LEMoN-India
A collaborative effort to establish and monitor a network of one-hectare vegetation monitoring plots along environmental gradients and across habitat types in the Indian sub-continent using standard protocols (RAINFOR-GEM & CTFS). Established in 2012, LEMoN-India is open, collaborative research initiative currently being coordinated by the Biodiversity and Ecosystems Ecology Research Laboratory (BEER Lab) at National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Western Ghats Program of the Nature Conservation Foundation.
Rationale
To date, our most in-depth knowledge of vegetation dynamics comes from various international networks established to monitor vegetation in permanent plots over long periods of time (>25 years). These initiatives have provided us with critical insights into the structure and functioning of forest communities in relation to various biotic and abiotic factors. They have also proven invaluable for understanding global carbon dynamics, and have significantly contributed to the development of effective strategies for long-term sustainable forest management. However, in contrast to other regions of the globe, similar initiatives have been lacking in a country like India, despite its great variety of climates, soils, and vegetation types. Apart from plots established at Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu, as part of the CTFS network, there is an absence of similar efforts in other parts of the country. The LEMoN-India network is an effort to bridge this gap, and was set up in 2012 with the objective of establishing an open and collaborative network of permanent, one-hectare plots to monitor vegetation and biomass dynamics in different forest and savanna landscapes across the country.
Primary objectives
1. Understand how the structure and function of plant communities change across broad environmental gradients.
2. Understand vegetation responses to changes in climate and other environmental drivers.
Besides these primary research objectives, there is also the potential for other investigations/experiments within the plots based on site specific characteristics and interests of local collaborators. We encourage interested researchers to contact us.
2. Understand vegetation responses to changes in climate and other environmental drivers.
Besides these primary research objectives, there is also the potential for other investigations/experiments within the plots based on site specific characteristics and interests of local collaborators. We encourage interested researchers to contact us.
Contact
LEMoN-India, Lab 22
National Centre for Biological Sciences
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India
Phone: 91 80 23666220 / 91 80 67176220
Fax: 91 80 23636662
Email: [email protected]
National Centre for Biological Sciences
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India
Phone: 91 80 23666220 / 91 80 67176220
Fax: 91 80 23636662
Email: [email protected]
Website developed on Weebly by Swapna Neelaballi and Anish Paul. No reuse of any photos on this website is allowed.
