Biodiversity, Floristics and Systematics

The researchers and students conduct botanical research all over the country, documenting the diversity of plant life, especially aquatic and lower group forms. Their research is reported in academic journals and other publications such as monographs, regional floras and field guides.

Documenting Diversity is the first step in conservation. Bio surveys are an important research activity used to document the biodiversity of an area. It is these baseline surveys that allow us to better understand how natural and human influences change an environment over time. During bio surveys, we also collect specimens which we identify, mount on archival paper, and deposit in the MBGH. These specimens are often collected in duplicate so they can be exchanged with other herbaria, which enhances the availability of research material in the MBGT herbarium and herbaria of our exchange partners. We do also collect specimens for establishing field gene banks. Our favourite days are those we get to spend in the field, collecting and learning together. Later, we do work out each specimen and assign the taxonomic identity. As of now we are concentrating on aquatic plants, bryophytes, pteridophytes etc and do collect any other interesting plant we come across.

Ongoing projects:

1. Seed biology of Hopea ponga (Dipterocarpaceae) an endemic and endangered tree species of Western Ghats
2. Conservation of Crinum malabaricum Lekhak & S. R. Yadav (Amaryllidaceae), a critically endangered species, through biotechnological approaches
3. Development of Seed Storage and Germination studies for selected endemic medicinal plants