Professor


Research Area \ Research Statement \ Research Group Info

The broad focus of my research is to understand the patterns and impacts of plant invasions, both in terrestrial and aquatic systems, from a biogeographic perspective. We use molecular ecological approaches to unravel the genetic variations of invasive species across native and non-native regions and understand interactions of plant invaders with native species and rhizosphere biota. Though most of our research is carried out in Kashmir Himalaya, we ask large scale questions to understand the ecological drivers and evolutionary processes underlying invasions through a vibrant global network of collaborators and multilateral international projects, including Indo-US, Indo-German and Indo-Canadian projects. Predicting potential invaders on the basis of native range size and in the context of climate change is our endeavour to inform management models and policy decisions for biodiversity conservation. The current research in the lab is woven around the broad themes of biomonitoring of freshwater ecosystems vis-a-vis the growing spread of invasive species, bioprospection and alternative uses of invasive species and their phytoremediation potential, macroecological patterns and population genetic variations of invasive species across ranges. For comparative purposes we also study some rare endemic plant species at the level of genes, molecules, poulations and ecosystems with the fundamental aim to understand the underlying causes of their rarity, as against invasiveness, and eventually use them for bioprospection and restoration purposes.