Nehru Prabakaran


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Nehru PrabakaranDr. Nehru Prabakaran, Ph.D
Scientist-D
Phone: +91-135-2646337
Email: nehrup [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in

The curiosity for plant life that developed mainly from the strong family roots in agriculture has made me chose botany for the higher studies. After graduating from the Madras Christian College, Chennai (2003-2008), I worked with Care Earth trust as a Botanist and contributed in many of their projects as a plant expert. I received Ph.D. in botany from Bharathiar University, for which I worked with Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (2009-2012) on the succession of coastal vegetation in the Nicobar Islands that are highly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and tectonic subduction inflicted sea level increase. This study has provided basics for the restoration of coastal habitats across the Nicobar Islands. After Ph.D., I worked with the Himalaya Drug Company, Bangalore as a Scientist during 2013-2014 and developed a taxonomy based authentication system for the herbal raw drugs. As a Leibniz-DAAD post-doctoral fellow at Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Germany (2014-2015), I studied the successional dynamics of mangroves using high-resolution satellite data and cellular automata model. In a collaborative project with Indo-American Wildlife Society and the University of Kassel, I studied the impact of key invasive alien plant species on the plant and soil microbial communities in Shola-Grasslands of the Western Ghats and Coastal plains in Tamil Nadu. I Joined Wildlife Institute of India in 2016 as a Himalayan Research Associate and studied the ecological and anthropogenic factors influencing traditional agriculture systems in the Western Himalaya. Subsequently, I joined the institute as DST-INSPIRE faculty in August 2018. My research team mainly studies the impacts of sea level change related to tectonic processes on the mangrove ecosystems (including socio-ecological systems) across the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

My research focus includes vegetation community responses to various disturbance factors; impacts of invasive alien species on native biodiversity; plant-soil feedback mechanisms; and, ecological restoration of coastal habitats. My long-term goal is to establish a coastal research group that can monitor the mangrove ecosystems across India. I would be glad to collaborating with interested students and researchers working on the similar fields. I can be reached through email at nehrup@wii.gov.in or nehrumcc@gmail.com.

EDUCATION

Nov. 2014 – Oct. 2015: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research, Germany

Oct. 2009 – Feb. 2014: Ph.D. in Botany, Bharathiar University, India

Jun. 2006 – Apr. 2008: M.Sc. in Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, University of Madras, India

Jun. 2003 – Apr. 2006: B.Sc. in Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, University of Madras, India

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Sea level change: Influence of sea level change on the coastal ecosystem focusing on mangroves

Invasion ecology: Impacts of invasive plant species on the above and below ground biodiversity

Plant community dynamics: Evaluating how plant communities change with response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances

Habitat restoration: Use of key species on the recovery of degraded landscapes

Agro-ecology: Influence of various factors on the crop landrace diversity and food security in Himalayas

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Aug 2018-present    : DST-INSPIRE Faculty (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun)

Jun 2018 – Jul 2018: Professional Fellow (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun)

Jun 2016 – May 2018: Himalayan Research Associate (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun)

Jan 2016 – May 2016: Research Scientist (Indo-American Wildlife Society, Chennai)

Nov 2014 – Nov 2015: Post-Doctoral Fellow (Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research, Germany)

May 2013 – Aug 2014: Research Scientist (Himalaya Drug Company, Bangalore)

Jan 2013 – April 2013: Research Associate (Indo-American Wildlife Society, Chennai)

May 2011 – Dec 2012: Senior Research Fellow (Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History)

Jun 2009 – May 2011: Junior Research Fellow (Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History)

May 2008 – May 2009: Junior Research Fellow (Care Earth Trust, Chennai)

 

HONORS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Aug 2018: DST-INSPIRE Faculty award, Department of Science and Technology, India

Apr 2018: Best oral presentation, Himalayan Researchers Consortium, Dehradun

Jun 2016: Himalayan Research Associate Fellowship, Wildlife Institute of India

Nov 2014: Leibniz-DAAD Post-doc. Fellowship, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research, Germany

Oct 2012: Young scientist travel grant – Department of Science & Technology, SCCS in New York

Oct 2012: International travel grant - Centre for International Co-operation in Science, SCCS in New York

Jul 2012: Best Photography award at 3rd International Mangroves, Macrobenthos and Management

    meeting, Sri Lanka

Dec 2008: Prof. K.A.K.A. Ganesan Prize for meritorious performance during M.Sc. at MCC

Nov 2006: Edward Barnes Gold Medal for meritorious performance during B.Sc. at MCC

PUBLICATIONS

Prabakaran, N., Ramesh, C. 2021. The Post-tsunami Status of Reticulated Pythons,Malayopython reticulatus(Schneider 1801) in the Nicobar Archipelago, India. Reptiles & Amphibians, 28(1): 126–130.

Vedagiri, T., Prabakaran, N., Nair, V.S., Ramesh, C. 2021. Ecological significance of two large heritage trees in Moyar River Valley, Southern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 13: 17587–17591. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1011609/jott.6095.13.1.17587-17591

Dahdouh-Guebas, F., Hugé, J., Abuchahla, G.M., Cannicci, S., Jayatissa, L.P., Kairo, J.G., Arachchilage, S.K., Koedam, N., Nijamdeen, T.W.M., Mukherjee, N. and Poti, M., Prabakaran, N., Ratsimbazafy, H.A., Satyanarayana, B., Thavanayagam, M., Vande Velde, K., Wodehouse, D. 2020. Reconciling nature, people and policy in the mangrove social-ecological system through the adaptive cycle heuristic. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, p.106942. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106942

Prabakaran, N. 2020. Mangrove community response to subsidence inflicted sea level change in Car Nicobar Island, India. Botanica Marina, 63(5): 419–427. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2019-0088

Murugan, R., Beggi, F., Prabakaran, N., Maqsood, S., Joergensen, R.G. 2020. Changes in plant community and soil ecological indicators in response to Prosopis juliflora and Acacia mearnsii invasion and removal in two biodiversity hotspots in Southern India. Soil Ecology Letters, 2(1): 61–72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-019-0020-z

Ramesh, C., Prabakaran, N. 2019. Living with snakes: human-snake conflict in southern asia and way ahead. Asian Journal of Conservation Biology, 8(2): 220–223.

Mane, A., Prabakaran, N., Manchi, S. 2019. Floral diversity, composition, and recruitment on the karstland of Baratang Island, India. Ecological Complexity, 37:47–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecocom.2018.11.002

Ramesh, C., Prabakaran, N., Vishnu, S.N, Karthy, S., Thiru Murugan, V., Abhijit, D., Gautam, T. 2019.  Mating behaviour of Python molurus molurus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Moyar River Valley, Tamil Nadu, India. Zoo’s Print, 34(2): 1014

Prabakaran, N., Balasubramanian P. 2018. Mangrove species diversity and composition in the successional habitats of Nicobar Islands, India: A post-tsunami and subsidence scenario. Forest Ecology and Management, 427: 7077. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.05.063

Prabakaran, N., Balasubramanian, P. 2015. Littoral forest composition and influence of soil characteristics on vegetation succession in the Tsunami impacted coastal habitats of Nicobar Islands, India. Journal of Island Ecology, 2015 (1): 1–17.

Prabakaran, N., Balasubramanian, P. 2014. Rate of vegetation change in the tsunami impacted littoral forests of Nicobar Islands, India. Forest Ecology and Management, 313: 243–253. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.11.023

Nehru, P., Kannan, R., Babu, UV. 2014. Magnolia baillonii: A new adulterant of Magnolia champaca (Michelia champaca). Inventi Rapid: Planta Activa, (2):1–3.

Nehru, P., Balasubramanian, P. 2012. Sonneratia ovata Backer (Lythraceae): Status and distribution of a Near-Threatened mangrove species in tsunami impacted mangrove habitats of Nicobar Islands, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 4 (15): 3395–3400. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3009.3395-400

Nehru, P., Gnanasekaran, G., MuthuKarthick, N., Narasimhan, D. 2012. Angiosperms of Nanmangalam Reserve Forest, an urban forest in Metropolitan Chennai, India. CheckList, 8(1): 5776. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/8.1.057

G. Gnanasekaran, G., Nehru, P., Narasimhan, D. 2012. Angiosperms of Sendirakillai Sacred Grove (SSG), Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India. CheckList 8(1): 113129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/8.1.113

Nehru, P., Balasubramanian, P. 2011. Re-colonizing mangrove species in tsunami devastated habitats at Nicobar Islands, India. CheckList, 7(3): 253256. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/7.3.253

Gnanasekaran, G, Nehru, P., Narasimhan, D. 2011. Spermacoce remota Lam. (Rubiaceae)- A potential invasive weed of wetlands. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany, 35(4): 645647.

Nehru, P., Balasubramanian, P. 2010. Notes on the distribution of Capparis grandiflora Wall.ex Hook.f. & Thomson, An endemic shrub of peninsular India. Indian Journal of Forestry, 33(2): 271272.

Daniels, R., Nehru, P.,Gnanasekaran, G. andKarthik, M.N. 2008. 200 + Plants ofIndian Institute of Technology – Madras, a pictorial guide for the amateur naturalists. IIT-Madras, India.pp.144.ISBN: 8190423541, 9788190423540.

 

SCIENTIFIC SERVICE & ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Course Co-Director: Three months Certificate course in Wildlife management at WII (2018-2020)

Co-supervisor: MSc dissertation project of FRI University, Dehradun (Jan – Jun 201)

Reviewer: Forest Ecology and Management, Ecological Engineering, Vegetos, Journal of Threatened Taxa, European Journal of Ecology, Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences.

Editorial board: Review Editor – Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (Since 2018)