal systems. Genetic data has also come to play a major role in conservation planning and prioritisation. Critical information on the status, threats and distribution of genetic variability in populations are required to arrive at informed decisions in planning effective conservation strategies. In the last few years, the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore have initiated a number of programmes to address issues related to the conservation of genetic resources.
Projects
GAP analysis of protected areas in WesternGhats, India for conservation of Bamboo and Rattan resources
Dr. R. Uma Shaanker & Dr. K.N. Ganeshaiah
The proposal seeks address the relevance of "protected areas" in the conservation of the genetic resources of bamboo and rattans. Specifically, we wish to evaluate the effectiveness of the protected area network vis a vis the non-protected areas in the Western Ghats to conserve the genetic resources of bamboo and rattans. (more...)
Conservation of Myristica swamps - The highly threatened and unique Ecosystem in the WesternGhats, India
Bhausaheb Tambat and Ravikanth. G
Myristica swamps are one of the unique ecosystems in the Western Ghats, a global mega diversity hot spot in the country. Located in low-lying poorly drained depressions, these swamps form an extensive network along the watercourses through the primeval forests of the Western Ghats. However, due to human interventions, the swamps today are highly threatened and fragmented. The proposal attempts to map the network of swamps in the central Western Ghats and assess the relative threats. (more...)
Conservation of Myristica swamps - The highly threatened and unique Ecosystem in the WesternGhats, India: Biodiversity Inventory and prioritisation of conservation
The proposal aims to conduct a detailed inventory of the various taxa (plants, amphibians, reptiles, molluscs, birds and aquatic insects) in the Myristica swamps. (more...)
Species recovery program for Red listed Medicinal plants in WesternGhats, India
R. Uma Shaanker and Dr. K. N. Ganeshaiah
The proposal aims to spatially map the red-listed species at the two Medicinal Plant Conservation Area (MPCA) sites using GIS tools and analyze their distribution features. (more...)
Molecular Systematics of endemic amphibians and squamate reptiles from the Western Ghats
Sayantan Biswas, Kartik Shanker, Jagdish Krishnaswamy
ATREE has initiated a collaborative project with the George Washington University (GWU) for the doctoral dissertation research of Sayantan Biswas, Ph.D. candidate at GWU. The project aims to understand diversification in the Western Ghats, with particular focus on its endemic herpetofauna, by combining molecular phylogenetics and GIS/Remote Sensing approaches. (more...)