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EVS Colloquium | Ghazala Shahabuddin

Birds, Trees and People: Ecological Change in Forest Landscapes in Kumaon Himalaya and its Socio-Eco

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Please join us for a Seminar on "Birds, Trees and People: Ecological Change in Forest Landscapes in Kumaon Himalaya and its Socio-Economic Consequences" by Ghazala Shahabuddin, Visiting Professor, EVS,  Ashoka University to be held on Wednesday, 13 April 2022, 6:30- 7:30 PM (IST).

Wednesday, 13 April 2022, 6:30 -7:45 PM (IST)

Birds, Trees and People: Ecological Change in Forest Landscapes in 

Kumaon Himalaya and its Socio-Economic Consequences

by

Ghazala Shahabuddin, Visiting Professor, EVS,  Ashoka University

Chair: Meghna Agarwala, Ashoka University

Click to Join (Zoom Link:) or https://zoom.us/j/93761314015?pwd=WHBtTGdKb1VZbnRTdmFmT0Y2V3BzZz09

Abstrac: Long-term dynamism in forest ecosystems has considerable significance not only for biodiversity, but also for the rural economy in India. While the shifting boundaries between chir pine Pinus roxburghii and banj oak Quercus leucotrichophora forests in the mid-hills of Kumaon (Western Himalaya) comprises a popular narrative, I use field based and remote sensing methods to quantify  oak-to-pine transition from 1991 to 2017 and its effect on bird diversity. Our analysis suggests roles for localised over-exploitation, micro-scale habitat variation and climate change in the oak-to-pine transition, with potentially large impacts on water security and agricultural productivity in the region. I suggest further socio-ecological research to better understand the consequences of such ecological changes for the hill economy.

 

Bio: Ghazala Shahabuddin has a PhD in Ecology and Conservation Biology from Duke University, USA (1998). Her research attempts to unravel and quantify the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on forest biodiversity at both local and landscape scales. Ghazala has also published extensively on wildlife policy and politics in India. Her book ‘Conservation at the Crossroads’ (Permanent Black and New India Foundation, 2010), in addition to three other co-edited books, examine biodiversity conservation policy and implementation in India from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Since 2010, Ghazala has been researching forest regeneration, forest institutions, fire ecology and diversity of birds and amphibians in multiple-use community forests in Kumaon, Western Himalayas. She is also involved in training activities in ethical nature tourism for rural youth. Ghazala was an Associate Professor at the School of Human Ecology at Ambedkar University, Delhi (2009-14) and is currently  a Visiting Professor in Environmental Studies at Ashoka University. 

 

 


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