Conservation Biology
Dr. S Suresh
Qualification:
Conferred with PhD degree in Botany from Kannur University, India on the title ‘Population demography of Cullenia in relation to conservation of the tropical rain forest ecosystem in Silent Valley in the Western Ghats, India’ to study the trend of Cullenia exarillata population and how it affects the functioning of the evergreen forest ecosystem in Silent Valley.
Specialization : Systematic Palynology and Conservation Biology.
Personal Biography
The broad areas of his research are palynology and conservation biology. He has associated in the study of pollen morphology of trees of the Western Ghats, Cassia, Rauvolfia, Thottea, Garcinia Oxalidaceae etc and varients of Clitoria turnatea and Pellionia heyneana, Mangifera indica and Artocarpus heterophyllus , spore morphology of Pteridophytes and application of pollen in aerobiology, plant-animal interaction studies, forensic science, and pharmacology.
He is associated/associating with a number of research programs undertaken by the Division of Conservation Biology on the broad theme of plant-animal interaction conservation of critically endangered plants in the Western Ghats. There he has extensively studied seed dispersal and pollination in relation to mutualism between Cullenia exarillata and vertebrate community in Silent Valley, population demography of Cullenia exarillata, plant-crab mutualism in the mangrove forests, identification of nuclear tree species and its impact in landscape conservation, population biology of Janakiya arayalapathra and Cycas annaikalensis.
Currently he is working on the systematic palynology of Oil Palm varieties in association with ICAR-Indian Oil Palm Research Institute, identification of pollen grains from the honey of Trogonula travancorica across Kerala in association with Kerala Agriculture University, Vellanikkara, Kerala, conservation of critically
Projects & Selected Publications
Ongoing Projects
- 2019- Present. Conservation of Vulnerable Sandalwood (Santalum album L.) through propagation and reintroduction. Associated. Date of sanction: P4-20197/2018 dated 12/04/2019. 17.09.2019 (4 years). INR 18, 39, 200. Kerala Forest Department.
- 2017-Present. Studies in conservation biological aspects of selected flowering plant wealth of Kerala. Date of sanction: 2017 (5 years). Co-Investigator. INR 35, 45, 000. Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment Plan Grant, Government of Kerala.
- 2021. Pollen Morphology of the Family Arecaceae of Kerala with Special Emphasis on Forensic Science.
- 2019-2020. Conservation of endemic and Endangered Buchanania barberi in India. Associated. Date of sanction: 2019 (2 years). INR 2, 50, 000. Muhammed bin Zayed species conservation fund, UAE.
- 2017-2020. Pollen morphology of the variants of Clitoria turnatea. Position: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI.
- 2017-2020. Study on the relationship between number of stomata and sporangia to understand how the competition between photosynthesis and reproduction defines adaptive evolution in ferns. Position: Associated. Funding: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.
- 2017-Present. Pharmacopalynology of Ayurvedic drugs. Positon: Co-Investigator. Funding: JNTBGRI.
- 2017-Present. Conservation of Dialium travancoricum Bourd. (Leguminosae: Dialioideae), a critically endangered and endemic tree in the Western Ghats. Position: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI.
- 2017-2020. Pollen morphology of the variants of Pellionia heyneana Wedd. Position: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI.
- 2017-2020. Pollen morphology of the family Oxalidaceae of the southern Western Ghats. Position: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI
- 2016-2019. Systematic Palynology of Garcinia. Positoin: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI.
- 2016-2019. Pollen morphology of Clitoria turnatea. Positoin: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI
- 2015-2017. Integrating ecological and genetic approaches in developing conservation strategies for critically small populations: a case study of the endemic and Critically Endangered cycad, Cycas annaikalensis in the Western Ghats. Funding: KSCSTE Plan Grant (budget: INR 12, 45, 000/). Position: Co-Investigator.
- 2015-2017. Pollen morphology among wild Musa of Agastyamala biosphere reserve. Position: Associated. Funding: JNTBGRI.
- 2012-2017. Population studies and gene flow system in selected endemic trees of the southern Western Ghats of Kerala. Funding: KSCSTE Plan Grant (budget: INR 50, 00, 000/). Position: Co-Investigator.
- 2008-2020. Population demography of Cullenia exarillata in relation to the conservation of the tropical rainforest ecosystem in Silent Valley in the Western Ghats, India. PhD program, Kannur University.
- 2008-2012. Identification of nuclear tree species and assessment of its impact in landscape conservation: A case study with reference to the tropical rainforests in Silent Valley in the Western Ghats. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi. Position: Associated.
Publications
- Shanij, K., Suresh, S., V. Jilesh and T. S. Nayar. (2023). Leaf litter production and decomposition in a Riverine Mangrove forest in India. Wetlands Ecology and Management-I F: 1.9; Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-023-09961-0
- Abinlal, K. C., Anurag Dhyani, Suresh, Shareef, S. M. and E. S. Santhosh Kumar. (2022). Conservation of Garcinia gamblei, a rare tree endemic to the Western Ghats, India. Oryx 56 (4): 489-490 – IF: 2.69; Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060532200045X
- Dani, K. G. S., Mathew, J., Nila-Mohan, T. M., Raju Antony, Suresh, S. and U. Kodandaramaiah 2021. Competition between photosynthesis and reproduction is constrained by leaf mass per unit area (LMA) in ferns. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 132: 346–357 - IF: 1.96; Oxford Academic. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaa189
- Praveen, V. P., Shanij, K., Suresh, S., Mathew M Oommen and T. S. Nayar. 2017. Species preference in seedling predation by the Sesarmid crab Neosarmatium malabaricum (De Haan) in a mangrove forest in India. Wetlands 37(1): 59–66 - IF: 2.20; Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0839-3
- Shanij, K., Praveen, V. P., Suresh, S., Mathew M. Oommen and T. S. Nayar. 2016. Leaf litter translocation and consumption in mangrove ecosystems: the key role played by the sesarmid crab Neosarmatium malabaricum. Current Science 110(10):1969-1976 - IF: 1.10; https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v110/i10/1969-1976
Position: Technical Officer
Mobile No: 9446455795, 6238355046
Email: sureshcullenia@gmail.com sureshcullenia@jntbgri.res.in
Work Experience
Trained in systematic palynology, pollen analysis, studies in plant animal interactions, ecology of pollination and seed dispersal, conservation of critically endangered trees of the Western Ghats, he has got more than 20 years of research experience in these fields. He is entrusted with the charge of the sporotheca in the palynology laboratory associated to the division of Conservation Biology. His broad areas of research are palynology and conservation biology. He is working on systematic palynology of flowering plants and Pteridophytes of the Western Ghats, and pollen analysis to address different issues in conservation biology, pharmacology, honey production and criminology. He is also focusing on plant animal interaction with special emphasis on pollination and seed dispersal in tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, conservation of endemic and critically endangered plants employing demographic methods, reintroduction of critically endangered plant species in to natural or near natural habitats. He has associated with 30 research projects, authored/co-authored one edited book, 31 research articles and 18 presentations and supervised 2 MSc students. He is also an author/co-author in many international and national award winning presentations.