Ph D programme
Conventional conservation plans have adopted strict protection and human exclusion as the principle strategy to curtail further loss of biodiversity. However these top-down approaches that exclude forest-dependent people have not only had negative impacts on the cultural and economic structures of their societies, they have also alienated communities from the goals of conservation. Failure to factor social and environmental justice in conservation planning and governance has therefore resulted in negative impacts on the lives of forest dependent communities, as well as biodiversity conservation.
ATREE believes that accounting of environmental and social costs, promotion of sustainable use of natural resources, and integration of livelihoods with biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, could be starting points to alternative approaches to economic development. The ATREE doctoral programme aims to contribute toward this emerging paradigm in conservation science and sustainable development.
ATREE Ph D Programme in Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
The ATREE doctoral programme in Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies is designed to impart training to research scholars, to develop and use integrated approaches in sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. The programme promotes interdisciplinary research and frameworks to integrate tools and approaches from the disciplines of ecology, economics, sociology, and climate science.
ATREE's doctoral programme is affiliated to Manipal University, which is the institution that will award the degree. In accordance with the requirement of both ATREE and Manipal University, students seeking admission should have:
- a background in natural or social sciences
- exhibit academic excellence
Students admitted to the programme will work under the personal mentorship of an ATREE faculty member and will also be guided by a doctoral committee of 3-5 members. The committee will consist of ATREE faculty members and external scientists and will include representation of expertise from different disciplines.
Course
Doctoral training will begin with rigorous coursework that will take a year to complete. This will include a set of mandatory courses and a choice of electives. Since students will have either a natural or social science background, we have designed foundation courses in the natural and social sciences, which will introduce students to main concepts in both disciplines. The foundation course in natural science will cover principles in basic ecology and evolution, behavioral ecology, population biology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, landscape ecology, and soils and hydrology. The foundation course in social science will cover the basic principles of economics and sociology, focusing on classical and contemporary economic and sociological theory, and expanding into ecological economics and environmental sociology. Following these will be two advanced core courses, one in conservation science and one in research design and methods (for both natural and social sciences).
The core course in conservation science is built on three thematic issues that are central to the current debate on conservation of biodiversity and sustainable economic development viz., the decline of biodiversity, land degradation, and climate change. Within each thematic issue, we will start with a multidisciplinary approach and then move on to discussing more integrated approaches, drawing upon theoretical ideas and comparative analyses of case studies from across the world.
The core course in research design and methods will train students in advanced statistical, computational, and analytical methods to equip them with the necessary tools to design and implement research, and analyse data and communicate their research findings to quality journals.
Students who have successfully undergone the mandatory core courses are expected to be proficient in the basic principles of ecology, economics, sociology, and conservation science, and also equipped with the tools and technical skills to conduct research and communicate their findings effectively. Building on this fundamental training, student researchers are expected to develop and focus on their special areas of interest. In order to prepare the student for advanced debate on their focus of research, we have devoted considerable attention to designing optional elective courses. These will be advanced courses that discuss the current state of research and understanding on important issues related to ecology, conservation science, and environmental and forest policy and governance.
Inter-institutional collaboration for research
ATREE has signed MoUs with various institutions that can provide doctoral students with opportunities for collaborative research and training. The following is a list of such institutions in India and other countries:
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Department of International Environment and Development Studies (NORAGRIC), Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
- Foundation for Ecological Security, Anand, Gujarat, India
- Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health and Traditions, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Green Foundation, Thalli and Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Institute for Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Kalpavriksh, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, Karnataka, India
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
- University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Fellows
Dr. Abi Tamim Vanak
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Fellow, National Environment Sciences Program, MoEF, GoI
Dr. Ankila Hiremath, New Delhi
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE,
Programme leader - Ecosystems and Global Change
Research interest: Forest ecology and its application to human land use systems (e.g., forest management, agroforestry, and restoration).
hiremath(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Aravind N.A.
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Disturbance ecology and community ecology of birds, butterflies, amphibians and Non-marine Molluscs of Western Ghats.
aravind(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Bejoy K. Thomas
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Research interest: Broadly in the areas of development studies and political economy, with specific interests in vulnerability and poverty analysis, participation, environmental change and livelihoods, coping and adaptation strategies.
bejoy.thomas(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Harini Nagendra, Ramanujam Fellow
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Satellite remote sensing, biodiversity studies and social interviews to study the impact of a range of institutional approaches, including community forestry, joint forest management and national parks on forest conservation in South Asia. Study of how processes of human land use interact with biophysical factors to impact patterns of landscape change and forest recovery in Nepal and India Urban ecology and environmental change, with a focus on Bengaluru.
harini.nagendra(at)gmail(dot)com
nagendra(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy
Senior Fellow,
Convenor,Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation and Programme Leader - Ecosystem Services and Human Wellbeing
Research interest: Watershed hydrology and landscape ecology.
jagdish(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Priyanka Jamwal
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Research interest: Management of point and non-point source pollution, fate and transport of pollutants in groundwater, bacteriological contamination of water distribution network (modeling), climate change impact on water quality.
priyanka(dot)jamwal(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Nitin Rai
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Convenor, Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Research interest: Understanding the ecological, social and economic aspects of forest resource use. Using multidisciplinary approaches to examine non-timber forest product harvest, its contribution to poverty alleviation, and its relationship to biodiversity conservation.
nitinrai(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan
Senior Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE,
Programme Leader - Ecosystems and Global Change
Research interest: Insect taxonomy and conservation. Ecoinformatics, agro-forestry and traditional knowledge.
priyan(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. R. Ganesan
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Plant taxonomy, vegetation dynamics in natural and disturbed forests, population dynamics of endemic plants, involving local people in biodiversity conservation.
rganesan(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Ravikanth G
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Conservation and population genetics, plant systematics, evolution, and biogeography, DNA bar-coding, origin, diversity; and conservation of plants, species recovery. Chemical ecology and bioprospecting.
gravikanth(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Sharachchandra Lele
Senior Fellow,
Convenor,Centre for Environment and Development and Programme Leader - Forest and Governance
Research interest: Conceptual issues in sustainable development and sustainability; analyses of institutional, economic, ecological, and technological issues in forest, energy, and water resource management; methodology of interdisciplinary research.
slele(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Shrinivas Badiger
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Programme Leader - Land Water and Livelihoods
Research interest: Hydro-socio-economic approaches to understanding the context of water scarcity, resource depletion and degradation within a larger framework of sustainable environment and livelihoods.
sbadiger(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Siddappa Setty
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Research interest: Poverty alleviation in biodiversity-rich areas through sustainable use of forest resources. Exploring use of local alternatives for temple offerings in South India, to create awareness on utilizing local/traditional crops for food and temple prasad items. Aim to find high quality information to answer specific questions on forest conservation and livelihood-related issues.
siddappa(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Siddhartha Krishnan
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Environmental Sociology; Environmental History; Sociology of Science; Conservation and Livelihood Conflicts, Climate Risk; Land, Wetland and Forest Policy
siddhartha.krishnan(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. M. Soubadra Devy
Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Plant-animal interactions; and developing a canopy programme for India through protected areas network and extending the biodiversity frontier to production landscape, through participatory approach involving community. Putting together various ecological aspects that were carried out over the last several years in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Develop rigorous field courses, which cater to various target audiences.
soubadra(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Swati Shresth
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Research interest: Environmental history, human-wildlife interaction,approaches to sustainable development, livelihood issues in forests, forest governance, analysis of market- driven conservation.
swati.shresth(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. T. Ganesh
Senior Fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE
Research interest: Plant-animal interactions, tropical seed dispersal/seed predation systems, long term monitoring of phenology and vegetation dynamics.
tganesh(at)atree(dot)org
Dr. Veena Srinivasan
Fellow, Centre for Environment and Development, ATREE
Research interest: Inter-sectoral water allocation, threats to freshwater from local to regional to global scales, impacts of multiple stressors including demographics, climate change and urbanization on water resources, sustainable water management policy and practice, bi- co-evolutionary trajectories and comparative study of socio-hydrologic systems.
Veena(dot)srinivasan(at)atree(dot)org
Students will be expected to complete five compulsory/ core courses (15 credits), and at least two elective courses (6 credits) within a year of joining the programme.
Core courses
C1 a. Ecology (1.5 credits – Dr. Ankila Hiremath, Dr. T. Ganesh)
C1 b. Fundamentals of Environmental Science (1.5 credits – Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Dr. Shrinivas Badiger)
C2 a. Basic Economics (1.5 credits – Dr. Ashokankur Datta)
C2 b. Sociology (1.5 credits – Dr. Siddhartha Krishnan)
C3. Issues in Conservation and Sustainable Development (2 credits – Dr. Sharachchandra Lele)
C4. Integrated Approaches in Conservation and Sustainable Development (2 credits- Dr. Nitin Rai)
C5. Research Design and Methods (3 credits – Dr. Bejoy K. Thomas, Dr. T. Ganesh)
Optional courses
C0 a. Basic Math and Stats (0 credit)
C0 b. Communication Skills (1.5 credits)
Core courses C1 (Natural Science) and C2 (Social Science) are designed to orient students from different backgrounds to new disciplines. Courses, C3 (Issues in Conservation and Sustainable Development) and C4 (Integrated Approaches in Conservation and Sustainable Development) provide conceptual understanding and methodological skills in approaching issues of conservation science and sustainable development, and C5 (Research Design and Methods) provides an advanced treatment of subject and techniques in conservation and sustainable development.
Academic coursework for the mandatory courses will commence in July 2011 and end in March 2012. In addition to these mandatory courses, there is an optional Basic Math and Stats module, and Communication Skills course with 1.5 credits.
Electives
Students are required to take at least two electives of three credits each. The electives are offered in the five categories listed below. Students can attend elective courses at ATREE, or equivalent courses at other institutions of higher learning, such as the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC).
- Ecology
- Biosystematics (Dr. R. Ganesan, Dr. Ravikanth G. and Dr. Aravind N.A.)
- Eco-physiology (Dr. Gladwin Joseph)
- Plant-animal interaction (Dr. M. Soubadra Devy and Dr. T. Ganesh)
- Economics (to be announced)
- Sociology
- Environmental history (not offered this year)
- Environmental science (to be announced)
- Research methods and tools
- Landscape ecology and spatial tools in conservation (to be announced)