Latest Publications

Increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), the largest terrestrial carbon pool, through proper land management has been suggested as a nature-based solution to mitigate climate change. In this context, it is important to understand the impacts of land transformations on regional SOC stocks. The study spatially analyzed the tree plantation expansion in Kerala, India, along with other land transformations in the last five decades and its effect on surface (0–30 cm) Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) density and stocks.

Large-scale soil sampling efforts have been undertaken in India since 2015 under the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme. This study integrates 39 million+ soil measurements from SHC into a geospatial framework to study two important soil properties— Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content and pH. The study provides maps of mean and uncertainty at village level for SOC content and pH in surface (0–15cm) agriculture soils in India, and further analyzes the varying relationship between them across major Agro-Ecological Regions (AERs) in the country.

Can local knowledge help uncover the hidden lives of elusive wildlife? Focusing on pangolins in Assam, this study explores how Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and community-held environmental values can inform the conservation of cryptic and threatened species. Drawing on insights from forest-dwelling communities, the research demonstrates that LEK is a powerful tool for detecting species that are otherwise difficult to monitor, with experience and age shaping recognition. At the same time, prevailing values linked to hunting and trade reveal complex conservation challenges.