PhD Student: Rintu Mandal

Program: CEROS

Guide: Dr. Rohit Naniwadekar and Dr. Anand Osuri

One of the primary goals of community ecology is to understand how species coexist in natural systems. There are multiple mechanisms that can facilitate coexistence of sympatric species in a community. However, one of the most important mechanisms that can facilitate coexistence is by increasing niche differentiation, where sympatric species use the available resource in a way that reduces competition between them.

My research project focuses on understanding coexistence of sympatric avian frugivores in the Indian tropics by examining the partitioning of fruit resources by them. Tropical forests harbour a high diversity of both avian frugivores and fleshy-fruited plants, therefore, ideal to study niche differentiation by sympatric avian frugivore species. Sympatric frugivores can achieve niche partitioning by partitioning fruit resources in space, time, or traits. For instance, sympatric frugivores can track a particular fruit resource at the same time, but at different spatial scales - from within a fruiting tree to a large geographic area. In addition, different species of frugivores can feed on the same fruit resource in the same space but at different temporal scales. Furthermore, they can track different fruit traits in the same space and time - thereby avoiding direct competition and facilitating coexistence. Species may adopt one or more strategies to avoid competition with other species in the community. My study design involves comparing different plant-frugivore communities in the Indian tropics that have different avian frugivore species richness but are otherwise comparable in terms of environmental conditions and phylogenetic composition to understand the responses of avian frugivores in response to changes in interspecific competition strength, and thereby species coexistence.

Apart from answering some key ecological questions, my research can help predict the responses of interacting plant and frugivore species in a changing world, such as species loss. In addition, many of the species in our study system are threatened and this study can highlight their role in the natural world and highlight their need for conservation.

Rintu is a simple and reserved fellow hailing from West-Bengal. He did his bachelors (from Krishnath College, Murshidabad) and masters (from Visva-Bharati University) in Zoology.

He is known for his special knack in art and literature. His artwork is something to lookout for. He is an avid cook and loves to play the harmonica and flute. But he claims to be the most passionate in sleeping.

Researchers: Himanshu Lad, Natasha Desai, Rasika Kadam, Vignesh C

Field Collaborators: Gopi, Laiphong, Wanggao, Sathiyaraj, Krishnakumar

Volunteers & Interns: Maya, Mandar, Siddhant, Prabhav, Tamoghna

https://www.ncf-india.org/blog/an-encounter-in-the-elephant-hills