Rethinking the neglected savanna biomes of the Indian subcontinent - implications for conservation and management

The savannas of the Indian subcontinent have a long history of being misclassified and ecologically misunderstood in the vegetation sciences of this region. In this talk, I will trace how biogeography and history have driven these misperceptions, reconsider the classification and distribution of arid savannas, mesic savannas and forests on the subcontinent, and outline the distinctive functional ecologies of these ecosystems, with implications for how these ecosystems should be managed and conserved.  I will conclude with two major and distinct conservation challenges faced in these biomes today – tree-planting drives in arid savannas and chronic woody invasions in mesic savannas - which require urgent research and action from scientists and practitioners. 


About the Speaker:
Jayashree Ratnam is a community and ecosystems ecologist.  She is currently at the National Centre for Biological Sciences where she serves as the Program Director of the Wildlife Biology and Conservation Masters program.  She is interested in the history, ecology, function and conservation of tropical grasslands, savannas and forests. She is currently involved in projects to document and understand the conservation and management challenges to Indian grasslands and savannas, restoration strategies for invaded and degraded savannas and forests, and long-term monitoring of different types of savannas and forests in India.

Earth Day ASET Colloquium.