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| phd programme |
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At the Nature Conservation Foundation, in philosophy and in practice, we have been attempting to bridge the gap between on-ground conservation and science for the last decade. An institution set up and run by conservation scientists, NCF’s p... |
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| List of projects under phd programme: |
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| 1. of islands, food and fun |
The Nicobar Islands are biologically unique as they encompass a variety of ecosystems. Indigenous islanders extract natural resources using traditional systems of ownership and management. The overall aim of this project is to understand the influence of post-tsunami change on cooperative behaviour and sharing of natural resources amongst these indigenous communities, from the perspective of conservation and management of natural resources. |
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| 2. monkey genetics |
This collaborative project, initiated in January 2006, has been exploring the molecular phylogeny of the sinica group of the genus Macaca, consisting of five species, in general and those of the bonnet macaque and the newly-discovered Arunachal macaque, in particular. |
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| 3. how mountain ungulates live together |
Why do some areas have more wild species than others? In this project, we are examining the causes of variation in species richness of Trans-Himalayan mountain ungulates. We are attempting to understand how species live together and interact with each other, and what factors govern their distribution. |
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| 4. war and wild goats |
Markhor, an impressive wild goat, was thought to have been lost from India until recent surveys discovered a few surviving populations in Kashmir along the border with Pakistan. This politically sensitive area is also subject to insurgency. Can the markhor survive into the future? We are trying to understand the basic ecology of this enigmatic species in order to assist in its long-term conservation planning. |
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| 5. plants, herbivores & community collapse |
Plants have a history of being eaten and many plants have evolved alongside wild herbivores. In the Trans-Himalaya, a rich assemblage of wild herbivores is being lost. What happens to plants when wild herbivores go extinct and are replaced by livestock? We are examining the consequences of herbivore community collapse on Trans-Himalayan vegetation in order to guide ecosystem restoration and rewilding efforts. |
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| 6. being the biggest bovid |
Once plentiful in south-east Asia, gaur have significantly declined in numbers this century and are now confined to small scattered populations, primarily in India, and to a lesser degree in other neighboring south-east Asian countries. Today the gaur is classified as “Vulnerable”, but still remains a poorly studied animal. There have been many short-term studies of this species; however it has managed to elude a long-term study of its fundamental biology. It’s this very gap in our understanding that this study plans to address by studying the foraging, population and community ecology of the gaur. |
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View Completed Projects |