Ecology, Environmental Science and Conservation, 2e

J.S. SINGH

Professor Singh, Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, India, Third World Academy of Sciences, and Academy of Forest and Environmental Sciences, is a distinguished researcher in the field of ecology and environmental science. He is an internationally renowned ecologist, who has taught at the Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Kumaun University, Nainital, and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Presently, he is Professor Emeritus at Banaras Hindu University. He was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1980 and is the recipient of many other prestigious awards.

Professor Singh's research spans diverse ecological topics like plant decomposition, soil respiration, western Himalayan forest ecosystems, tropical dry forest restoration and conservation, and the ecology of western North American grasslands. His research covers environmental factors, adaptations, biogeography, species interactions, biodiversity, invasive species, urban infrastructure, and pollution. He also explores remote sensing and geographical information systems for natural resource analysis and management.  His work highlights the discovery of new facts concerning ecosystem functioning, a new methodology for biological resource study, and the collection of hitherto unavailable data on various ecosystems for evolving management strategies.

To his credit, he has more than 400 research papers in leading research journals around the world and has mentored 43 Ph.D. students.  He has 24,297 citations in all Google Scholar Metrics;  h-index- 79 and i10-index- 41 since 2019. Professor Singh was also the Chief Editor of Tropical Ecology and is on the editorial board of many reputed journals. He has been associated with eminent national and international research organisations: e.g., as a Visiting Scientist (1971-1974; 1981-1982) at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, and Visiting Professor (1993-1994) at the Rangeland Ecosystem Science Department, Colorado State University, USA.

S.P. SINGH

S.P. Singh worked as the Professor and Head at the Department of Botany, Kumaun University, Nainital (1977-2005), the Vice Chancellor of Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal (2005-2008), Advisor Planning Commission, Uttarakhand, and ';Chair of Excellence' at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, and a recipient of Dr. Birbal Sahni Medal of 2003. The principal area of his research is the Forest Ecology of Himalaya. The scale of his study ranges from a tree leaf to a complete ecosystem-level analysis, all of which fall within ecological realms. The ecosystem-level aspects of research interests include productivity, nutrient cycling, ecosystem services and ecological sustainability initiatives concerning the Central Himalaya. His original contributions have resulted in constructing and improving some important generalisations concerning leaf phenology, leaf-related ecosystem characters, nutrient resorption from senescing leaves, community organisation, and ecological sustainability. Ecosystem services, climate change in the Himalayas and Carbon Justice are his recent research areas. He has supervised formally about 35 Ph.D. students and published 220 research papers in leading national and international journals. He recently coordinated a major research on Himalayan Treeline Ecology, which resulted in the publications of two major books, "Ecology of Himalayan Treeline Ecotone" (published by Springer) and "Interpreting Mountain Treelines in a Changing World" (jointly published by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu and Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA), Nainital), apart from a larger number of publications in international journals. His collaborative efforts with Prof. J.S. Singh (the first author of this book) and Prof. Don B. Zobel of Oregon State University, USA, have significantly contributed to the understanding of Himalayan Forest Ecology.

SHARDA R. GUPTA

Dr. S.R. Gupta has 34 years of teaching experience at the Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, and has held various positions including Professor, Chairperson of the Department of Botany, Dean of Life Sciences (2009-2011), Director of the Institute of Environmental Studies (2006-2007), and Professor Emeritus UGC (2011-2013). Dr. Gupta has made significant contributions towards a better understanding of biodiversity and the ecosystem functioning of tropical grassland, forest, and agroforestry systems, as well as soil biodiversity, and ecological rehabilitation of salt-affected soils. The research at the ecosystem level focuses on plant diversity, productivity, decomposition, soil respiration, nutrient cycling, soil microbial biomass, and carbon sequestration. Dr. Gupta has published 125 research papers in various international and national journals and supervised the project work of 20 Ph.D. students. She has been a post-doctoral fellow at the Soil Science Department, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, and Herts, UK (1990-1991); a life member of several societies in India; and a Fellow of the National Institute of Ecology, India. Dr. Gupta co-edited books on Agroforestry for Degraded Landscapes (two volumes), Agroforestry for Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture in Asia and Africa, and Halophytes vis-à-vis Saline Agriculture, published by Springer Nature.

RISHIKESH SINGH